What have you learned about life and stuff?

Tuesday 21st December 2010 | 14 comments

christmasA few weeks ago, I went to a Network Central breakfast where The Gruen Transfer's Jane Caro was speaking. She gave a really entertaining talk on things she has learned about life and stuff.

I have started my own list, but it's taking its own time to come together. So, it seemed like a good final post for 2010 (the blog will now take a break til early January) to share Jane Caro's list:

  1. Safety is an illusion, danger is reality - so there is no point in being afraid because you can't control anything anyway....
  2. Say yes to everything.
  3. People like you for your weaknesses, it's your strengths they can't stand.
  4. Having energy is everything.
  5. Success is a reward, not a goal. It's for others to judge, not you - so please yourself! (And being second choice is fine, too.)
  6. You're no more - or less - important than anyone else.
  7. Never engage in personal attacks, but no ideas are sacred (this one was via Salmon Rushdie).
  8. Say what you think...
  9. You can only grow or shrink - you can't stay still.
  10. Happiness exists on a spectrum between boredom and fear - it's different for everyone, and can vary between home and work. You can regulate the balance in order to find your sweet spot.
  11. Know where you stop and other people start. The only person you can fix is yourself, and only you can do it.
  12. Your children will disappoint you and vice versa.
  13. Everything you need you already have...except maybe the confidence to believe it. You are fine just the way you are
  14. Everything in moderation, including moderation...sometimes it's good to be immoderate!
  15. Don't have plastic surgery to look younger.
  16. Have fun!!! It's OK to take (rather than give) every now and then.

So, that Jane Caro's 16 - I'd love it if you'd hop on the comments section and tell us one thing you've learned.

(Oh, and have a happy Christmas...)

Tag: tips

Comments

  1. 17. Don't follow smart women on Twitter. They'll lead you to smart blog posts (which you'll be unable to avoid reading). Then, when it's time for you to leave a smart comment, it'll look like drivel in comparison. :)

    Posted by Paul Hassing | Tuesday 21st December 2010 @ 2:48pm

  2. 18. Do follow smart guys like Paul Hassing. They will lead you to websites like http://www.thefeistyempire.com/ where you might actually learn something!

    Posted by Joanna Maxwell | Tuesday 21st December 2010 @ 2:53pm

  3. 17.1 Make that smart AND kind AND generous women! :)

    Posted by Paul Hassing | Tuesday 21st December 2010 @ 2:59pm

  4. I hate the terms 'soft' skills & 'hard' skills. Surely a man created those terms with all the inherent gender inequality it implies.

    Posted by suzy | Tuesday 21st December 2010 @ 3:12pm

  5. Nice one, Suzy!

    Posted by Joanna Maxwell | Tuesday 21st December 2010 @ 4:17pm

  6. Working with women on social change is a WHOLE NEW rewarding world - too many dimensions to cover here......

    Posted by Tony Clark | Wednesday 22nd December 2010 @ 9:36am

  7. Sounds fascinating, Tony. I love some of the new ideas about dealing with social change, will look forward to hearing more...

    Posted by Joanna Maxwell | Wednesday 22nd December 2010 @ 9:38am

  8. It's worth it and better to just post things to people. I'm going to the P O Box anyway to check for mail. Better than thinking... I'll save on postage and deliver that to them when I go to ... on wednesday. Better to keep the momentum going and maintain thought processes on important things than bog myself down on minor things and waste my energy. We have a Postal service - it's worth $3 or $5 to maintain myself moving forward on projects.

    Posted by Pamela Jordan | Wednesday 22nd December 2010 @ 10:18am

  9. There's no such thing as work/life balance. It should be called 'life balance' because work is part of your life not a separate activity.

    Posted by Nicola Rutzou | Wednesday 22nd December 2010 @ 10:48am

  10. Thanks Pamela and Nicola...both great ideas. I wrote a blog post a while back about how life balance is an illusion, cos it's all one pond...

    Posted by Joanna Maxwell | Wednesday 22nd December 2010 @ 11:27am

  11. A learning from this year: Truth- being aware of what is really going on inside me about a relationship. Honesty - Sharing your truth with others in the relationship. Tact - sharing your 'truth' in a way that gets past their defenses. Try being truthful, honest and tactful more often!

    Posted by Philip Owens | Wednesday 22nd December 2010 @ 8:11pm

  12. Phillip, great insight. I have learned a lot this year about speaking the truth I see...sounds like you have, too.

    Posted by Joanna Maxwell | Wednesday 22nd December 2010 @ 10:02pm

  13. This year I learned to listen more clearly.

    Great list. Look forward to reading your list & see the stories there...

    Posted by Roisin Markham | Thursday 23rd December 2010 @ 12:25pm

  14. Roisin, thanks - I think listening more clearly should go on my learning list for 2011 :)

    Reading over this list and comments, I think what I have learned this year is about courage, and trying stuff even if it's a bit scary.

    Posted by Joanna Maxwell | Thursday 23rd December 2010 @ 12:42pm

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