Author: Phil

Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously

I know this. But I do not practice it often enough.

Most difficulties in my life are either made from or escalated because I’m taking myself too seriously.

Taking myself less seriously makes me, easier to be around, more open minded, more humble, less self critical.

Maybe efficiency or productivity can be found in taking oneself with high seriousness. I do not think it’s usually worth it though. There is a cost and I am going to start choosing the cost of loss efficiency rather than cost of losing pure enjoyment.

Authentic is gone.

Has it ever been here?

I over use this word.

“I want to be more authentic…She is so authentic…”

Where do we actually find authenticity?

Is this the same as “there is nothing original”?

There is nothing authentic?

Authentic= of undisputed origin. Genuine.

Millennial craze

I am a millennial. It’s easy to pick things out about us.

Here are some points I hope we are all reminding my people

Don’t take yourself so seriously/it’s not personal
Autonomy doesn’t mean you have to prove yourself all alone.
No one owes you anything

Maybe these aren’t only good for millennials. We all need reminders of these point.

Snuggle Attack

This is my puppy Ender. She is the best!

A lot of times she will do what my wife, Kelly, calls a snuggle attack.

She wants to snuggle with you but she does so my ‘attacking’ you or chewing on something she shouldn’t or getting between you and your phone…

All she wants is to be noticed and acknowledged.

I do this a lot too. I’m sure you do too.

We pout, make a scene, get upset, say mean things, all in order to be be told ‘I see you’, ‘I’m here with you’.

Just knowing this about ourselves makes it better. I’m also going to try to tell people more often that I see them.

Self Protection

Can there be too much?

When I protect myself so much that I miss important opportunities, it is too much.

Its important to protect ourselves but maybe it’s more important to remember the fleeting nature of life.

Can we really protect ourselves?

Is it our right to protect ourselves?

Do we owe it to the world and all around to drop self protection?

Sacrifice

It’s the only way for me.

Well not actually but I am going to keep telling myself that so I sacrifice more.

Why would I try to push my point across it love for the other is my ultimate goal?

The best love is sacrifice.

Why would I Barton for any cheaper knock off?

We think love is something else because we’ve been sold the cheap stuff before.

It’s not worth it.

Sacrifice is the only way for me.

Discovering ‘why’

Our why gives us deep inspiration that can sustain a lifetime.

The hard part can be discovering the’why.’

What does it take? Reflection, self-awareness, effort?

I think it’s often closer than we imagine it to be. Mostly discovering our ‘why’ requires honesty.

We should remove fear in this process and be honest with our deepest desires and hopes. Regardless what the answer brings, we should be honest.

Misrepresenting our ‘why’ initially could result in a long time of going down the wrong path.

Too Cool

I once flew with Southwest Airlines. They have a culture at least on the plane that I flew on which I hope for in my workplace.As compared to the typical, monotone, annoyed, too cool for school safety talk through, Southwest had fun with it.

They weren’t too cool to try to enjoy what they were doing.

It takes one person to realize they aren’t too cool for others to realize they too aren’t all that cool.

Authenticity

This was a picture from my recent vacation in Cancun. My brother and his fiancé took a picture with Mayan impersonators and they chose this as their background (StarBucks) in the heart of a small city while waiting in line for a ride into Tulum.

Tulum is a Mayan ruin from 5th Century AD. It seems so Authentic. But have we taken away the authenticity?

Is authenticity something that can be taken away?

Has authenticity ever been there?

Integrity rather than authenticity

Integer-Latin-wholeness

Being able to be wholly oneself and fully true is a piece of integrity.

Not that you always stay the same and “consistent” but that you are wholly you.

This captures more of what I mean when I often use the word authentic.

Like on vacation, we are daring enough to wear the two piece, buy a new fedora, wear that interesting dress…we won’t see these people again, it’s vacation why not!? Why not bring that adventure home? Is that adventure our whole self or not? Maybe our whole self is more of the one that would rather wear a t shirt all week.

Let it be that. Just be a person of integrity.

Credit to my wife, Kelly, for most of these thoughts. She is brilliant!

phil invites