David Lee Roth once said (and I’m liberally paraphrasing) that he’d taken the time to distill his vices down to a select few and that he was determined to spend his time getting the most out of the handful that remained.
All tagged Personal choices
Who Will You Ask?
Getting advice is important.
From a young age, we’re taught (or at least should be) that it’s OK to ask for help, that we don’t have to figure out everything on our own, and that there are others who’ve tread our path before. So it’s not a weakness to reach out and ask for guidance. It is, in fact, a strength. I wholeheartedly agree with that.
At the same time, not all advice is equal and it’s well worth remembering a few basic things.
Are You A Non-Player Character?
Non-Player Characters (NPCs) are those characters in video games that cannot be controlled and are driven by the program itself to deliver specific pre-defined lines or actions, either playing a very specific role or no role at all. They don’t participate in any meaningful way, can’t be directed and more often than not, are there to simply make up the numbers.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 113
Today's episode focuses on doing the things we want to do, but don't - either because we're concerned what others will say, or we overthink our own ability to be successful at it.
Sometimes, this thought process is helpful, but more often than not, it gets in our way. Better to focus on what we want and just do.
Do You Compete?
When I was in my teens and learning to play the guitar, there was a guy I knew who had been playing for a few years and was really quite good. He knew how to play all the cool songs I wanted to learn to play, knew all the cool riffs and could play by ear. But he wasn’t interested in sharing any of his knowledge.
I specifically remember him playing Stairway To Heaven, a song I was trying to learn.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 112
Today's episode recounts a decision I made many years ago that, in the grand scheme of things, was relatively minor. It was my decision to get - and then remove - my earring before I went to Business School.
Not a huge decision in most contexts, but it was definitely one that taught me about why we make the choices we make - and WHY we should make the choices we make.
Learning To Be A Child (AKA The Second Half Of Our Lives)
I think we spend so much of the “post-teen” part of our lives trying to be accepted, to fit in and be seen as a grown up, that we consciously decide to “put away childish things”. We see this as an essential act so that we’re regarded as an adult and hence accepted as a serious contributor to whatever work or social contract we’re engaged in. (In fact, most of us do so and don’t even give it a second thought.)
But at some point, many of us realize that…
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 97
This month's podcasts draw lessons from popular culture.
In today's episode, I discuss a quote from Thom Yorke of Radiohead about this idea of exposure and vulnerability and the role it plays not only in art (which we tend to accept) but also in business (which we often don't).
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 92
This month's topics focus on personal war stories and observations.
In today's episode, I talk about an experience I had with the late, great Professor C.K. Prahalad when I was at Ross Business School, and specifically what it taught me about actually being clear about what we want, versus chasing some idea of what we think we want.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 91
This month's topics focus on personal war stories and observations.
In today's episode, I talk about the time I turned down the chance to see Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. Which is enough of a story in and of itself, but it's really a lesson in the need for balance, compartmentalization and looking out for yourself.
Choosing A Headliner
How do you choose a headliner?
If James Taylor and Jackson Browne go on tour together (which they’re doing) and it’s billed as a “co-headlined” show, is it really a co-headline?
Or if Sting and Peter Gabriel toured together (which they did), and that was billed a co-headlined show, is that really a co-headline, or is it really tilted towards one of those artists?
Do You Think You Have The Answer?
The thing is, no one actually has the answer.
We want to believe someone does - perhaps that we do - but we don’t actually know that to be a fact.
Sure, we might believe our version of the answer right to our very core. We might be convinced that our boss or our peer can be trusted to get us where we’re trying to go. But what we’re trusting is our versions of the story. We’ve made a judgement based on the accumulated data at hand.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 76
This month's podcasts focus on the topic of mindset, and the kinds of traits and ideas we need to embed to achieve what we want.
Today's episode takes on the topic of letting go - and how difficult it is when we feel we've been wronged. Yet, it doesn't help us to "hold onto our grudges like little pets". It's far more important and helpful to move on.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 68
This month kicks off 2021 with a few thoughts on mindset - and specifically getting our heads straight as we look forward to our goals and what we want to get done over the next 12 months.
In today's episode, I share a brief story about an interaction I had with a friend many years ago. The lessons from that story speaks to the constraints we put on ourselves about the things we aspire to do and who we want to be.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 61
This month's podcasts discusses the idea of happiness. It's such an important ideal and the next few podcasts talk about how we define it, grapple and fight for it, and ultimately, continue to pursue it.
Today's episode closes the month on a philosophical note - the idea that happiness is like Inbox Zero - it is elusive, we will never permanently achieve it, but we shouldn't stop striving for it.