Away From My Desk

I know it's been quite a while. Much has been happening for me personally as I'm here in Alaska, and I haven't had the... well, I just haven't had the dedication to this blog to continue it. Perhaps this will go the way of all school projects/camps/fads and fade slowly into the distance. I'm not sure, but I do want to let you know that I'm not planning to post here regularly in the near future. This isn't a closed book yet, but it sure is looking that way.

Bags Packed

Bags packed. Two words that convey so many reactions... anyway, our bags are all packed and we set off tomorrow. See you all in a week or so :)

I'm an "A"

What about you? Any other A's out there?

http://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/growth/know-your-business-personality.html

Packed and Leaving

Well, I am. Packed and leaving. Packed today, leaving Thursday.

My two shiny black suitcases are deliciously underweight (for the first time in more than 35 plane flights) and clothes are still sprinkled around my living room... looking somewhat like the way I imagine a hyperactive maraca player would decorate.

ANYway, I now have this queasy feeling in my stomach, which surfaces and disappears. What will happen next? Will I be able to carry everything? Do I have what I need?

It's also amazing to see these remnants on the floor, things I thought I truly needed, but now that I consider them... how important is that button-up vest, really? Is that red shirt truly as life-altering as I thought? I probably will survive for three months without my ski gloves.

I love the perspective that comes with these times. Similarly, as I'm considering being a freelancer (as of Wednesday!)... how important is it to work five days a week? Do I really need that salary I was on? Is it possible that I could find alternative ways to get my food, clothes, rent money, etc? I saw a quick documentary about some men who lived in a South American jungle who visited the USA. One man commented, "We know things that they do not know and they know things we do not know" as he discussed how they always had what they needed in the jungle, but people on Wall Street seemed to always need something else.

It's a cliche. It's overdone, but I know that a 9-5 is not everything. Stability doesn't come from an external circumstance.

Ways to be Heard

Do you write a blog?

Is it a raging success?

If you answered "yes," how about giving me me a link? ;)
If you answered "no," why not start by considering your involvement in other blogs? In particular, how often do you comment on other blogs?

I once read a blogger who said he tries to comment on every blog he reads. This does two things:

1. Makes you really interact with the ideas in the blog. Don't just channel-surf blogs all day long... that's like eating a steady stream of celery soup. You get NOTHING out of it and eventually want to gag. Dig into the blogs you're reading and find something to challenge yourself with. Leave comments makes you think about the blog.

2. Visibility. There's no better way to find people who are interested in reading what you write than to leave your face (and url) beside a thoughtful comment on someone else's blog. If you're reading interesting, thought-provoking blogs, you're probably in good company. The other readers of that blog are likely to be people with similar interests to you (you're both interested in the same blogs, anyway!) and they might just be interested in what you have to say.

A win-win, what's not to like? It takes a lot more effort, but you end up getting more out of blogs when you leave a little piece of your thoughts down the bottom as a comment.

Have you ever commented on a blog? Anything exciting happen?

What Makes Eurovision Excellent?

Context.

These totally absurd performances would be irritating anywhere else, or at least embarrassing, but we expected Eurovision 2011 to be over-hyped, over-coloured, and over-acted. So we love it. And by we, I mean I. And my college-aged hipster-wanabee music-nerd friends. But it's fantastic!

For an example, check out this year's winner, Azerbaijan's "Ell and Nikki." The song has some beautiful phrases and some moving harmonies, but I'd skip right past it if I heard it on the radio. However! The context makes it one of the most unforgettable songs of the year. Because of a careful use of context, Ell and Nikki are now international stars and national heroes, having won Azerbaijan the right to host the MAJOR Eurovision 2012 contest.

Maybe you're not as geographically ignorant as me, but I've been practicing all night and I still can't pronounce Azerbaijan. The right move at the right time will now bring this little-known European nation millions of dollars worth of international marketing and exposure.

You literally cannot buy the kind of airtime Azerbaijan will now get.

What is the secret? Make sure you're offering a product (performance) which is actually good, then just make sure you're presenting it to people who actually want to hear about it. And make sure to catch them at a time when they want to hear about it. Not in the middle of a busy work day, and NOT in the middle of their dinner.

My Why

I've taken some time this week to consider my "why" - my reason for doing what I'm doing. This includes my recent fascinations with:

-jogging

-reading

-marketing

-traveling

-working part-time

I'm about to embark on a huge shift in the way I work and make a living, which is bringing all the "usual" activities of life into clearer focus. In two week, I will no longer have a regular job, getting a comfy paycheck every second Friday, with a complimentary coffee machine to greet me each morning. Instead, I'll be picking up work as a marketing contractor wherever it is provided, and trusting that the rest will be worked out. 

I'm addicted to enterprise, so this excites me more than it scares me, but I have noticed that my overall patience and long-suffering have been lacking lately. I've been a grouch. 

So this brings me to my "why." My parents encouraged me to consider what I really want in some areas of my life, and this has enabled me to say "no" to things which don't suit that vision, without regret or guilt. 

So, my "why" for business exists is still just in draft stage, but it goes something like:

To be a real person in an impersonal marketplace. I want to celebrate the unique gifts I have been given, while using those gifts to understand more about my own nature and how I work in relationships. The essence of everything that matters to me is relational and real (genuine/sincere) and I want to let that play out in whatever work I do.

I don't yet know how this helps clarify my various activities... but I trust it will.

Do you have a "why?"