by David Andrew Wiebe | Apr 30, 2023 | Inspiration
We often think of our thoughts as random. Coincidental. Unmitigated chaos.
We could be lucid as the clearest glass of water, and still second-guess our better judgment, which we don’t even recognize as our better judgment because we don’t trust ourselves.
The mind, after all, tends towards the negative. Why should it fail us today? The one thing we know we can count on it for is more thoughts that make us feel imperfect, inadequate, and insufficient.
And how many times has the Universe let you down? How many times have you left yourself down? How many disappointments can you endure before you stop trusting?
But maybe the mind is organizing thoughts that need to be expressed to the right person at the right time in the right place. To open doors. We don’t usually live as though that were true, but what if it were? What if we did live that way?
Maybe your thoughts are trying to tell you something. Maybe they aren’t completely out to lunch.
Is it time to quit your job? Move to a new city? Find a new community to join?
It seems insane. Why now? Aren’t you doomed to repeat your past mistakes?
Maybe. But maybe the Universe heard you. Maybe it’s cooperating. Maybe you’re not off in la-la land after all. Maybe what you think about first thing in the morning and last thing before falling asleep is leading somewhere. Will you follow the signs?
by David Andrew Wiebe | Apr 29, 2023 | Inspiration
You don’t want to be the one doing all the work.
You think you do because you want to take all the credit.
But what you think of as a breakthrough is just incremental progress. And while incremental progress is still progress, and it even seems like the norm, it’s the furthest thing from when you’re following inspiration.
Inspiration causes people to throw their hats over the fence, invest in a business, strike up a new partnership, or sell their home. It sees them taking massive, seemingly illogical actions in a heartbeat. It lays years of struggle to waste and gives way to unprecedented possibilities.
Being stuck in incremental progress is a form of hell. It’s repeating the same day time and again waiting for something interesting or different to occur. And it very rarely does. When it does, it doesn’t last. There’s no inspiration, only sunk cost.
Put connecting dots in the capable hands of the Universe. Partner with the infinite. It can bring things together in surprising and unexpected ways you could never conceive of. The Universe can do it better than you ever could.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Apr 28, 2023 | Personal Development
Depends on the situation.
It seems obvious. Yet it is easily overlooked.
Work ethic, productivity, and consistency are often stressed above all else.
If you have things to get done, your default mode will be to grind it out, power through, and keep going.
But ignoring your relationship, your growing fatigue and exhaustion, or important family events, will have consequences.
The right action is the one that’s in front of you. And it may not have anything to do with your default course of action. It may not be obvious.
It may be time to have a date night, lay on the beach, or go to a wedding.
Choosing the right action is usually the hard part.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Apr 27, 2023 | Productivity
Once we feel like we’ve got something figured out, we like to make it a habit. The first time we figure it out, the reward mechanism in our brains triggers a dopamine hit. Sure, the sensation might diminish with time. But it reinforces “good” behavior. Plus, it’s easier to stick with the familiar than to challenge the status quo.
The trouble is that it’s far too easy to get comfortable doing the same things day in and day out without questioning it or looking for other, more efficient ways. You stop looking.
This Sunday, as I was planning for my week, I felt the need to adjust. I saw my life becoming more chaotic, with a higher volume of client work. But I was convinced there was a way to meet the challenge head-on.
I returned to the basics of prioritizing – the parable of the rocks, pebbles, sand, and water. And I put paying projects first. Variable projects second. Growing businesses third.
It’s only Thursday night, and I submit to you that prioritizing made all the difference. The big rocks are largely out of the way. It’s mostly pebbles, sand, and water left.
But it would not have been possible without a willingness to adjust.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Apr 26, 2023 | Leadership
If you’re not in the game, get out.
Don’t stay holed up in your ivory tower criticizing others. It makes you look foolish because you’re clueless about what’s going on in anyone’s life.
Don’t pretend to know what’s going on when you aren’t in the habit of talking with your people. Assumptions make an ass out of you. Period.
Don’t bark orders at people you aren’t related to, asking them to do things you aren’t willing to do.
If you’re stuck in this cycle, your leadership is superfluous. Get out. Move on. Do something else. Go somewhere where you can make a difference.
