MUSINGS and other writing by Mark Kolke

. . . . . . there is no edge to openness

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THE POINT OF IT ALL
Sunday, February 27, 2022
 
 
When I get deeper within myself and look around – I don’t always like what I see, but I must realize where I am and how I am my creation, therefore responsible. Waxing nostalgically serves no purpose, and denying reality fools only the self. And it doesn’t fool for long …
 
Yesterday, today and tomorrow – our past and present hold lessons for the future – but how, and for who?
 
Or is that for whom?
 
What matters is merging, like gears in a complex machine or a Swiss movement watch, these thoughts and feeling into productive acts, taking actions to uncover some secrets to surviving and thriving.
 
Whenever I hear some guru on their internet soapbox offering their counselling or how-to program that is 7-steps, 10-steps, 12-steps, or in 100-steps – I want to choke that Charleton money-milking fraud crap out of them.
 
Yes, our lessons can benefit others, and there is nothing wrong with selling or renting their wisdom to others who are all too happy to pay for it, but when did that become the point in life?
 
Or am I being a hypocrite? I sell or rent my expertise every day, and when I close a deal, I get paid – so how is that different? I think the difference is creating value that goes well beyond the cost.
 
I was noodling around with some ideas the other day – a mixture of asking myself why I was quick to pursue one thing and dragging my feet on another that has been waiting for action longer. The easy, obvious answer could be that I’m lazy (not) or dislike one of those tasks (not) or because one of them represents the better long-term opportunity (impossible to know that for sure) as I foot-drag …
 
The thought that keeps coming back again and again, standing in someone else’s shoes, listening to me as my clients do, is questioning whether my plan, my strategy, my approach to a problem or opportunity, and my actions will add value.
 
I ask that every day – not because I thought of it first, but because someone drilled that into me as fundamental to any brand of success, and it stuck.
 
 
 
Reader feedback:
 
LOOKING BACKWARD is LOOKING FORWARD
Reflecting on your reflective column. Mark, you can publish this or not—whatever is comfortable for you.  Maybe you will think it’s too personal. I especially enjoyed reading this reflection. Looking back forces me to also look inwards—what was I hoping to achieve? What could I have done differently? What was my part in the events that seemed at the time to go sideways? We have both had very full lives punctuated by success and failures. By joy and grief.  By both sound and less than stellar decisions. And we have each brought, to date, two generations of beautiful humans into the world. I know I could have done better, chosen more wisely, given more thought, and had more patience and forgiveness.  But nothing can be changed. But the future holds the accumulation of our past, present, and future choices. And it is looking promising. I have learned so much and look forward to learning more and to navigating the path ahead, HM, Calgary, AB
 
 
 
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