Being "Extra"
You Are Doing Too Much
Each new opportunity presents new challenges...or the same ones from before but in different packaging.
My job is a double edged sword. I love what I do however it helps to also know that I revel in chaos but only when the disarray is layered in colorful confetti.
I like MY mess and not other people's disorganization.
I don't know if it's because I'm used to calling the shots myself or if it's because I've been neglectful with my Prozac, but my anxiety is reaching new depths of frustrations.
I'm also in a funky mood and until Cancer season ends, my emo side will come with a side of salt and satire.
One of the themes for this week was about figuring out whether I am the villain or anti-hero of my own life story.
I don't like authority or conformity. I could force myself to fit in a box and call it relevance or I can embody the energy of disruption, shining a light on what no longer works and accepting that we are as unique as we want to be.
And maybe others want to be vanilla, liked by every one but for no distinguishable reason.
I want to be pistachio. Full of magic inside a half opened shell. Attracting those who want to put in the effort because they know the effort is not requiring too much - just enough to show that the gems inside are worth pursuing.
This is how I feel about business, life, and everything in between.
Life would be easier if I knew how to be complacent. Opportunities would be in excess if I could muster the strength to be complicit.
In many ways I already am but not in the ways that leave me likeable, which at the end of the day, is the most fluid form of currency and influence.
There is power in conforming to the status quo. There are companionships that rely on blind faith to the popular way of being, thriving, working, and living.
Some days I love to embody my rebellious spirit and yet when I need income, I’m reminded how obedience is rewarded.
How much I want to be fairly compensated depends on how strong my discontent for mediocrity is. Because I see how others are applauded for doing below the bare minimum and how I am ostracized for going above and beyond.
It’s not just with work. As I reflect on friendships and client relationships, the ones where I am freely giving of myself are the ones that reflect the trust I have in strangers who invest in my potential.
It’s not enough to call me a friend if I am doing most of the curious exploration of what lights you up.
How much do you honor reciprocity?
Do you call to say hi?
Do you read my newsletters?
Do you have an equitable sense of obligation to upkeep our connection, in any capacity?
I was talking to my BFF earlier this week and mentioned that trust is not merely “earned.” It’s demonstrated.
I’m a writer.
I know prose.
The best form of propaganda is storytelling, and this applies to how we strategically position our own kinship to those who are starved for affection.
As you head into the weekend, give yourself time to reflect on how much are you contributing to the betterment of your connections, business, and growth.
Are you being extra or are you doing just enough to be enough for those who don't want more for themselves?
I'm one funky comment away from bouncing altogether. We tend to regard "rock bottom" as a place of finality but sometimes rock bottom is a place of realized possibilities.
Because it is often in those dark and angry places where we find the courage to advocate for our inner people pleaser.