The peril of easy money

The nuggets: 

• You can reap fresh-fallen fruit or even low-hanging fruit just by walking up to the tree, but so can everybody else.  You can win by always being first to the tree, but you're just doing something anyone else can do.  
• For a bit more effort, there's much more fruit to be had.

Ever have a bit of luck and hope it happens again?  How far do you go with that hope? Are people losing money for your benefit or are you delivering something of value?

During a recent evening walk I found a receipt folded up with some cash on the sidewalk.  A few steps farther was more cash.  By the end of that block I had picked up $41.

Last night I walked past that same place. I knew another find was improbable, but I slowed my pace and looked around more closely that whole block.  Of course I didn't find any more cash.  But that didn't stop me from looking.

By the time I reached the next block I felt silly.  I had fallen into the trap of doing something again, knowing it probably wouldn't work, but giving it a shot anyway just in case.  I could walk miles all over town and never find more than a penny.  If I really wanted to make sure I found more money on the sidewalk, I would have to focus on getting cash thrown about in public than random treasure hunting. Doesn't sound like an attractive business model, especially the part where people lose money purely for my benefit.

What is the result you're hoping for, and how can you let go of what you're doing now in order to try something different?

Are you going for a long-lasting result, or just a quick windfall?  Are you betting that if you do what worked once before enough times, eventually something will happen?

-Andrea

It's coming...Follow Up Perspectives

I enjoy the writing that I do here, and in my last post, I indicated writing is a tool that helps me synthesize and articulate and develop thoughts that would otherwise remain abstract.

Fantastic for me, although perhaps selfish.  I'm flattered whenever something I write resonates with someone or triggers their thinking muscles.  But I want to offer more than just my perspective.

To kick off June (June! Next week! Already!!), I'm going to add a new feature to this blog called Follow Up Perspectives.  It will start as a new category of blog posts of follow-ups that provide links to the writing and analysis other fine people have done on the subject.

Follow Up Perspectives will be:

• Informative, so I will include references that allow you to skim, to swim and dive deep.  
• Balanced and inclusive.  It would be easy to find material that reinforces my conclusions, but that isn't really good sportsmanship.  References to other perspectives and view points.
• Open for discussion.  Your experience and insights matter!  Leave comments, send me links, continue the conversation.  

Follow ups will be published about a week after the initial post.  The first topic will be lessons in complexity.

Until then,
Andrea

Random Bits of Appreciation

• The strange satisfaction that comes from putting little seeds into soil
• How leftovers make life easier
• Quietly sending someone an unexpected gift
• Keeping up with a goal to run at least 10 miles a week realizing I'm almost to my next milestone of 15.
• The unpredictability in browsing yard sales on a late Saturday morning (bought a book and found a student's book report from 1974 tucked in the back cover).
• Being reminded that no matter how hard people try, money can't buy character.  

Want to know one of my favorite habits?  Being present enough every day to appreciate all of those little moments.  I may not jot them down as frequently as I used to, but that doesn't mean that I stopped noticing.

-Andrea

April...

Dear April,

I am so glad you are here.  March and I spent some time incubating ideas, and now that you've come along, we've got some great work to do.  If you happen to see May, tell her to rest up and bring an extra pair of shoes.  

In kindness,
-Andrea

Managing I/O: Reading/writing & listening/talking

I was doing some thinking yesterday while I was in the shower about reading and writing.  I was thinking about how critical reading is to my writing.  Specifically, active reading.  You know how your eyes can process a page of text without it really registering?  It went in one eye and out the other so fast that you can't remember the point, much less the way in which it was conveyed.


I was reminded of my soapy thoughts this afternoon when I found Indexed, a fantastic blog by Jessica Hagy.  Her most recent post was a freaky co-inky-dink:


http://thisisindexed.com/2010/03/made-not-born/


This is where my thoughtful meandering started.  And then I had my little epiphany in the shower: The better I listen, actively listen, the better I speak.  I really need to keep this in mind for the next time that I catch myself being a horrible listener.  For example, patiently but disinterestedly waiting for the other person to finish talking so I can go back to whatever I was doing.  Or when I am busy formulating my response or holding onto a thought while they talk.  I can re-engage in a different way - noticing the words they are using, the speed and tone of their voice, seeing if the animation in their eyes matches what is going on with their words, watching for the subtle shifts in expression.  Because unless they are trying to filibuster to block health care reform, the other party in my conversation is trying to tell me something important, and the message is more than just the words.


-Andrea