"Sometimes your greatest success will come from stepping away from it for a time." - Futurist Jim Carroll
It's been a busy month, but not with any keynotes. And to be honest, with all the economic volatility and uncertainty, things are a little slow. I'm finding that a lot of organizations have gone into that unique state of aggressive indecision - they are laying low, treading the water carefully, waiting for the clarity that will eventually come when some sanity returns to our world.
How long we will have to wait is unknown.
In the meantime, it's been the most magical month, as I've come to treasure the moments I'm in that are helping me to redefine the concept of what it means to be a success!
Let's put things into perspective first - there is no doubt that the career I accidentally landed with 35 years ago is an odd one. To be an author, a mainstage keynote speaker, a media columnist, and a media host (with 4 national radio shows under my belt) is to live within an ego-driven business. You need to be out there, constantly chasing the edge of the new, the margins of publicity, and the ongoing weirdness of it all. Your success comes in the moments you wrap up your keynote, from the praise for your new books, or from comments on social media. One can understand why rock bands keep touring, why professional golfers keep playing, and why actors keep acting.
It's a vibe.
And yet, nothing from that world of success can compare to the uniquely deep and personal success of this particular moment.
I've recently become a grandfather for a wonderful little fellow, and many of my days have been busy rocking him to sleep so that his parents can have a momentary break. This is a time of loving bliss that is comparable. To sing to him quietly, rocking him softly, to ease him into his slumber, is a uniquely special moment. (Out of respect for the parents' wishes, I won't be sharing photos of him online. It seems many in the social media generation are rejecting social media these days, except for brief, official update posts. Hence, an AI-generated image!)
To be a part of this time - being there - is the most wonderful measure of success I might have ever imagined!
But as they say - wait, there's more!
My other son and his wife have bought their first home, and it is overwhelming to watch the joy on their faces as they open the door for the first time. It is so wonderful to watch their smiles as they talk about their goals, share their dreams, and categorize their plans as they walk and work throughout the house. For me? To strip some wallpaper, to tear out some rugs, and to do a run to the dump to get rid of accumulated detritus, all as part of the process as they get ready to move in? Magical!
To be a part of this time, too - being there - is far better than any keynote on a stage.
That these two life moments are happening simultaneously throughout the month is nothing short of extra special. These are the moments we build for, the times we dream for, the hours we prepare for.
And being there, being a part of it, and sharing in the absolute joy of both families as they begin the new parts of their life voyage is just the most wonderful thing ever.
Success, you know, isn't always defined by what we do for a living.
It is often best defined by the living that we do.
By being there.
Futurist Jim Carroll's family is now a family of 7!