INSIGHTS (on leadership/self-leadership)
We all know someone (or several people), on a surface level. Maybe we’ve had an interaction or two with them, enough so that we could recognize them and have some minimal level of shared experience.
My question for you, then, is this:
Who in your life deserves a “second layer look”? I’m talking about making the effort to reach out to an acquaintance to get to that second layer below the surface, the one where you start to understand who they really are, what you really have in common, what troubles and triumphs they’ve experienced. It’s the difference between looking at someone though a coffee shop window, and stepping inside that café to experience the richness of the sights/sounds they add to the environment. Doing so makes life fuller. It creates more meaningful connections, exposes you to more relatable life experiences, cements you just a bit further to surrounding humanity (at a time when it appears we’re chiseling chasms between us).
Take a moment to go one layer deeper with someone. You’ll uncover life.
IMPERFECTIONS (a mistake many make)
Recently, I watched someone bravely stand up and do something that would not have been first on her list of things to do – give a talk in front of a discerning crowd. She’s a believer in continual growth and improvement, so she set aside her fears and great discomfort, and went for it. The experience will forever be added to her “databank,” making it at least slightly less intimidating the next time around. It reminded me of something I like to say, something that many make the mistake of forgetting.
When you broaden your horizons, you narrow your inhibitions.
What thing are you holding back on trying? In what way could you put yourself out there to the world? Do so, and watch that world expand.
IMPLEMENTATION (one research-backed strategy, tip, or tool)
Research shows car accidents cause more deaths than heart attacks among elderly people – especially left turns. In fact, left turns accounted for 40% of traffic deaths in San Francisco (about average for the country). With left turns, it’s easier to lose depth perception and harder to pick pedestrians crossing a walkway. One older couple shared what they do instead – a simple solution. Take a lot of right turns until you get there. Don’t be in such a hurry.
What in your life right now would benefit from taking a few more right turns, taking your time, carefully considering things and taking it all in, instead of trying to “shortcut” it?
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