The Roles we Play

When I first became a manager, I had to play the role of the good cop. The confidant. The counselor. The friend.

The situation dictated my role.

When I moved markets, I had to the play the role of the bad cop. The agent of change. The dictator. The acquaintance.

The situation dictated my role.

You see...whether it be business or personal, we all play a role. The role is defined primarily by the situation, the desired outcome with the potential benefits or risks of the situation and the interpersonal relationship you have with the others in the situation.

To be a chameleon in theater shows depth and talent.

To be a chameleon in life though usually is interpreted by others as being disingenuous or "not real."

This misconception could not be further from the truth. You can be consistent and fair while still playing different roles.

People are not black and white. Life is not scripted. It is the quintessential improv act. It is the ideal stage for all performances.

The downside of excelling in a role in theater is getting typecast for that type of role forever.

Yul Brynner will always be the King.

William Shatner will always be Kirk.

Sly Stallone will always be Rocky Balboa.

James Gandolfini will always be Tony Soprano.

The caveat in life is the same. Don't get typecast in a role you don't want. It's unsatisfying and unfulfilling.

Life is the greatest theater of all. And you have the lead role. Now is your time. Don't give the performance of your life. Give your life the performance it deserves.

Turn the Page

As you go through the mundane chore of turning your calendar page, you realize time is moving.  

You start to remember less and forget more all of the time. 

The hair gets more gray.  And you find more of it in certain areas and less in others. 

It takes longer to recover from a workout and you have to work harder to get something out of it.  

Wisdom and perspective are gained. But at what expense?  

Cynicism reigns supreme. 

Optimism takes a back seat to what same may call realism. 

Risks become more calculated.  Less risky. 

But...here is the kicker.  Here is where it gets good. 

The older you get, the less you feel like you have to spend time with the right people.  You want to spend more time with the people who just make you feel alright. 

The older you get, the greater the understanding between being alone and feeling lonely. 

The older you get, the more memories you actually have. 

Here is to making memories while being alone with the right people. 

Fine wine baby.  Fine wine.  

Cent'anni  

FYI...

Imagine yourself walking into a room full of people.

Your mind automatically makes judgments on the people you see.

Not in a bad way.

In a human way...

And as the night goes on...you engage some in dialogue and you formulate an impression of what their life may be like.

Some you think are lucky.

Some you think are unfortunate.

Some you really like.

Some you keep your distance from.

But just remember...

All of them (including you) are carrying their own cross.

Don't judge. Just accept.

We all are carrying something. And to a person...each one feels like a ton.

Just sayin'

Side note: Just to clarify...the picture or the topic does not mean I am making this a religious discussion. Just an apropos analogy. That's all.

It's Razor Thin

It's a constant balancing act.

The line is so small.

Trying to find the balance.

Strike it. Curse it. Believe it. Practice it. Break it. Do it.

It's the never ending battle between getting too close to the flame and burning your finger.

Between soaring to new heights and falling down too far.

Between touching the outer fringe of genius and getting cut from the razor sharp edge of insanity.

Between immersing yourself in the deep ocean of passion and drowning in irresponsibility.

Between drinking from the chalice of Carpe Diem and choking from short sightedness.

Between living in the moment and dying many moments too soon.

Between being there for everyone and being nowhere for yourself.

Between feeling the charge of being plugged in like an open wire and being fried by being too plugged in.

Between the medicinal effect of being child-like and the cancerous effect of being childish.

Between basking in the sea of anonymity and forgetting who you are.

Between toeing the line and crossing it.

Between taking risky chances and chancing risky choices.

It's a fine line.

Yes...yes it is.

Hold on a sec...will ya?

Fact number one: Life is hard.

Fact number two: There are days when it seems like you can't make it.

Fact number three: There is always tomorrow.

Let's face it...we have all been there. That place where we feel like all is lost. Like there is no hope. Like you can't go on.

How do you keep holding on?

How do you get through it?

You find one thing to hold onto. One thing to cling to. One thing that can give you the inner strength you need to keep going.

One thing is all it takes.

It can seem like the smallest of things. A sliver of light breaking through. The tiniest of seeds starting to sprout.

It can come in human form or not.

It is out there. You just need to continue to look for it.

One thing. That's it.

Find yours. Today.

Simple Complexity

Ever play the game Jenga?

Ever look at an individual Jenga piece?

Alone, it is simplistic in nature. Each piece of wood is three times as long as it is wide, and its height is approximately half its width.

One would say nondescript by nature.

But when combined with other Jenga pieces, a complex pattern can be created. An amalgamation formed from experimentation and trial and error.

Far from nondescript.

Have you ever met someone who would fit the Jenga paradigm? Easy (simple) to get to know but once you get to know them...you see complex layers that time, experience and perspective have molded into what they are today.

Has anyone ever said they were an open book to you?

You see, it's easy to open a book. It's not as easy to "get" the meaning behind the book.

But the "a-ha" moment is created when you find out that every chapter is a new story on its own.

The other element that goes along with the simple complexity paradigm of Jenga? Once a new creation tumbles, it's time to rebuild another one.

Sounds like another game we know. It's called life.

Sounds simple doesn't it? It's not...but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Plugging in and Unplugging

Are you the type of person that gets your energy from plugging in to everything around you?

You feed off the juice coming from your surroundings.

You need to feel connected.

But what happens when you plug in to the wrong conduit? What happens when the current running from one to another is negative? It drains you. You lose momentum.

It brings you into the downturn of the roller coaster.

Now, visiting the downturn of the roller coaster isn't bad because we realize quickly we don't want to stay and eventually it will turn back up. But if you feel like you are constantly being pulled down...

Unplug.

Sometimes to stay connected...you have to disconnect.

It's OK. You have permission.

Just remember to plug back in.