Marlow's Musings 10/29/23
Insights, adventures and fun stuff from this week.
Audio narration by David Marlow
I'm as guilty of it as anyone else—waiting until everything is just right before making a move.
The need to be or for circumstances to be just right is strong in most of us. Especially if, like me, you are a recovering perfectionist.
Hugh Laurie said something that has stuck with me…
“It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.”
Hugh Laurie
In so many ways, he is right.
📌 No one is ever ready to do anything.
📌 There is almost no such thing as ready.
📌 There is only now.
That's not to say if your job isn't going well one day, just quit. You might want to 'start' the process of looking for another or building up a bit of savings now.
Waiting until everything is absolutely ready will likely never occur. I've mentioned that my career didn't end quite as I had planned.
Certainly, nothing was ready or perfect to end my corporate career and start my own business, and yet it was the right time to start those things.
🌱 If not now for our dreams or hoped-for-events, when?
Now is always a good, though rarely perfect, time.
Word of the Week
Coddiwomple (v)
kod-ee-wom-pl
1: To travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination.
Origin: English slang (2010)
Coddiwomple isn't merely about traveling without a detailed road map; it's about purposefully embracing the exquisite unpredictability of life.
By relinquishing the need for perfect information or a meticulously planned route, we unlock the door to many opportunities.
It fosters a spirit of adventure, where the unforeseen becomes a benefit rather than a hindrance.
Possibilities abound in the uncertainties, gaps, and vague destinations that coddiwomple encourages us to explore.
🌀 Coddiwomple has generated more comments and reactions than any of the previous Words of Purpose.
Check it out!
In case you missed it…
The Surprising Power of Lab Coats in Improving Creativity
On LinkedIn, I shared how I used inexpensive lab coats bought on Amazon to inspire a deadlocked team to create breakthrough innovation and revolutionize the service they provided.
Many lessons on how to remove barriers and spark insight and creativity that can be applied to your lives as well.
Ikiquest+
This week in Ikiquest+…two Coffee Contemplations.
I went deeper into these Ikiquest posts with extended audio explorations and bonus content for Ikiquest+.
Plus, subscribers can check them out here.
Quote I’m Pondering
I’m re-reading Anne Lamott’s classic book written about writing for writers…Bird by Bird.
There are lessons in it for anyone wanting to do something their heart is calling them to do.
Here, she talks about her father, who was an erstwhile writer.
“I suspect he was a child who thought differently than his peers, who may have had serious conversations with grown-ups, who as a young person, like me (Anne), accepted being alone quite a lot. I think this sort of person often becomes either a writer or a career criminal.”
I can relate to this in ways beyond even what is composed here. One does ponder what event(s) steered me toward prose and away from being a career criminal. 😉
Comment of the Week:
This week’s comment comes from Dori upon re-reading Saturate and Sit.
When I first read this post 2 months ago, it resonated deeply with me. I practice more and more deeply as I get older.
I was in a quandary over a potential conflict between 3 friends and me. It activated my sense of integrity. So I questioned myself and I asked the next question with each answer I received.
I Saturated then Sat!
I’m not sure if I’ll come to a conclusive “resolution” and I’m grateful for the insights. I just noted this in my journal:
“There is no shortcut to Integrity. It’s a slow deep process of asking all the questions and telling yourself the truth. The results may be nuanced and even appear to be conflicting and that’s OK. Truth is rarely Black & White. Perhaps this is what trips some people up … they get stuck in their quests for absolutes and miss the delicious subtleties of reality.
Saturate then Sit.”
I’m grateful to you for this “Saturate then Sit” post which encouraged me to stay with it. Thank you for sharing your Wisdom.
Thank you, Dori for sharing your story with us and reminding me why I write. 🙏🏻
Fun Thing I Saw This Week
In honor of the Billboard Hot 100's 65th anniversary, the Billboard staff ranked the 500 best pop songs that have graced the chart since 1958.
It is a fun trip down memory lane, especially for this former radio disc jockey.
The only drawback is not wanting to jump ahead.
Final Thoughts
It was early morning last Saturday, and the two older (8 and 5) grandchildren were staying with us.
My wife went in to wake them up to get ready for soccer, and our granddaughter ‘C,’ who is five, sat up in bed and immediately said, “Grandma, what if the whole world was covered in houses, even the roads?”
“We might need hovercrafts,” my wife told her, adding, “That sounds like a good question for Grandpa.”
C usually is slow to get going in the morning, but this day, she was alert and eager for conversation.
She sat in my recliner and posed the question to me.
“How would we get around with no roads?” I asked.
“We’d use the sidewalks. You must have them; you couldn’t build on the sidewalks.”
I have no idea where the question came from, and though we explored it a little more, she soon moved on to breakfast.
While I’ve never pondered her exact question, I recall many similar thoughts and ideas as a kid. Like the boy in the picture, I totally wondered if our solar system was an atom in an even bigger universe.
I don’t recall an adult entertaining or exploring those ideas with me, typically dismissing them.
My grandchildren think such thoughts and explore them with me, and I hope they always will.
🌀Quest well
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I’m honored & grateful that my reflection resonated!
Thank you, David. I am glad you are re-finding your groove 🌿