Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Tag: encouragement

  • Loving Monday: Go For It!

    loving_mondayGo for it!

    My, that was easy to say.

    Some words are easier to say than to do.

    Go for it! is an enthusiastic, high confidence encouragement to dive in without hesitation or reservation.

    Commit. Invest. Push. Give it everything you’ve got. Operate with abandon, joy, zeal.

    As I said, easy to say. Not always easy to do.

    There are times when we’re weary. There are obstacles we encounter along the way. Not everyone is encouraging in either their words or deeds.

    As much as we may desire to “Go for it!” our reality is sometimes dimmer, slimmer or grimmer. (No corny rhyming intended, though I must admit I’m smiling.)

    Sometimes we need someone to shout “Go for it!” as a reminder, as an exhortation to action, or as a walk-up call.

    Sometimes we need to tell ourselves to “Go for it!” so that we don’t miss out, settle for less, or get into a rut.

    Sometimes the easy words are needed as a catalyst to the more difficult action.

    So to you I say, “Go for it!”

    You are a gift… even if you are currently weary.

    You have a contribution to make… even if you’re having trouble seeing your way forward.

    The complexities of today are a part of your life as much as any of the idealized futures you are building for yourself.

    So, “Go for it!”

    On your side,

    – Karl Edwards

    Loving Monday is a weekly column designed to encourage us to step into our weeks with an intention to show up authentically, engage fully, and choose to make it a good week for ourselves. Explore past columns here.

  • Loving Monday: Digging Yourself Out of the Weekend

    loving_mondayUsually the weekend restores us.

    We have an opportunity to rest, take care of personal chores, and have some fun with family and friends.

    Usually the weekend restores us so we have the energy, poise and presence of mind to face our many responsibilities at work again.

    Usually.

    Some weekends, though, exhaust us. Some weekends deplete us. Some weekends aren’t very fun, and we go back to work feeling down and diminished.

    The idea of “Loving Monday” can sound trite to the weary or hurting. It’s all we can do to face Monday, much less love it.

    But it’s when we feel like we need to dig ourselves out of our weekends before we can step into our work weeks that the idea of “Loving Monday” is so crucial.

    Not a superficial “rah rah” cheer  that pretends the weekend never happened; but the years of careful nurturing of a career that we love, a job where we can (more…)

  • Tim Ferris and The Entrepreneur’s Rollercoaster

    Insightful Link

    For my fellow entrepreneurs who also swing between self-worship and self-accusation, I came across this helpful diagram over on Tim Ferris’ blog.

    It comes from the work of Cameron Herold. In this post he describes four stages of an entrepreneur’s “rollercoaster.”

    1. Uninformed Optimism
    2. Informed Pessimism
    3. Crisis of Meaning
    4. Informed Optimism

    It’s a valuable read. Check it out and let me know where you currently fall in your rollercoaster experience. What might be a practical next step for you?

  • Courage to Face the Day

    Face the DaySome mornings it requires nothing less than courage to face the day.

    Our stresses are many. Pressure comes from unexpected quarters. Projects are not turning out the way we planned. Sabotage seems more common than support. The political winds shift against us. Money dries up and options seem scarce. No one answers when you shout, “Where’s the love?!”

    Some mornings we simply need to be our own best friend. Say to ourselves,

    “Hey friend. I believe in you. As daunting as the day threatens to be, it will be worse for all involved if you don’t show up.

    No one else can give the contribution that is yours to bring today. No one.

    I know you’re weary. I know you feel assaulted on multiple fronts. I know it’s not fair. But I know you. And you don’t give up. You can’t stop caring. You won’t allow those around you to settle for less than best, and you won’t allow yourself to in this case either.

    Someone, maybe even God, has given you to this day as much if not more than given this day to you. It’s time now to face it and engage it. I believe in you.”

    What do you say to yourself to muster the courage to face the day?

  • Who is Your Mentor?

    A Leg UpTo whom do you look when you need a leg up, a wise word, honest feedback, a generous dose of encouragement, or a safe sounding board?

    Not in the formal sense of a named “mentor/mentee” relationship structure, though those are wonderful. But when you find yourself looking around for someone who’s “been there before,” who do you find yourself turning to?

    Who, before offering any advice, is simply on your side? Who believes in you and has an oddly generous interest in leveraging their experiences, relationships, and resources for your benefit?

    I’ve had such people in my life in the past. Maybe I am wistful for someone similar now. It seems to me, though, that such figures are too few and far between.

    Whenever I find myself feeling others should be doing something they’re not, I have to ask myself what I’m doing. Who do I come alongside and give the gift of encouragement, acceptance, availability and any resources that might enhance or enable their success?

    And so the original question gets reversed: How do you come alongside and empower others?

  • Podcast – Things We Can Do To Change our Workplace Culture


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