Author: Nick Kempinski

^{Source: https://www.youtube.com/}

Why ruin a movie by saying it’s bad or good?

I didn’t want to say anything in my blog until it’s was finalized and the day-job-folk knew. As of yesterday, it’s officially done. On August 17th, I’m leaving the world of full time job to full time student. Starting September, I’m going to BCIT for Radio Broadcasting.

On the cusp of my 30th birthday, sometimes I wonder if I’m completely off my rocker. I have a job I’ve been doing for some time now. Why rock the boat? I’ve got a scheduled pay-cheque. I’ve got a false sense of stability that a 9-5 gives people. I’ve got loans, bills and credit cards. I never eat anything home cooked and I like that. I like going to movies. And now…??? Why would anyone want to give that up?

Beyond money and comfort there is an underlying desire, passion. I’ve been looking deeply at who I am, and what I love. I’ve been actively questioning everything for years. The more I question the more I don’t know. But what I do know, I know what’s not me.

So, I’ve decided to take the plunge and follow where the answers have lead me. During the course, I’ve had friends ask why I’m doing it and more importantly how. So, I’m going to look at it a little more deeply.

In my journey, there are several lessons I’ve learned. Most of which I’ve had to, and still do, repeat to myself over and over. They feel awkward and I tend to fight myself with them. But when I’m reminded, they seem to unlock a way of putting things into perspective and give me strength to keep going

• Asking is the first step
• It’s never over until it’s over
• Leap and the net will catch

Asking is the first step

They say, “Ignorance is bliss”. The reason, is because you don’t question. You don’t question because you don’t know to ask, or your don’t want to know the answer. But the minute, the instant you ask why, or how, ignorance is shattered. Somehow, the question opens your eyes to the possibilities.

Let’s look at one great question and I’ll show you what I mean. Ask yourself, “am I happy?” I can see 4 outcomes:

No

This is the most honest response you can answer. It leads to the question “Why?” Which leads to questions like “What can I do about it?”, “What’s stopping me?”, “Why am I afraid?”, “Why can’t I change?” No one can be expected to be happy all the time. But when we know we are working on it, when we know we are on the path towards it. Somehow, it makes us stronger along the way.

Yes

If you responded instantaneously with no thought either a) you’ve already gone through this process and I’m not stating anything new , or b) I call bull shit. We all like to lie to ourselves and to others. It could be an automated response. To you I say, stop and really think, and ask again and again.

If you paused before saying yes, I ask you, what was the condition you gave yourself for saying yes. Is it because at this moment you are content? What about the moment before this? What about you at work? What about you at home?

Maybe

This is the ultimate cop out. I know, because I use this one all the time. It’s a statement of secrecy. When someone says to me maybe – they are saying “I don’t want you to know”. But how can I not want me to know? What am I keeping secret?

What does that matter?

Oooo, this one is a tough one. If you’ve said this, then you should seek professional help. Because I don’t know of a single person who doesn’t deserve to be happy

It’s never over until it’s over

This one is a bit tricky, because to some this opens the door to procrastination. Why put off to tomorrow what you can do today? Why wait to say “I’m sorry” or “I’ll do that when…” And in some regards that’s true. In other regards, I look at the sculpture of David, or the Sixteenth chapel. I’m reminded that “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.

But why does this matter? It’s a perception of the future. And some of us don’t have it.

I’ve met people who understand the ebb and flow of life. They understand that they can always turn back. They can try new things, and that they have the rest of their lives to figure it out. These people make 5 year and 10 year plans. They revisit this plan and change course accordingly. These people know that tomorrow will come, and they are ready for it. They have a master plan and are trying to build a masterpiece of their lives.

And then, I’ve met people like me, who somehow think that when we do something, there is never going back. It’s the end all, be all step. There is no tomorrow to correct it. To that matter, there is no tomorrow. This perception then skews us to contain our activities to single day things. Write a poem or blog post. Take the truck to the mechanic. Do the dishes. If it’s not a task a single day can accomplish, it’s easy loose faith that it will ever be accomplished. Yet, tomorrow comes and goes. And, unless I’m dead, it will come again.

I use this to remind me that I have tomorrow to write a novel. I have time to go back to school and build a career of my choosing. I can do many small tasks that together will build my Rome.

Leap and the net will catch

I can’t remember who coined the phrase, but it’s stuck with me. I’ve had it in my back pocket when I moved across the country with only a limited credit card. When a friend said, “hey nick, you want to go with me to halifax for 3 weeks?”

This one is probably the hardest for me to articulate. But some other people are trying. It’s a part of The Secret, Law of Attraction and New Thought. It’s a belief. And, whenever anyone says a word like “faith”, a whole gray area opens up to be taken in or spit out. And faith is exactly what this is. Not of religious convictions, but simply that it will be alright. That if, in your life, you take a leap towards something, it will always end up alright. My own twist is that I think it might mot be what you planned, if you planned at all, but it will be alright none the less.

The toughest part of this is the same challenges in any act of faith. Only with experience of the leap, can you truly believe. And only after the entire experience is concluded, do you know you were caught.

So how do you know you were caught? When we are falling we sometimes don’t see the net. Look for the word “coincidence” in your story.

• When I was younger, my father was laid off from his job. Coincidentally, he had a friend that was looking to start a business venture and needed to hire someone with experience that my dad had.
• I have had my heart broken a trodden on, but every time I meet new people out of sheer coincidence. And through 6 degrees of separation I find others to love.
• My car broke down on the way to my bank appointment, I was getting a line of credit for school. I was late and completely missed my appointment. I scheduled another but it wasn’t for weeks. In the meantime, I saw a Van-City ad and wondered what they could do for me. I called them up. Coincidentally, the had an opening on the day my vehicle was fixed. And not only did I get a line of credit, it’s a better deal then the previous bank.

Think of the coincidences in you life and how did they work out for you. When you see these as the net, it makes it easier to believe.

White is wicked hot in watches right now.

I love this ad.

In an office environment, it’s always great to add some colour, and variety. Looking at grey walls with grey cubicles can make for some grey faces. So, when my company decided it was time our office got a make over, I was looking forward to it.

Given almost a year later, they are finishing off the cafe and elevator hallways. The “office” area turned out nicely. My desk has more surface area, the new flat screens give more space to work. Even the colours they’ve added are nice in highlights: some mustard and burgundy.

However, as the rest is being completed, the nice highlights are going terrible wrong. My beef, especially is with the elevator hallways. They are huge walls of dry wall bubbles.

Now, the first thing I think in the morning is that I’m in Logan’s Run or 2001: A Space Odyssey. I’m thinking I should be wearing polyester winged collars and bell bottoms that are dated, and yet still supposed to look like the future.

Corporate culture is a tricky balance, especially if you are trying to bring smaller foreign cultures into the fold of larger corporations. There are loads of signals that the employee’s are looking for. Yes, a redesigns are powerful statements. But, with powerful statements come double edged swords. Because of our overhaul, I’m seeing the company very differently.

What a take for the new interior is the company is “trying” to be cooler then they really are. The design tells me, we are trying to be “hip” and “with-it”. Give this and my previous post about the secret office, and it’s clear that they aren’t.

Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. It always comes through loud and clear when the signals are mixed.

Through the blog world, I came across Change your World, Change The World. Kevin Salwen highlighted some words shared on The American Dream Project.

• If we are sick of foreign wars, make peace with our personal enemies.
• If we are concerned with our nation’s debt, save our own money.
• If we are sickened by materialism, buy only what we really value.
• If we are concerned with global warming, conserve, walk, telecommute.
• If we are worried about the environment, recycle, plant trees, grow something.
• If we are angry with our leaders, propose and post real solutions.
• If we are worried about health care costs, eat right, exercise, and sleep.
• If we are worried about crime, drugs, and violence, participate in a neighborhood watch.
• If we are sad about the decline of marriage, make ours the best example of commitment and fulfillment we can.
• If we are worried about terrorists, put some boundaries between ourselves and those who use or abuse us.

The quote continues:

“I hope you can see what I’m trying to get at. These suggestions are simply metaphors for thinking about our lives. They are not meant to be absolute or literal statements. These are simply reminders that for every big overwhelming problem in the world, there is a version of it in our lives.”

However, I say, these are not metaphors; these should be absolute and literal statements. We all have the opportunity to lead by example. If we can’t change ourselves, how do we expect others to change?

At my company, the executive team is trying to boast that the company promotes “Open and timely communication”. However, their is a downfall in their support of this.

1. If you going to say “and”, do “and”.

The word “and” is a tricky one. Especially with value statements like this one. The word implies that both are present, and always present together. If you are timely with a piece of information but not very open, then you have failed in putting the statement into practice.

If you fail, then you loose the trust of those you’ve informed. And all of a sudden, there is miss-trust or the idea that you aren’t being honest. The value looses it’s meaning and simply become more clutter in corporate propaganda, then is rejected from the masses

2. Simple acts show your sincerity

Ah, there’s the rub! Really, this is the main reason I’m writing, and my big bug. Our office has just been renovated to follow the corporate scheme. And suddenly I noticed a inconspicuous door with a security swipe key. I looked through the small window and what do I see? It’s an almost secret executive only area.

Hmmm, “open and timely communication”. Open? How does a secret locked away executive only area say “Open” to the employees.

For offices that are multiple floors, I can understand that there might be a floor dedicated. But in out 2 floor small operation, the message this say’s speaks volumes!

You can say it, but your actions have just convinced me, you don’t believe it, you don’t want to believe it. And, sorry big wig exec, I don’t believe you.

This week, I’ve been feeling drained. With some reflection and thought, I think I have an idea why. The amount of things I’m doing that drain energy from me don’t equal the amount of things that rejuvenate me.

Everyday I’m loosing energy. It’s bad accounting!

Rejuvenate >= Drain!

It has me thinking, what drains me and what gives me energy? I’m wondering how to balance the energy books. Is it a todo list like GTD? Is is something different?

Reading all these comments on Fox canceling the OC, for some reason I’m always reminded of some office humour

• Buying a stronger whip.
• Changing riders.
• Say things like, “This is the way we have always ridden this horse.”
• Appointing a committee to study the horse.
• Arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses.
• Increasing the standards to ride dead horses.
• Appointing a tiger team to revive the dead horse.
• Creating a training session to increase our riding ability.
• Comparing the state of dead horses in todays environment.
• Change the requirements declaring that “This horse is not dead.”
• Hire contractors to ride the dead horse.
• Harnessing several dead horses together for increased speed.
• Declaring that “No horse is too dead to beat.”
• Providing additional funding to increase the horse’s performance.
• Do a Cost Analysis study to see if contractors can ride it cheaper.
• Purchase a product to make dead horses run faster.
• Declare the horse is “better, faster and cheaper” dead.
• Form a quality circle to find uses for dead horses.
• Revisit the performance requirements for horses.
• Say this horse was procured with cost as an independent variable.
• Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.

Nowhere does it say “get off”.

Is it always a surprise?