It s a shame I've been sitting on this book for about two years now. A friend of mine gave me Never Eat Alone , by Keith Ferrazzi a couple years ago (thanks Rey), and it s been on my bookcase ever since. It was resting there not because I didn't want to read it, but because I already had so many others in the pipeline. I finally got around to reading it last month and I definitely recommend it. In very simple terms, Ferrazzi explains why networking is important and how to do it. From how to make call lists to planning dinners to personal branding to goal setting, it s all here. He also maintains a valuable blog .
Inevitably there will be times when you have setbacks or things don t go your way. Maybe you didn't get a job you thought you were sure to get. Maybe you lost a job unexpectedly, didn't win a contract, or lost a major client. Your car always seems to break down right after you've had some other unexpected expense. These kinds of situations immediately place us in crisis. They don t feel good, but sometimes they re what we need in order to grow. The beautiful thing about crises is that they force us to take a step back and reevaluate what s going on in our lives and rediscover what we truly want and need. When we get over that initial shock and feeling of disappointment, we might realize that maybe that job wasn't really the best for us anyway. Maybe, just maybe, that wasn't what you really wanted to spend your life doing. Maybe that friend was holding you back instead of pushing you forward. The way I deal with crises of these sorts is simple: If something doesn't go my way professionally, I try to create a situation that would be more rewarding than the situation originally planned. A while ago, I was offered a job that looked very promising. After I accepted the offer, they pushed the start date back three times, later informing me (via e-mail) that they wanted to bring me on in the near future but I should feel free to explore other options. I was extremely disappointed. I felt disrespected and angry, but decided to make the best of the situation and follow my dream of working internationally. I then flew to Santiago, Chile and had great professional and personal experiences I wouldn't have had otherwise. Later, reflecting back on the original opportunity, I realized that working for a company that avoids a start date three times and then can t pick up the phone to explain the situation is probably not where I need to spend my time. Use setbacks as an opportunity to put your goals in order and act on them. In the moment, it s difficult to look at a setback as temporary, but they are. They happen to everybody. It s how you respond to them that will determine how they affect you.
So, I’ve been away from my blog for a few days. Seeing as how I try to post something everyday, that might seem a little strange. The truth is my temporary hiatus was intentional. I was going through a series of unfortunate events that forced me to take a step back and reevaluate where I was headed both personally and professionally. I found that my writing was beginning to suffer and I didn’t want any of the negativity and uncertainty I was feeling to spill over into my blog. Out of respect for you and for myself, I wanted to hold off until I felt I was ready to provide quality content. I spent the past few days in introspection and I’ve evaluated the things I’ve needed to evaluate and made the difficult decisions I’ve needed to make. On Monday, I received a thank you card in the mail. In it, they wrote that my “passion and desire to do good things for the world is contagious.” That card couldn’t have come at a better time, and helped me with some of the things with which I’ve been struggling. With that said, I’m back and ready to continue moving forward. Below are some of my personal resolutions:
I will to stay in San Antonio…for now
Due to a number of circumstances, I was seriously considering leaving San Antonio and moving to D.C., Austin, Detroit, Chicago, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, or London. Although one of these destinations is a very real possibility sometime in the future, I feel as though I have unfinished business here in San Antonio. I feel an obligation to leave a place better than I found it, and I have much work to do here before I can feel truly confident that I have given at least as much as I have taken from this city. I will continue to be the best colleague and bring the most value I can to those with whom I work. However, besides work, I have a passion for literacy and want to help build stronger literacy and literature programs for people of all ages and backgrounds. Literacy has the beautiful effect of leading people to make better decisions and providing a feeling of self-confidence and self-esteem.
I will become more involved in cultural education
I feel that cultural education is extremely important in a society as diverse as this. Better understanding various backgrounds, histories, arts, etc. leads to the celebration and exploration of differences rather than the condemnation and dismissal of them. Unfortunately, many people are either unaware of cultural education opportunities or simply don’t have access to them. Recently, I’ve gone to a few productions hosted by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center of San Antonio and have seen the tremendous value this hidden gem provides within the community.
I will become more active in my volunteer activities
Volunteering has provided me with some of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Recently, I haven’t made the time to be as active as I would like. That will change immediately. This past weekend I helped out for about six hours with Munny Maker, a fundraising event hosted by, and for the benefit of, the San Antonio chapter of the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts). I’ll talk more about that tomorrow, but it was amazing and I had a really good time. Some events I have coming up are the Great Strides 5K run/walk to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Chalk It Up!, hosted by Art Place San Antonio, and Oh Snap! in Austin, which will help raise money for students abroad who want to study at UT Austin. I’ll keep you informed on these and other opportunities. If you want to get involved with anything I talk about, let me know and I’ll try to put you in contact with the right people. Also, if there are events you need help executing, feel free to let me know.
I will make time to relax
I tend to work so hard and so long that I often forget to do things like sleep, eat, look at stars, sleep, workout, catch a movie, sleep…well, you get the picture. My day normally starts at around 5:00 a.m. and ends at about 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. the following day. I love being busy, but I need to make sure I don’t let life pass me by. Mom, I hope you’re reading this. The need to relax applies doubly to you!
I will stop neglecting emotions with some of the decisions I make
I tend to be of the Plato philosophy that true, rational thought, devoid of emotional influence, leads to better decisions. I’ve found this is not true, and can actually be the wrong decision in many situations. Thank you to everybody who told me I don’t need to be completely objective about everything. It’s finally starting to sink in. I would name all of you, but this post is already long enough.
I will make this blog more valuable to you
I’ve always had the reader in mind whenever I write any of the posts that appear on this blog. However, I want to make sure I’m brining the greatest amount of value that I can to you. Therefore, moving forward, I want to add value by providing more posts on which you can act. Expect to see more spotlights on socially conscious businesses and entrepreneurs. Expect to see more advice on leadership, marketing, and personal/professional development as guest posts from other people with different perspectives. Eventually, I will introduce a calendar of events with information on how to get involved. If there is anything you want to see more or less of, please let me know. If you agree or disagree with something you see here, leave a comment. Call me. Text me. Your voice is always welcome here. My hope is that through open dialogue we can learn from each other and leave places better than we find them.
;)
The process of thinking requires feeling, for feelings are what let us understand all the information that we can’t directly comprehend. Reason without emotion is impotent.
Plato believed true reasoning meant thought needed to be devoid of emotions and feeling. That philosophy has largely carried over into Western tradition, as we often equate level-headedness, calmness, and logical thinking as the best ways to make decisions. However, when some of the most crucial decisions are made, those people can’t explain why they made them. Intuition, emotions, and feelings all play roles as well.
Resources:
- Buy How We Decide
on Amazon
- Jonah Lehrer’s blog - The Frontal Cortex