Move Your Desk

In this episode, I share what it means to live as an Edge Walker—someone who keeps moving forward without guarantees. I talk about the moments when certainty runs out and all you have is faith, and how I’ve learned to trust my inner compass, even when the map disappears. Through my own stories and reflections, I hope to encourage you if you’re standing at your own edge. You’re not alone—I’m walking this path too, right alongside you and so many others.

Your presence matters. Sometimes you are leading from the front. Sometimes you are guiding from the side. Sometimes you are protecting quietly. Sometimes you are creating a safe space for someone to take the next step. And, sometimes you are recognizing that someone is doing this for you in moments of your own personal challenges or weaknesses. I share a few moments from my life with you in an attempt to nudge you to take a moment to think about those who have been a guardian for you, and for you to think about stepping up to being that for others going forward. It's within you to take on this role, and to thank those that serve in this capacity for you. Available through all major podcast services (https://pod.co/move-your-desk) and YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1c0TSanTzDfZYN0_BGNmYFyQXpQxIBIb

Can you teach an old dog a new trick? It's been asked quite a bit. And, of course it is possible. More interesting for some of us is noticing the dilemma of working through old tricks with new dogs. In the workplace, this can show up as a constant stream of bright and shiny ideas. This may not be a problem, unless no one is listening to the prior lessons. And, applying the tweaks to make the next iteration better. It's hard being in 2022. A lot of ideas are available. And, a lot of people have already tried them. It's not that we shouldn't keep trying. Experimenting is part of the process of inventing and innovating. Listening, however, is not as abundant. And, remembering (or seeking insights) from corporate memory is just as rare. History tends to repeat itself. Lots of new dogs are playing the same tricks that have gone on since...well, whenever time started. People really haven't changed that much. True, there is new technology. The Interesting twist, however, is that most people alive now have quite a bit of experience with technology even if they are upwards of 80 years old. There are new combinations of ideas that have never been tried before, but there are also combinations that fade away because they are no longer useful. All of the changes, all of the patterns, all of the repeating that is part of life. Remember to embrace it all - the old tricks and the few new, as well as all the dogs old and new. Your job is to listen, think, and combine them in ways that serve you and those you serve.

Trying to avoid pain is normal. You and I do it all the time with things like food, drugs, drinking, gambling, and the list goes on. Sometimes we even do it with learning, information hording, and working. Working is one of my drugs of choice. All wrapped up in this addiction is the possibility of positive outcomes (sometimes). All of it used as an effort to not think or feel the pain that might be festering inside. If you learn more about pain, and how it can serve you, it becomes important to allow it and go all in to feel it... instead of trying to avoid or suppress it. It feels worse to go about resolving life issues in this way, but it actually shortens the process and allows you to move forward faster. I'm trying it right now. It's not the good part yet, but I know it will be worth it.

Are you pretending things are ok? Are you uncomfortable when the conversation turns sideways on the conference call? You rush to smooth over the disturbance and quickly make sure it's not a detriment to moving the work forward. And, to save others from feeling all the feelings about it? Or, at least try to do so? It's actually slowing down the work more than you may realize, and inhibiting others from saying what may need to be said. Toxic Positivity is rampant in parts of our cultures - towns, families, churches, and...of course work. You can argue that there is a lot of bullying as well. But, we aren't talking about that today. I share my concerns about it in this episode, and how I'm dealing with it in parts of my life and work. It takes some time to realize that it is happening, and then what to do about it if you are a person that would rather go into the deeper conversations. With the deeper conversations you have to take risks. Some of those risks will set you back. Some of them will propel you forward. Keep taking them. We all wear masks, though some are thicker and worn more often than others. And, some of us may have a closet full of masks that are pulled out to deal with a variety of audiences. Maybe it's time to start removing one of them toward building deeper trust and empathy that leads toward higher fulfillment and better outcomes. The Move Your Desk Show is available through all major podcast services and https://pod.co/move-your-desk