Failure is trying and not succeeding.
Rejection is trying but being dismissed.
Which do you prefer to spur your creativity and keep you moving forward? What was the most important failure or rejection of your career?
Here is a rumination on failure to get your juices flowing.
Although, this part isn’t so much intriguing as heartening.
I called the post office inspector’s office to see if they could help me identify the source of some mysterious mailings. With the goal of stopping them and/or finding out if their existence had a larger meaning.
That afternoon, my local postal inspector called to discuss the issue, offer guidance, and tell me about their next steps.
Two days later, another local postal employee called me to follow up on the follow-up, and tell me that he’d spoken about the issue with the carrier who delivers my mail.
They are on the case!
I haven’t felt this taken care of by any company lately, so I appreciate the effort they are making on my behalf.
When is the most creative time of the day? Mornings? Evening? Late into the night?
I’ve written at all times of the day, and either I haven’t quite figured out my best writing time, or I’m in denial that getting up early (which I hate to do) is really the best time for me to write.
When does the ink from your pen start flowing the easiest?
As a business person who markets to people who don’t know me, I try to honestly answer the question: “Where did you get my name?” Sometimes I don’t recall exactly, but I’ll do my best to answer.
Now, the rarity of that response among other businesses is becoming apparent. I’ve gotten some direct mail–more than one piece from more than one company–addressed to me, at my address, with an erroneous company name.
For very many reasons, I want to get my name disassociated from this business and off any more lists (we know how they can propagate).
None of the businesses has even tried to help me, though. It’s not that they say they don’t know, it’s that they won’t even speak to me, or refer me to the right person, when I tell them what I need.
Yes, people lie to extract information. But even if they don’t know or trust me…what kind of trade secret is this? It’s my name and contact information. What, exactly, do they think I’m going to do with the information?
Not being a citizen of the state of New York, nor friend or family member of its governor, I feel no personal betrayal in the recent news of his behavior. Perhaps there are financial or legislative issues at play that will come to light as a result of this that truly mean he cannot effectively govern his state, and those should be examined.
But I suspect that Mr. Spitzer’s resignation has much more to do with being pilloried by the media. Other high-powered men have made similar decisions, that have not cost them their jobs. But many of those men did it before the 24 hour news coverage we have today–men like Kennedy, FDR, Jefferson.
I find disingenuous the serious questions about whether or not he can govern, given the media’s contention that no one will, apparently, be able to focus on any other aspect of his governing with this kerfuffle going on. But if the media didn’t make such a big deal about it, would it be as distracting?
I’m not saying to push something like this under the rug. A case can be made that a betrayal in the personal realm may mean similar deportment in work and public. And certainly if one commits a crime, it will have an impact on credibility and actual ability to do one’s job, especially a job in the public trust, like governor.
Not much of this media madness seems too focused on that, though. It seems to me to be simply voyeuristic enjoyment of someone behaving badly. And, is that really news? Above the fold? Is that what 24/7 news coverage and instant access online has led us to?
Yesterday, I spent the whole day away from my office and email. I wasn’t playing hooky, but the effect of being in a new environment, and away from the phone and email was restorative. I’ve got a new energy for a big project I’m working on.
What do you do to recharge your batteries? And what are some things that can be done without spending the whole day off site?