- Credits:
- NPR
Helen’s Place LLC July 8, 2022
Have you ever thought about what makes a really good story and how this compares to your job? Are you a person who says, “I was looking for a job when I found this one,” as a way of gaining detachment to think of your job as a piece of the bigger story of your life?
Maybe you’ve noticed how comedians use everything in their life to add to their comedy, or writers turns everyday experiences into written material.
They’ve learned that keeping things in perspective, and linking ordinary experiences to their work can pay-off in a big way, but it takes the power of detachment and a lot of practice to do it.
What they’ve discovered is that when you observe rather than react to the world around you, you’ll get more out of your personal journey, including your time at work.
Don’t let anyone tell you your life experience isn’t valuable, including the terrible moments, because it is. Embrace it all!
Develop the habit of writing down the highlights of your day, including the tough or disappointing events, and capture:
- Interactions with people and what you liked or disliked about the experiences.
- A self-critique of personal accomplishments, regardless of anyone noticing.
- Recognition or criticism that you didn’t expect and how this affected you.
- Your own personal list of what’s important about the day.
If you pay attention, you may get a great idea from something that happens or something said. Other times you won’t understand the significance of an experience until time passes.
The present as it turns out, is the bridge to your future, so if you make connections to understand it, you’ll make clearer choices that fit with the unfolding plan for your life.
Don’t expect to know what everything means in advance since you can’t always know what leads to what. What you do have control over, however, is making the best decisions you can as things happen.
Related audio/video interview recording
Professional comedians discussing observable comedy, and demonstrate the power of detachment for which they are famous
YouTube, December 30, 2012, “Talking Funny – HBO”
Other related article you may be interested in:
Documenting the story of your life:
Helen’s Place LLC, September 9, 2021, “How to Preserve Memories to Solve a Puzzle”
Your comments are greatly appreciated. Send them to Helen’s Place LLC via email to info@helensplacenet.com.
