Welcome to Day 2 of A Week of Living Brilliantly.
Let’s get into the weeds a bit …
Amy Whitaker is a longtime teacher of business to artists and art to business people. She’s the author of Art Thinking and Economics of Visual Art, with her work covered everywhere from The New York Times to The Guardian.
Fancy, I know.
The Lesson:
We all love the after photo: the polished book cover, the award-winning film, the triumphant keynote.
But most of life is lived in the before photo — the duct-taped, slightly embarrassing, not-there-yet middle bit.
Amy Whitaker calls this “being in the weeds” (I usually call it the “crappy first … second … third draft”).
Being in the weeds isn’t failure. It’s proof you’re alive and creating.
It’s Harper Lee grinding on To Kill a Mockingbird (long enough to wear through two pairs of jeans), never knowing if it would sell 40 copies, let alone 40 million.
It’s you, at your desk, wondering if you’ll ever crack what you’re working on … and still choosing to do it anyway.
So here’s the invitation:
Instead of rushing toward the shiny Point B, sit with the dignity of Point A. Notice the gold that’s already here.
Point A is where you become. Where you ask and answer the questions that matter. Where you build the life and world (even just your own) you want to be part of.
Maybe you’re figuring out how to manage a new team.
The gold isn’t in the perfect system you’ll one day create. It’s in the small experiments you’re running right now, the awkward conversations you’re daring to have, and the questions you’re brave enough to ask:
What kind of leader do I want to be? How do I help this team flourish?
You’re in the ring (hat tip Theodore Roosevelt).
You’re daring greatly (hat tip Brené Brown).
You’re unlocking your greatness by working on the hard things (hat tip me).
Invitation #2 (for when the weeds feel too much)
Remember this: most of life is lived in the after photo of your previous befores.
That slow-growing coaching practice? It’s only possible because you did the training, earned the certifications, registered your business, found your first clients, built your website … and, and, and.
So when the weeds feel overwhelming, re-energize yourself by listing the Point Bs you’ve already created that got you to this Point A. Sit in the dignity of that.
Your turn
- Where are you right now in a “Point A” — and what gold can you see in it?
- When the weeds feel heavy, what are a few Point Bs you’ve created that you can point to?
A Week of Living Brilliantly is a free mini-course designed to spark new ideas, gently poke your thinking, and maybe (hopefully) even delight you.
Seven days. Seven different teachers who’ve shaped me. One short lesson each day from September 29–October 5.
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