The New Crop: Issue #26
The gift of the interruptor
What’s in this issue:
💭 Thought: The gift of the interruptor
📚 Read: A bullet ain’t got no eyes
😆 Today’s Laugh
Today I learned that this is what hippos “picking on each other” looks like (oddly enough, it doesn’t look all that different from when my kids argue 😂)…
💭 Today’s Thought
This weekend, my husband and I decided to cancel our cable TV subscription and get YouTube TV instead. Honestly, we’d thought about doing this for the past couple of years, but we didn’t feel motivated to change until there was a massive disruption to our service last Thursday.
After we made the switch, I found myself asking, Why didn’t I do this earlier?!
(We could have saved HUNDREDS of dollars a year… for years! 🤦♀️)
As I unpacked that question, I found myself reflecting on the incredible power of inertia to keep us from experiencing meaningful shifts in our lives:
inertia
a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force.
The channel outage was my “external force”. My interruptor. And what a gift it was.
It’s easy for us to “go through the [uniform] motions” each day, because at some point in the past we decided it’s what was needed, and because it’s comfortable.
But now, given new circumstances and experiences, these old decisions might no longer be serving us.
Some points to reflect on:
What “motions” do you go through each day, as an individual or with your group/team?
What value do they contribute?
How energized do you feel when doing them?
Where might new or different motions be beneficial?
Whether you choose to keep the old motions or try some new ones isn’t what’s most important. What’s most important is that you’re making the choice consciously.
🖊️ Today’s reflection
If you’re new to journaling, I highly encourage you to read Nancy Adler’s article: Want to be an outstanding leader? Keep a journal.
This week, find a quiet place and gift yourself 10 minutes to reflect on any of these prompts (or invent your own!):
What is it to consciously choose?
In what situations is it hard and easy for you to change your mind?
📚 Today’s Read
My friend and fellow coach Ray Sawyer recently started the amazing Project Be Better Podcast, filled with bite-sized lessons drawn from everyday occurrences. In this ~3-minute episode, Ray reminds us of the power of our words, both to invoke pain and also to spread positivity. Click here to listen (and please subscribe if you enjoy it!)
See you next week!
xo,
Anne