still & fast

it always amazes me how much we rush every day, in nearly everything we do.  a simple task is made stressful because of traffic, a calm day at the beach is made less relaxing because of crowds and the need to stand in line for whatever.

where did we go wrong in our bustling modern society that makes us feel like we need to rush, or hurry, or do things faster than is really necessary?

i’m sitting at a local park on my lunch hour, taking a full 60 minutes to unwind from the stress of the office.  at this park is a very picturesque little lake that is also bordered by an interstate on the north side.  its this dichotomy that inspired this post today.

folks like me, taking 15, 20, 30 minutes out of their day, out of their lunch hour and coming to this park for a quick detox from the office.  some simply watch the waves on the lake, others the traffic.  a number of them are out getting their mid-day walk in, and many more enjoying the shade.

the interesting thing is that, while there are a number of people about, we’re in the minority.  we’re just a few people finding he relaxation, or making the time to walk out of the building to the car, driving a couple blocks, and sitting watching what relaxes us.  where are the rest of those that need it?  what happens when folks don’t take the time every day to find the calm and peace within that balances each of us out?

how does this affect their coworkers? how does this unbalance their lives?  is it any of my business?

the still of the water and the rush of the fast interstate traffic is the extremes in my field of view today and i’m just glad that i’m here to enjoy the few quiet minutes today.

taking time

sometimes i long for those cold winter nights when we get away to the northwoods of wisconsin.  its those times when we have a cozy cabin tucked away in a quite corner of the forest, covered deep in snow, that i find the muse most often.

its those times that i can actually get my best creative work done.  in fact, its anytime that we get to some northern getaway that i work the best.  i so wish i had the ability more often to do that, to get away, to find that lodge, the quiet corner in the big snow.  to let the mind wander and unleash the creativity that resides there.

oh when will that time come again?

worried on work

i’m in a bit of a quandary over work right now. first, i’m simply worried that there isn’t anything to jump into in two weeks when my contract dries up. second, i’m worried that i might need to end up choosing from sub-optimal options when there is a juicy choice just a few more weeks out.

here’s to hoping that i don’t wait too long or that i think further a few more steps down the path before i leap.

contemplation one

its another weekend, and another time for nothing new to take place. it’s strange sitting at the local coffee shop waiting to get back home, but there is time for contemplation.

contemplation is an important thing i think because it helps a person figure things out.

what i’m thinking about is how to really take my brand to the next level. you won’t find my brand here on “a place for words” because its not the focus of my blogging and career-oriented work. that stuff is all on my main blog that i’m not going to link to from here. call this a separate project from that work entirely.

like many, i’ve worked hard to establish my brand in the new media/social media economy. while i’ve succeeded in some respects, i’ve not made the progress i had hoped for originally. of course, it’s my responsibility for not staying on track and it’s my responsibility to correct that mistake.

so it’s back to some planning work, to see exactly what direction i’ve veered off on and how to correct that.

sorry for not having much point to this post, but it’s really just supposed to be a springboard, a starting point for thinking and doing.

random thoughts while watching the river

i sit by the river watching the water and the clouds go by.

i wonder at the scope and grandeur of it all – how do i fit in?

the constructs we’ve created are small in comparison.

moving and flowing through our time, our lives become larger than we imagined.

watching and waiting should not be part of the plan.

making and doing are what’s needed at this time.

how to motivate my fellowman, that is what i want to do.

a loss of focus

it happens to the best of us. it’s not about getting too busy with things, though that too contributes to it, but many other factors. i’m finding that i have less to say about things than i did a year ago. part of me wonders if this is because of not wanting to get into debates with folks.

i say i write about social media, the enterprise, and other such topics, but since i set my blog up to be focused on these things, (it’s not this one) i find that i really don’t have much to talk about on it at this time. i built up a reader base that was about to hit the 400 mark, only to stop writing so often and i watch the readership dwindle down, day after day feeling like i change anything.

i know this to be false, all i have to do is get back to writing the useful content that brought folks to my blog before. my problem is inspiration – i just feel that there isn’t any in me right now, or that there isn’t the interest out there to read what i feel i should be talking about. it is a difficult position for me to be in, and i do need to decide whether i continue blogging at all or not – it’s that frustrating to me personally.

deep down, i’m sure i’ll continue, but wonder if i should post about taking a break or just post infrequently on marginally-related topics when i feel like it. hard to decide.