Turns out I have been judgmental - of myself!
I set up this blog platform almost ten years ago with the intent of getting some thoughts of mine out there while sharpening my writing style. In those nine plus years, I have only posted seventeen times - less than twice a year.
Not exactly prolific. So I got curious. What is holding me back? I love to tell stories. I have a thousand of them (not all interesting). And I have time, or can make time. So what's really going on here?
There I go again, jumping to the conclusion that I am either (a) lazy, (b) undisciplined, (c) uncommitted, or any number of combinations. You get the idea - judgmental.
While watching an episode of Ted Lasso, it occurred to me that one of my weaknesses is what I will call overanalysis (I just made that word up), which can be paralytic.
Paralysis by overanalysis is not a good trait for a person who defines his style as a combination of optimism and idealism. Those who know me will have heard me begin many a sentence with, "In my perfect world ..." It's also not a good way to garner the reputation of a maverick, of someone who challenges convention and marches to the beat of his own drum.
If I'm honest, I embrace the concept of being different, unconventional - even to the point of walking right up to, but not over, the precipice known as absurdity.
I learned how to be an effective salesperson and leader by watching, observing and reading. Always asking myself, "Why?"
Why did he say that? Why did she react that way? Why did they do that? Why do it that way?
I have always been curious - willing to ask - why?
So when a scene came on in Ted Lasso involving his proficiency at the game of darts, and he quoted Walt Whitman as having said, "Be curious, not judgmental." a bell went off in my head.
My management style is unpredictable, unorthodox, improvisational even to the point of eccentricity.
That is Ted Lasso. He is confident everything will work out, he believes in the 'good' in people and he is, well - corny at times.
Me too.
In the show, Ted comes to the conclusion that all the people he met who underestimated him had very little curiosity and they judged him. He realized he had no control over what others thought, only over what he did. So he marches to the beat of his own drum, he defies convention and he kills with kindness. Asking why all the way to victory.
Turns out curiosity never killed a cat, however, it can be a great teacher in the school of life.
I'm going to work on being less judgmental of myself and others.
Curious?
I've got that covered.
Post Script - I really wanted to read that Walt Whitman poem, so, out of curiosity, I searched for it. Turns out (according to scholars who study Whitman), he never penned those words - ever. How about that?
