One of the worst things you can do for your self-image and for your relationships is to phone it in. It’ll just suck the life and passion out of you and tells others that you don’t care about them. It can permanently damage your relationships and your reputation.
I don’t want to phone it in as a blogger, as a husband and father, as a spiritual leader, or as a business person. I want to give my very best all the time because you deserve the best. So I have to be present (not distracted) when I’m with people, deliver on my promises, and be intentional about investing my life in those around me.
I’m sure that you’re sometimes in a similar situation. Think about this week – were there some times that you were just phoning it in? How about times when you were giving your all but people thought you were phoning it in because you didn’t manage their expectations?
I think you’ll find some great wisdom in the articles this week that will help you on your path to delivering your best and letting people know just that. But first, some most excellent quotes from my most excellent friends on Twitter and Facebook.
The Quotes
- “Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.”
H.K via Twitter / @Jordan_Muck - Procrastination is the thief of time.
Edward Young via Twitter / @AskMartyMisner - “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
Vincent Van Gogh via Twitter / @ArchbishopYoung - To show how truly rebellious I am, I’m going to wear white tomorrow!
via Twitter / @HSS88 - ”Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much You already have.”
Unknown via Facebook / David Northrup - Humble leaders brag about others not themselves. #leadership #humility
via Twitter / Leadershipfreak
Great Articles
Say No Faster
When we’re feeling overwhelmed by decision fatigue or just don’t want to let somebody down, it’s easy to put a “star” on something to remind us to take care of it later. But often, we’re just postponing the inevitable (and making it worse).
Talent and Vendors
Believe it or not, there’s a difference between people who work through “vendor” relationships and artists. Some goods and services are very well negotiated and managed using impersonal (vendor) mechanisms. They’re called commodities. But if what you’re looking for is distinctive, you’ll want to find an artist, and you’ll have to handle everything differently.
Maybe you shouldn’t post anything today
In a somewhat ironic post about having nothing to post, Tim Sanders discusses what should you do when you have an arbitrary deadline to post or write something but don’t have anything to write? If you think like a manufacturer, you’ll just churn out another post regardless. But if you’re an artisan, you might hold off until you have something you are proud to call your own.
Photo credit: psd