Amy Hoppock's Blog, page 5

{Pause} The Listening Practice

A few weeks ago I discovered Betty’s Diner by Carrie Newcomer. It’s a simple song about a diner. I can’t stop listening to it and it kind of takes my breath away. I feel like this is a song that is ripe for the practice of reflective reading, only maybe this is reflective listening? There are certain phrases that jump out every time I listen to this song (and full discloser when I’m into a song it’s basically ALL I listen to for weeks). Take a few minutes to listen to the song. I’ve put the lyrics below the link. What words or phrases stand out to you? How does the song make you feel? Is there a lesson for you from Betty’s Diner? Betty’s Diner Carrie Newcomer Miranda works the late night counterIn a joint called Betty’s DinerChrome and checkered tableclothsOne steamy windowpane She got the job that shaky fallAnd after hours she’ll write till dawnWith a nod and smile she serves them all Here we are all in one placeThe wants and wounds of the human raceDespair and hope sit face to faceWhen you come in from the cold Let her fill your cup with something kindEggs and toast like bread and wineShe’s heard it all so she don’t mind Arthur lets his earl gray steepSince April it’s been hard to sleepYou know they tried most everythingYet it took her in the end Kevin tests new saxophonesBut swears he’s leaving quality controlFor the Chicago scene, or New OrleansWhere they still play righteous horns Here we are all in one placeThe wants and wounds of the human raceDespair and hope sit face to faceWhen you come in from the cold Let her fill your cup with something kindEggs and toast like bread and wineShe’s heard it all so she don’t mind Jack studies here after workTo get past high school he’s the firstAnd his large hands seem just as comfortableWith a hammer or a pen Emma leaned and kissed his cheekAnd when she did his knees got weakMiranda smiles at ’em and winks Here we are all in one placeThe wants and wounds of the human raceDespair and hope sit face to faceWhen you come in from the cold Let her fill your cup with something kindEggs and toast like bread and wineShe’s heard it all so she don’t mind You never know who’ll be your witnessYou never know who grants forgivenessLook to heaven or sit with us Deidre bites her lip and frownsShe works the stop and go downtownShe’s pretty good at the crossword pageAnd she paints her eyes blue black Tristan comes along sometimesSmall for his age and he’s barely fiveBut she loves him like a mama lion Veda used to drink a lotAlmost lost it all before she stoppedComes in at night with her friend MikeWho runs the crisis line Michael toured Saigon and backHair the color of smoke and ashTheir heads are bowed and hands are claspedOne more storm has passed Here we are all in one placeThe wants and wounds of the human raceDespair and hope sit face to faceWhen you come in from the cold Let her fill your cup with something kindEggs and toast like bread and wineShe’s heard it all so she don’t mind Source: LyricFindSongwriters: Carrie NewcomerBetty’s Diner lyrics © BMG Rights Management The chorus sings to me. As many times as I have listened to this song, it’s taken on new meaning after spending this time intentionally thinking about each line. Here we are all in one placeThe wants and wounds of the human raceDespair and hope sit face to faceWhen you come in from the cold Let her fill your cup with something kindEggs and toast like bread and wineShe’s heard it all so she don’t mind Carrie Newcomer Here we are all in one place Here we are. Here we are living in a pandemic. Here we are eating. Here we are figuring out a new normal. HERE we are. Wants and wounds of the human race Wants and wounds doesn’t that just capture our shared human experience in two words? We want, and we wound or have wounds or soon will have wounds or cause wounds. Wants and wounds are the ground that we all spring from. Despair and hope sit face to face I see this as two opposing forces sitting with eyes locked. The tension that creates a balance. For every move despair makes, hope makes an opposing move and the balance holds. When you come in from the cold Cold seasons happen for everyone, but there are warm doors, welcoming rest spots along the way. I can just see a cold, weary traveler walking into Betty’s Diner a warm welcoming cafe. A place of rest after a weary day. Let her fill your cup Let, such a powerful little word. Let is an action, a choice that we make. Eggs and toast like bread and wine This might be my favorite line. This speaks to me of every moment sacred. Eggs and toast can be the stuff of communion when we let it. She’s heard it all so she don’t mind Isn’t there something so comforting about a person who listens and just takes everything in without too much drama? There is comfort in those sorts of people. What song (or poem) has stopped you in your tracks recently? What is the message for you? If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!)

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Why I Haiku.

I started writing haikus with little idea about what I was doing. I’m STILL writing Haiku’s with even less idea of what I’m doing, and yet more appreciation for the process. It began with an invitation and challenge to write one haiku every day, once a month share a haiku with the other haiku challenge authors and then just see what would happen. A lot has happened. We learned how to write haibun (the response to a haiku). We have seen uncanny synchronicity in topics and reflection. I’ve made new friends and reconnected with old friends. And lots of happy mail (I hope) has landed in people’s mailboxes. Three Lessons from haiku writing: Moments Matter: Haiku writing (or my version of haiku writing) is putting a frame around a moment. Small, fleeing, almost unseen moments become something more profound and meaningful through the challenge and practice of seventeen syllables. Practice, Practice, Practice: It’s a practice. Practice learning to frame those moments and ideas; sometimes the words work, sometimes they don’t. It’s a practice that ebbs and flows. Sometimes I’m consistent with daily jotting down a haiku; in other times too many days (weeks) pass before I remember that I’m someone who writes haikus. Everything is changeable: Sometimes I flip through my haiku book and read something I wrote months early and see that if I changed a word or line the haiku would flow better or be more expressive. So, I change the word or line. Nothing is too precious when it comes to writing. If another word or line would work better I cross it out and add the new word. Once a month Michael (creator of The Profound Living Website and Co-Author of Profound Living) and Davin (contributor to the Profound Living website and the book as well!) and I schedule a zoom call to share our haikus and reflections. Prior to our call, we share one haiku and we each write a response to the other haikus, plus reflections on our own haiku. (So I write one haiku and three responses) This is our chat from August 2020. Do you have a response to any of these haikus or our reflections? Please share in the comments! If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!) Photo by Álvaro Serrano on Unsplash

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Smaller & Deeper {August 2020 Haiku}

A few months ago, I was on a Zoom call with one of my favorite podcasters/authors and two other people.  He was hosting 90-minute zoom calls to help people “get unstuck.”   It worked for me!  We were talking about my Be More Journal, which had just released into the world, and he was asking me thoughtful questions about the whys and wherefores related to the creation and ideas behind the journal.  I’m not sure how it happened, but I said something about a strong, underlying belief or maybe invitation personally to “smaller and deeper.”   There was a shift in the energy of the entire call at that moment.  Rob (Rob Bell, the podcaster and author I like) said, “Wait a minute, you are telling me that you write Haiku- 17 syllable poems – of course, smaller and deeper seems to be not just words but how you live!  Why didn’t you name your journal and your work smaller and deeper?  I was stunned that within 20 minutes of talking to me, a stranger was able to see a theme that I had missed.  After that call and epiphany, I began to explore the theme of smaller and deeper through the medium of Haiku.  How better I reasoned to learn about these two words, ideas, and concepts than through the intentional practice of creating the narrowest frame possible.  Smaller and Deeper is an ancient invitation.    Jesus and Emily Dickinson, remind us to “consider the lilies.” Lilies, simple flowers, wild or domestic, simple.  Yet when we slow down, look closely, look deeply, look thoughtful, the lily holds wonders.  Smaller and deeper is a reminder to see the small details, to embrace the small impact, to pause and celebrate small.   It’s also about looking deeper. Deeper means (to me) slowing thinking about ideas. Mining the depths of ideas, beliefs, and relationships before jumping to conclusions. Deeper is an invitation to see beyond the surface. To move with a little less speed and with a little more intention. Smaller and Deeper is countercultural.   When I’ve tried out the phrase and ideas with some groups of people, I get robust and immediate push back, “No!” “That’s not how you build a platform.”  “That doesn’t make any sense.”  And yet, others breathe a sigh of relief, let their shoulders down and take a deep breath when I’ve tried out the idea of smaller and deeper.  I’ve found these words are polarizing. They create a strong response, either positive or negative. We live in a world that tells us bigger is better.  Somehow as a culture, we started to measure our worth, our impact,  our value by followers, friends, and likes.  Smaller and deeper echos in my heart as a reminder that there is beauty in small moments.  It’s a reminder impact comes personally through meaningful relationships, not through platforms and Facebook posts.  Smaller and deeper has echoed in my soul for years.  I’m embracing it.  Smaller and deeper, I’m letting my soul lead.  It feels ancient AND countercultural at the same time.  What about you?   How do you react to the words smaller and deeper? Is there a mantra that has been echoing in your soul? Is it time to listen?   This is my Haibun. What is your Haibun for this Haiku? Haibun is the reflection and lessons from a Haiku. What does this Haiku mean to you? What do you think about smaller and deeper? Do you have a story or meaning that came up for you while reading this Haiku? Feel free to share in the comments! If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!) Ready for more Haiku? Visit The Profound Living blog here for more!

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What is the size of the frame?

It was 8:06 on a Monday morning. My daughter and I were watching my son tee off on hole six at a golf tournament. It was just another day in our life as a “golf family.”   Over the years I’ve spent many (many, many) hours watching golf.  I sort of know-how golf tournaments go. So when a rules official arrived in a cart yelling, “Stop play!  There is danger on the course. Leave now! Go back to the clubhouse and get in your cars and leave. NOW!”  It wasn’t how things normally go.  I remember glancing up at the clear, cloudless sky thinking, “but there is no lightning,” the only reason I could think of why we would be asked to leave the course in such an abrupt manner.  (The only reason, up to that moment we had EVER been asked to leave a course.) We quickly loaded the players and clubs onto the cart I was driving, the other parents started running and we made our way quickly back to the clubhouse with other golfers and families from every hole.  The question we were all asking (the most obvious question) was, “What is happening?”  We quickly started hearing rumors of “An active gunman” and “there is a shooter on the course.”  Truly the words you least want to hear when you are in an open space with your kids.  There was a calm urgency as we quickly loaded into the car and started driving.  In that moment we had only a very small frame through which to view the world and filter the information.  Words like “shooter” and “on the golf course” were the words we heard.  The words that caused our hearts to pound, our stomachs to knot and fear to set in.  After we were safely away and started to understand, over the next few hours, we could see (with a bigger frame) how we were completely safe the entire time.   My kids and I have talked a lot, especially in the hours and few days after that event about the power of a frame.  When our information was limited, the tone was urgent, it was a very scary situation. As time passed and we learned more details, things like what had happened, where it had happened, the direction the shooter had run (exactly opposite of where we were) the story became more clear.   The question (because it always comes back to a question) is: What is the size of your frame? Are you working with a really small frame around the information? How can you enlarge the frame to see more of the picture?   I find the idea of a frame really helpful, in big and small things alike. It’s easy to look at things happening in the world and feel fear and anxiety, and just like our golf course experience, I try to remind myself that with a bigger view, a larger frame we can make better sense of what is happening.   What is the size of your frame? I’ve found this question to be so helpful, because there is always ways to widen the frame and look wider. “Look wide, and even when you think you are looking wide, look wider still.“ Robert Baden-Powell The Rest of the Story: What happened on the golf course is a man who had stolen a motorcycle had been pulled over along the road that runs by the golf course. He shot the officer (the officer was hospitalized and released) and he ran off the golf course and into a nearby cornfield, where he was “at large” for 90 minutes. There are so many moments of grace and ways that all of the golfers on the course were protected. A few seemingly small choices by the organizers of the tournament created safety and protected any of the young people who were there from being close to what was happening! If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!)

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Where do I need to own my part in a situation in order to forgive and move forward?

Questions have power! 32 Questions: A Personal Quest Through Questions is my book. This is your invitation to engage with important questions to ask yourself. This week is all about Question #13 in 32 Questions: Where do I need to own my own part in a situation in order to forgive and move forward? Some questions are hard.  They take us to uncomfortable places and can prompt us to look at our “shadow” side. As painful as it can be, it is also good.  When we know better, we do better.   This question is one of those questions.  It calls us to a courageous, honest journey of self-reflection. I think it is important to note that this question is asking us to reflect on situations (perhaps a broken friendship or relationship) and think about our part in it.  This is not about times when awful acts may have been done against us.  In some situations, people are truly victims of awful acts.  That is not what this question is pointing too.  It is pointing to those delicate places where a relationship broke down or something happened that was not a violation of our body or trust.  Where do I need to own my part in a situation in order to forgive and move forward?  We are asked to consider the bold act of forgiving and being forgiven in this question.  Our ability to forgive is tied to our ability to own our part in the problem. It is very easy to keep a list of all the ways the other person made mistakes and wronged us, but much harder to see the ways we may have helped create the problem.   Fredrick Buechner, the great writer, and pastor wrote the following reflection on forgiving and being forgiven, sometimes turning to the wisdom of a great writer and thinker is a great place to start.   To forgive somebody is to say one way or another, “You have done something unspeakable, and by all rights, I should call it quits between us. Both my pride and my principles demand no less. However, although I make no guarantees that I will be able to forget what you’ve done, and though we may both carry the scars for life, I refuse to let it stand between us. I still want you for my friend.” To accept forgiveness means to admit that you’ve done something unspeakable that needs to be forgiven, and thus both parties must swallow the same thing: their pride. When somebody you’ve wronged forgives you, you’re spared the dull and self-diminishing throb of a guilty conscience. When you forgive somebody who has wronged you, you’re spared the dismal corrosion of bitterness and wounded pride. For both parties, forgiveness means the freedom again to be at peace inside their own skins and to be glad in each other’s presence. ~originally published in Wishful Thinking and later in Beyond Words Forgiveness feels way above my pay grade to write about.  It is delicate and soulful work.  It can be two steps forward and three steps back.  It is a process, not an event.  It is hard.  The question today can be a beginning.  A different frame to think about a situation or relationship that confuses or pains us because of things done or words spoken.  The wise and funny Anne Lamont on mercy and forgiveness: We’re so often rattled by lingering effects of trauma and paralyzing fear. At first glance, they seem inextricable. Trauma, which is sorted differently in the brain than memory, seeps out of us as warnings of worse to come. Our self-centered fears whisper at us all day: our fear of exposure, of death, and that we will lose those we love most, that we will lose whatever advantage we hold, whatever meager gains we’ve made. We live in terror that our butts will show and people will run from us, screaming. But let’s say we believe that mercy and forgiveness are in fact foundational, innate, what we are grown from, and can build on; also that they are hard to access because of these traumas and fears. What if we know that forgiveness and mercy are what heal and restore and define us, that they are the fragrance that the rose leaves on the heel that crushes it? Anne Lamont Read more from Anne here. Where do I need to own my part in a situation, in order to forgive and move forward? If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!)

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Reflective Reading: Soul

I find myself craving less noise, and more quiet right now. Less pontificating and more wisdom. Maybe you can relate? As I write this I’m listening to Carrie Newcomer (she has been the soundtrack of my spring 2020) Her song Cedar Rapids 10AM is playing, and these words just caught my attention: “Take away all the white noise. It’s getting hard to hear. Souls stretched as thin as tissue paper. Edged with cuts and tears.” Exactly the right words for the moment. (I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to her sing.) As a reader and collector of words, all I can offer in these confusing times are a few gentle, thoughtful ideas that are helping me. Perhaps you too can find some nourishment, challenge, or encouragement. Reflective Reading asks us to slow down, savor the words, the meaning, the emotions and learn any small (or large) lesson that we might gather from the wisdom and experience of others. I like to ask myself three questions when I find passages that seem to be shimmering with something more than meets the eye. What word or phrase stands out? How does this passage make me feel? Is there an invitation for me to think, act, or be different? I made a downloadable document with these passages. Get out your pens, markers, and pencils and circle, highlight, draw on the page. (It’s free, don’t let the “cart” scare you!) Download the passages here: “The call of soul is a call to belonging, descent, and grounding.  Soul penetrates the particularities of our life.  It invites us to learn what the lessons of triumph and achievement never can teach us.  Only suffering and struggle, and all the dark experiences that come with them, will grow a soul big enough to hold our life.  This happens when we ground ourselves in the blood, sweat, and tears of ordinary life.  Rather than rising above these things, soul calls us to find life and meaning in the midst of them.” David G. Benner, PhD. Soulful Spirituality: Becoming Fully Alive and Deeply Human “When we catch sight of the soul, we can become healers in a wounded world-in the family, in the neighborhood, in the workplace, and in political life-as we are called back to our “hidden wholeness” amid the violence of the storm.”  Parker Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward and Undivided Life “Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are but, more often than not, God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and is summoning you to where, if your soul is to be saved, you should go to next.” Frederick Buechner  Whistling in the Dark If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!)

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Reflective Reading: Center of Things

“Agitation drives out consciousness of God. When we’re driven by agitation, consumed by fretting, we become immersed in our own agenda, and it’s always exaggerated. We get caught up in things that, in the final analysis, simply don’t count, in things that pass away, in things that are concerned with living comfortably rather than living well. We go to pieces over crying children and broken machines and the length of stoplights at intersections. We lose touch with the center of things. Joan Chittister in The Rule of St. Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century These words from Sister Joan Chittister seem especially relevant in the days we are living. I read this passage a few weeks ago in the introduction to her book on the Rule of St. Benedict. (I always feel like it’s going to be a great book when I’m already highlighting passages in the introduction!) We are living in such powerful and interesting times. I find myself swinging between anxiety, trust, hope, and fear. It’s hard to know how to read the times. Ultimately, I’m hopeful. We get the opportunity to rethink patterns and rhythms that just two months ago seemed untouchable. Maybe like in the passage we had lost touch with the center of things, and now we get the chance to realign. This passage is crammed full of wisdom and ideas to consider. When we are driven by agitation, we are consumed by our own agenda and it’s always exaggerated. I’ve been thinking about this for several weeks. It’s true. (at least in my life!) Living comfortable rather than living well…I mean. Yes. It’s true. I get caught in this trap all.the.time. I don’t love wearing a mask when I go out. It fogs my glasses, I hate having things around my ears (is that a thing or just me?), BUT it seems like my mask, in this season is a small sacrifice I can make to live well, not just for me, but for others. I love the practice of reflective reading because I’m asking myself to slow down and engage ideas, rather than just skim over them. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable. It would have been a lot easier to skim past this paragraph, rather than highlight it and walk around with it and ask myself the hard questions: Where is my agitation coming from? How does my agitation result in exaggeration? Where am I caught up in things that don’t count? Am I more concerned with living comfortably than living well? Do I let children, machines, and stop lights take me away from the things that matter? Where, when, why, how have I lost touch with the center? What does this passage have for you? “Agitation drives out consciousness of God. When we’re driven by agitation, consumed by fretting, we become immersed in our own agenda, and it’s always exaggerated. We get caught up in things that, in the final analysis, simply don’t count, in things that pass away, in things that are concerned with living comfortably rather than living well. We go to pieces over crying children and broken machines and the length of stoplights at intersections. We lose touch with the center of things. Joan Chittister in The Rule of St. Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century Read the passage slowly once or twice and look for the word or phrase that stands out to you. As you slowly read the passage, notice how it makes you feel. Is there an invitation for you in the passage? Are you starting your day with the Be More Journal? It’s available on Amazon.

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Word, Ideas, Music That I’m Loving

March was unexpected. April unprecedented. What will May bring? We are all learning to navigate a new normal. These are a few things that have been essential to me. (or maybe just super helpful) Playlists: Carrie Newcomer. I discovered Carrie recently, and not a day has gone by that I haven’t listened to her songs on repeat. You Can Do This Hard Thing, The Gathering of Spirits, and Sanctuary are three favorites. Audrey Assad Podcasts: Poetry Unbound: These are short 5-10 minute episodes with a poem and reflections by the Irish poet Pádraig Ó Tuama. Everything Happens with Kate Bowler The episode linked: The Emergency Button was great. If you don’t follow Kate on Social Media, please start, she is fantastic. The Consultant School presented by The Genysys Group– Hosted by ME! Okay, I have a vested interest in this, but we’ve done some great work recently. Ray’s 5 Questions in Times of Disruption is really helpful. We have a few more in production that you won’t want to miss either! Books: Reading has been a bit of a struggle for me. There have been a few books that have been a source of delight. Eating the Sun: Small Musings On a Vast Universe by Ella Frances Sanders These are short, wonderfully written essays. A mix of science and poetry. I’ve been reading them with my kids. We love them. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy Pure delight on every page. Be More Journal by Amy V. Hoppock I have been using this every day, and it helps me organize my day. It’s funny, I wrote this from an idea that I thought would work, and it’s nice to know that it does really work! We are such a “doing” culture and with so many of us sequestered at home we are invited to embrace “being”. Be aware. Be careful. Be safe. Be grateful. Be loved. It’s amazing how much being is resisted in favor of distractions of every kind. But it is also amazing how much being heals and furthers. Gunilla Norris (Facebook post 4/16/2020) If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose.

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On Challenge & Support

Growth and development of any kind: intellectual, spiritual, and physical includes a ratio of support and challenge. Too much challenge and not enough support results in frustration, high stress and even giving up. Too much support and not enough challenge results in stagnation, lack of empowerment and ownership of our journey. It can keep us stuck in our comfort zone. This is one of those truths hidden in plain sight. I love this concept because it makes so much sense and it provides a clear framework that is very helpful. These two simple questions are important tools for discerning how to help ourselves and those we care about. We are living in a time of high stress and anxiety. I find myself returning to these two questions often as I navigate difficult days and challenging situations. Some days I need more support when everything seems overwhelming and too much to balance. Other days a little challenge is helpful when it seems like we are living groundhogs days over and over again on repeat. The ratio and needs change with each day, but these two questions help me articulate a little bit better what I need and what I can provide to those around me. These questions provide clarity that can help us discern what need. I also use these questions with my kids. There have been lots of challenges recently (learning from home, staying home, I can ONLY hang out with my brother/sister for weeks and weeks??) When the challenge is high I know that I need to increase support. This can be extra hugs, more time listening, patiently trying to solve tech problems (not my strong suit!), or permission to take a break and try again later. When there are moments of sheer boredom I know I need to increase the challenge in some way. These two simple questions are so helpful all the time, but especially in this time. When you are feeling down, try asking these two questions. Maybe you need some more support. When you are clear that support is what you need, you can better ask for that. Maybe you just need a little challenge. Either way, if you need support or challenge, when you ask these questions it provides clarity and information that you can use! Support. Challenge. Do you think about growth in these terms? Do these questions help you see something new in your journey or the journey of people around you? “Always remember…A blooming rose bush catches the eye of admirers, but it grew from a seed buried in dirt.A butterfly may be free and delicately beautiful, but it spent days shedding skin and dramatically changing inside its chrysalis so it could grow wings to fly.Accept your process.” ― Kristin Michelle Elizabeth Are you starting your day with the Be More Journal? It’s available on Amazon. If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose.

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Better Not Best

I LOVE a good ah-ha moment about a word.  It’s even better when it’s about a commonly used word.  I’m reading The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek and his observation about the words better and best is something I’ve been mulling over all week.   The Infinite Game is about how businesses (and individuals) approach life.  He believes there are two mind-sets: a finite mindset, which has players with roles that are known. It has set rules and an agreed-upon objective. An infinite mindset has known and unknown players.  The rules in an infinite game are changeable, and the objective is not to win—the objective is to keep playing.   So what do the words better and best have to do with finite and infinite mindsets?  Sinek argues that best, especially used in a purpose or vision statement is a give-away of a finite minded business or person.   “Infinite minded leaders understand that “best” is not a permanent state.  Instead, they strive to be “better.” “Better” suggests a journey of constant improvement and makes us feel like we are being invited to contribute our talents and energies to make progress in that journey.” Simon Sinek The Infinite Game Better. What if we adopted a “better” mindset?  I like how Sinek defines better as a “journey of constant improvement.”  Better feels less demanding and spacious. It feels do-able. Better is a gentle invitation to growth.  James Clear writes about what he calls, continuous improvement or 1% better. I love this concept because it’s doable.  If you just do 1% more each day you’ll hardly notice the extra effort, but the combined results over time will be noticeable.  If you add 1% more time to your 30-minute walk that is less than 30 seconds each day. If you eat 1% better each day it’s just one bite less of dessert, or 1 bite more of kale.   If you get one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. James Clear  Read more about Continuous Improvement Here: Better and Best are words that we use all the time. It’s interesting and a fun challenge to think about what words imply and what message, intentional or unintentional that they send. Sometimes it’s as simple as just changing the word. Where can you adopt a better over best mindset? Have you considered what better and best mean to you?  Are you starting your day with the Be More Journal? It’s available on Amazon. If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose.

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