Welcome to “The Looking Glass”, a weekly newsletter journey of personal growth into mindset, meaning and mastery in work.
#27 – 28 Oct 2022
Hello friend,
Thanks again for being here!
Here’s an insight, a question, and a quote I reflected on over the last week.
💡 A new challenge – the theme
We are all a work in progress, constantly learning and growing on the road to becoming better people.
I have been reflecting on challenging myself in a new way with this newsletter.
Rather than blurt out three random discoveries from the week into an unrelated insight, question and quote, could I meld my learnings into a more cohesive structure that made more sense and was more valuable?
Could I draw out a theme?
To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it.
Herman Melville
The beauty here with a theme is there is always a new way to tell it through your own lens.
If there were only one truth, you couldn’t paint a hundred canvases on the same theme.
Pablo Picasso
I’m going to start experimenting with themes in the coming weeks.
The insight here is that humans love themes. We are meaning-making beings, and we make sense of things.
So rather than serving up a rushed mess, try building themes into your work. It creates more meaning and, ultimately, is more valuable. Reflect on the topics you can draw out. And you will probably find clues for your next steps concerning what is meaningful in your life.
This week I am exploring the theme of sacrifice, letting go of what no longer serves us.
❔The sacrifice
I have been thinking about how in moving to the next stage of our journey, we need to sacrifice part of what we were – burn off the dead wood, as they say.
I have found I have certain blocks holding me back. Things that no longer serve me, but I can’t easily let go of them. It’s weird, as I know they are getting in my way, but I struggle to move past them. I’m sure you feel this too in parts of your life.
This is the scary part of any change. We have to be willing to give up a part of who we were to become something better. It takes real courage to step into the arena, be vulnerable and face our demons.
You must be brave about what is happening inside you and try not to resist it. This is disconcerting as we work through the mess and break new ground. We feel confused and stuck. But unfortunately, we have to be willing to be lost to find what we genuinely seek.
Eventually, we break out of that shell and feel like a new person. The old world and connections may no longer recognise us. But we know we must do this, and we go on.
What sacrifices are you holding back on?
What are you unwilling to let go of that is getting in the way of your desired progress?
💬 A quote to ponder – On burning off the dead wood
The truth is something that burns. It burns off dead wood. And people don’t like having the dead wood burnt off, often because they’re 95 per cent dead wood.
Jordan B. Peterson
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Cheers!
