Category: Citizen Payne

October starts a week from tomorrow. The month has 31 days and is associated with frights and scares because of Halloween’s culmination on October 31st.

This year I propose you take a 31-day October Scary Challenge. For each day of the month, do something different that scares you.

Not necessary thing like climbing a mountain (although that counts)

I mean things like initiating a conversation with a stranger.

Or trying out a new restaurant.

Or asking your boss for a raise.

See how many scary things you can attempt and even pull off in 31 days.

Don’t fret if you can’t muster the courage to try every day. Use your success from this year to make this an annual tradition and see if you can outdo your previous attempt for years to come.

In times of lack, it is essential to be grateful for having enough to get by and the talent and will to make what you have work.

In those same times of lack, add notes of gratitude for having the ability to dream of a time when you are not lacking. And for having the tools in hand to start working towards that dream.

What makes ‘The Emperor’s News Clothes’ work as a story is (spoiler alert) that everyone eventually realizes the folly in pretending they are not being duped by pretending to be duped.

The boy who shouts, “The Emperor has no clothes,” is not a mystic. He doesn’t need to kiss up to the Emperor by not being honest in his delusion.

If you have figured out you are wrong, stop right there. If you have figured out your leaders are wrong (even if they themselves haven’t figured it out yet), start looking for new leaders.

Any pitch given is better than no pitch given.

Any pre-scripted pitch is better than any non-pre-scripted pitch.

Any pitch with visual aids is better than any pitch without visual aids.

A well-rehearsed pitch is better than any non-rehearsed script.

But in the end, any pitch given is better than no pitch given.

When I work with people who are not used to being creative and give them a task to ‘just create something,’ I don’t expect perfection.

From the first draft to the final submission, I’m not looking at the talent on display, although I will always admire great talent on display on the first attempt.

What I am looking for is room to improve. Displaying an ability to take feedback, properly process it, and produce more things that should eventually get better.

The most tragic result is not the terrible first product. The most tragic result is seeing that first product, regardless of how good or bad it is, and knowing anything else coming will never be better.