Scott Perry's Blog, page 25

Elizabeth Ross Holmstrom - Focus, Flow, & Fun

Insight and inspiration for flying higher in the difference only you can make from guests who have appeared on Creative on Purpose Live.

This week's wisdom comes from a conversation with Elizabeth Ross Holmstrom, founder of Mindful Employer. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[ELIZABETH] "Try to give yourself some quiet space to really feel what it's like to be where you are right now. What are the things that in your day-to-day work, or being, bring you joy? Right? Like, where do you lose your sense of time?"

"And then, think about, or ask, you know, kind of just ask your inner wisdom, like, 'Where can I do more of that?' Like, how can I do less of what... Like, the shadow side of that is like, 'What am I doing that just actually sucks the energy out of me and isn't really adding a lot?'"

"So, I feel like that's a really good place to begin, is to just go into yourself and begin to notice where you're activated in a really positive way. And then what's, like, I always think of it as like 'energy in' and 'energy out.' What is purely taking my energy out versus what's actually, you know, maybe I'm putting energy out but there's also energy coming back in."

[SCOTT] "That is phenomenal. I love that. What I was hearing is 'Find your focus and find your flow and maybe have a little fun at the same time.'"

[ELIZABETH] "Yeah, we all need more fun."

[SCOTT] "Amen!"

Elizabeth delivered a powerful call to cultivate presence and mindfulness into your day by finding your focus, get into flow, and having more fun. How might checking your zest barometer help you beat burnout and find joy in the difference only you can make today?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose.

(BTW, you can watch this and every other entire interview in the Creative on Purpose Broadcast Archive. To learn more and access for free, click here.)

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How to Beat Mediocrity

Mediocrity is a fascinating word. How do you define it?

For me, to be mediocre is to settle for the seductive sufficiency of the status quo. Things are neither good nor bad. Everything, including you, is just fine the way it is.

But the etymology of the word provides additional juiciness.

Mediocre comes from two Latin roots: medius, meaning middle, and ocris, meaning rugged mountain. To be mediocre then is to be in the middle of a rugged mountain. That metaphorical mountain may be the task at hand or your life in general. Regardless, mediocrity is an invitation you don't have to accept.

I like to think of mediocrity as being between two mountains. The first mountain is the mountain we climb early in life. This mountain is the one we climb to define ourselves through achievement. We identify through success, status, and stuff.

That may sound shallow, but our institutions and systems encourage climbing the first mountain. Some go their whole lives believing this is the only mountain to climb. I know I climbed this mountain longer than I like to admit.

As David Brooks points out in his book, The Second Mountain, there's another peak we can ascend if we choose to see and scale it. This second mountain is the mountain of fulfillment, where we identify through soul, sacrifice, and service.

What drives us on the first mountain is lack and the pursuit of happiness. It's an outer-journey driven by our unconscious or subconscious. Our life's first act begins on the first mountain.

Climbing the second mountain is motivated by abundance and the cultivation of joy. It's an inner-journey consciously undertaken. Our life's second act begins on the second mountain.

There are other elements to each mountain, of course. Also worth noting is that most of us can't find the second mountain until we spend some time climbing the first. Finally, it's easy to settle for mediocrity halfway up either peak.

Which mountain are you on? how high will you climb?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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Can we disagree without being disagreeable?

Turn on the news or scroll through your feed, and you'll soon see that disagreement abounds. Maybe that's because media is in the business of making money, and disagreement sells.

But I wonder if there's more to it?

We are creatures quite caught up with our own identities. We put a lot of stock in appearances, beliefs, and values. Finding disagreement with others' appearance, beliefs, and values is a seductive identity shortcut.

Identity is a story we tell ourselves about ourselves and tell ourselves about others. Our political and social institutions leverage differences and disagreements in these identity stories. More often, this is for their gain, not our benefit.

Media can be a disagreement catalyst. The stories crafted and shared by the news and social platforms can be very effective at moving us from disagreement to outrage before realizing it. We are tribal by nature, but the media's amplifier ratchets us into the dark corners of tribalism.

We don't have to abdicate our authority over the stories we tell ourselves and others to those who benefit from manipulating our identity stories. Whatever distinguishes us from others pales when compared to what we hold in common.

Here are a few principles I use to unpack disagreement without being disagreeable.

Listen. Witness and reflect what you hear ("Here's what I heard. Did I get that right?"). Ask for more information ("Is there anything else?").
Breathe. Don't speak from your emotional gut reactions or your justifying rationalizations. Be kind and speak from the heart. 
Define the disagreement objectively. Take out the adjectives and adverbs. Don't make it personal.
Don't make value judgments. Try to name without name-calling. Avoid put-downs and dismissiveness.
Speak from your own experience. Use "I" statements. Don't conflate the anecdotal with the universal.

Of course, it's harder to practice disagreeing without being disagreeable with hot-button political or social issues than it is to argue over favorite cars or condiments. And of course, disagreement is an invitation you don't have to accept. Practice the art of disagreement judiciously and wisely.

How do you disagree without being disagreeable? Are you developing that skill today?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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Don't Seize the Day

Like many, I was introduced to the concept of carpe diem by Robin Williams in his role as an inspiring teacher in the movie The Dead Poets Society. Actually, when the movie came out, I was trying very hard to be that kind of teacher at a small private school in New England.

Carpe diem, which comes from the Roman poet Horace's Odes, is often translated as "seize the day." However, a more literal translation is "pluck the day [as it is ripe]." My take is that Horace is encouraging us to enjoy the moment while we can.

While time flies (or tempus fugit, as Horace would say), a day is quite long and made up of many moments. A better approach to enjoying the day might be to seize (or pluck) the moment (carpe punctum, as Horace, would say).

Enjoying (and employing) the moment is an exercise in awareness, gratitude, presence, and surrender. Leveraging these virtues is a heavy lift for an entire day but far easier to exercise from moment to moment.

Having trouble consistently seizing the day? What happens if you pluck the moment instead? Ready? Carpe punctum!

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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Drew Smith - "Be bold."

Insight and inspiration for flying higher in the difference only you can make from guests who have appeared on Creative on Purpose Live.

This week's wisdom comes from a conversation with Nashville songwriter and musician, Drew Smith. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[SCOTT] If there was just one final, you know, if it's a quote, if it's a piece of advice, if it's a tip or just a quick story, that would help someone fly a little bit higher in the difference only they can make, what would you share with them?

[DREW] I think it would just to be bold. Just wake up and be bold.

And don't be afraid of losing little things that don't matter. Don't be afraid of letting go of little things that in the grand scheme of it don't matter.

Get up and be bold as much as possible. Some days are harder than others but just be bold.

Drew delivered a powerful call to step into, stay in, and share your power. How might you act "born ready" today?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose.

(BTW, you can watch this and every other entire interview in the Creative on Purpose Broadcast Archive. To learn more and access for free, click here.)

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First Things First

Do you find yourself easily distracted when you sit down or set out to get going with the difference only you can make?

Yeah. Me too.

It'd be easy to blame screens and media that are designed to divert and keep our attention. Then there are the friends and family (and more than the occasional stranger) trying to drag me into their drama or priorities.

But the fact is, I've always had a hard time doing one thing at a time. There's always an abundance of nifty things I could explore, try, or engage with.

What to do?

Establish and maintain guiding principles.

What the heck are guiding principles?

Guiding principles encompass your personal beliefs and values. They are fundamental principles used to organize and direct your life in all circumstances, irrespective of changes. 

Guiding principles help you understand and remember what's important.

Here are a few examples of guiding principles I've established for myself.

One thing at a time. One project, one conversation, one task, that's it. Which thing at what time? That's a matter of establishing priorities and a "stop-doing list."
Stay curious. We're creatures programmed to react. You can create space to zoom out by asking yourself, "Isn't that interesting...?"
When something unexpected or apparently urgent comes up in my day, I work through these three questions: Does this need to be said or done? Does it need to be said or done now? Does it need to be said or done now by me? Only if the answer to all three questions is "yes," do I turn my time, attention, and effort to that thing.
When connecting, communicating, and collaborating, be transparent and don't obfuscate. Keep the conversation clear, direct, and respectful.
When invited to share an opinion or feedback, witness, reflect and invite. Help others find their own way to their own truth.
Establish boundaries and guardrails. Clearly define what you do and what you don't do and who you do it with and who you don't.
Difference-makers are decision-makers. No result is guaranteed, and there are no absolutely "right" decisions, just alright decisions for right now. Define what's really going on now, what you're striving for next, and remember what matters.

These are some of my principles for navigating the inevitable uncertainty and adversity that arise daily in my difference-making. What about you? What are your guiding principles?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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Memento Mori

Begin with the end in mind.

It's an idea often credited to  the author and businessman Stephen Covey, but it’s been around much longer than he has.

Beginning with the end in mind encourages you to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination and step purposefully into it.

The author Steven Pressfield reference the idea of beginning with the end in mind as an old screenwriter’s principle. Begin with the climax and work your way back.

For me, the most potent approach to the idea of starting with the end in mind is woven into the ancient practice articulated by the Latin phrase “memento mori”—remember you die.

The Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius framed it this way, “Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what is left and live it properly.”

Is there any more powerful call to live well while you can?

Søren Kierkegaard, a theologian, philosopher, and poet, reminds us that “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.”

However, when we begin with our ultimate end in mind, we are encouraged to set intentions on purpose and live into them with purpose.

What happens if you start your day today with your ultimate end in mind? How might you befriend your inevitable demise to make a bigger difference with whatever time you have left?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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Nikki Lerner - "Go out and practice everyday."

Insight and inspiration for flying higher in the difference only you can make from guests who have appeared on Creative on Purpose Live.

This week's wisdom comes from a conversation with culture coach and consultant, Nikki Lerner. Tune into this entire conversation here.

[SCOTT] If there was just one final piece of advice, a practice, a quote, a maxim, an idea, that would help someone be just half a shade braver in stepping into the uncertainty of improving themselves around culture and come from, what would you say to them?

[NIKKI] I'll say two things. I may have said this on the show before, one of my favorite quotes comes from Marie Forleo and she says, "Clarity comes from engagement not thought."

It's the same in cultural work. You have to go out and practice every day. There's only so much reading you can do. There are only so many, you know, "How to Be an Anti-Racist" books you can read before you go out there and go to a new neighborhood to get some coffee and meet somebody that's not like you. You know?

You have to go engage in order to get better. So I'd say that.

The second thing is that, you know, most people believe that there are some people that are just born in the world and they can navigate cross-culturally perfectly. You know, and they just have the gift they're the genius. That's what most people believe.

But what the truth is, is that it's a practice, just like anything else. And it's a skill that you can learn, just like anything else.

The only reason I know, or am more practiced, or involved in this more, even, you know maybe than you, Scott, is just because I've lived it. Right? It's just more practice. I just got more practice. That's it.

And so, if that's the case, that should encourage all of your listeners because what that means is that you can keep getting better cross-culturally the more you engage. Because it's practice. I get excited about that.

[SCOTT] I love that. Learn by doing and adopt a practice so that you can build the skill.

[NIKKI] Yes.

[SCOTT] I love it.

Nikki delivered two powerful steps you can take into possibility toward diversity, equity, and inclusion. How can you embrace these two steps today?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose.

(BTW, you can watch this and every other entire interview in the Creative on Purpose Broadcast Archive. To learn more and access for free, click here.)

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How to Be Less Reactive and More Responsive

Have you ever been minding your own business, moving through your day-to-day, making a difference when all of a sudden someone or something comes along that hijacks your time, attention, and energy?

Yeah, me too.

I don't know about you, but my default setting is to drop everything and engage to address, fix, or correct. If that sounds familiar, it's not our fault. Human beings are programmed by biology and evolution to be reactive. 

When something unexpected, surprising, or threatening happens, the amygdala (our prehistoric brain) immediately initiates the fight, flight, or freeze response.

But, good news, we can bring in the neocortex (where conscious thought resides) to pause, zoom out, and be more reasoned and responsive.

Here are three questions I employ when someone or something presents in a way that feels like I must deal with right away.

Does something have to be done?
Does it have to be done now?
Does it have to be done by me?

The answer to all three questions must be a clear and unequivocal "yes" for me to respond.

For what it's worth when I'm honest in my answers to the three questions, I rarely answer "yes" to all three. Even when I do, the pause and zooming out help me be much less reactive and much more responsive.*

The next time you collide with an affront, try pausing and asking: "Do I have to do something? Does it have to be done by me? Do I have to do something now?

*If you want to respond with greater clarity and confidence, the Trust Yourself guide shares a 3-step process for making better decisions.

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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Where do purpose and passion reside?

Where do purpose and passion reside?

Is it “out there” for you to discover and exploit? Or is it inside you to be excavated and employed?

I wonder if it’s neither?

Or perhaps both?

Perhaps it's “both-and?”

What if purpose and passion naturally occur from doing the work right in front of you right now with full mindful presence?

What if purpose and passion aren't finite but renewable resources? Maybe they arise from engaging in your everyday routines and relationships with purpose and passion?

Maybe purpose and passion reside where wisdom lives?
 

“Wisdom consists in doing the next thing you have to do, doing it with your whole heart, and finding delight in doing it.” — Meister Eckhart

What if, just for today, you stopped treating purpose and passion like destinations?

What if, just for today, you treated them like regenerative resources that grow as you employ them in all your endeavors?

What if, just for today, you practiced purpose and passion from the inside out?

How might that change everything?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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