Comments for TODD HENRY

Comment on Doing Thankless Work by tdhurst

tdhurst — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:12:00 +0000

Organizing free community events. While people may say thank you for five minutes at the end, the stress involved in both dealing with volunteers and answering questions from attendees that assume a helluva lot from a free event wore me down.

Comment on Three “Vault-Worthy” Lessons I’ve Learned This Year by Suemcmullian

Suemcmullian — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:21:00 +0000

Hi Todd,
I spend so little time on facebook that I just read this…..I’m very
touched and impressed that there is such wisdom
still being shared with others…this could be a second book!

Comment on Reluctant But Resolved: A Challenge To Die Empty by Todd Henry

Todd Henry — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Thanks, Craig. I agree completely with your assertions here, and I also believe in passion as an important motivating force, though one that must be culled and focused. My only concern is the increasing emphasis on “following your passions” as an ethic for life. I’m quite certain that a plethora individuals who have advanced civilization weren’t always “passionate” about the path in front of them, but they walked it because they had an opportunity to contribute something to the greater good.

Comment on Reluctant But Resolved: A Challenge To Die Empty by Craig McBreen

Craig McBreen — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:40:00 +0000

Thanks, Todd.

I really love this post! It reminds me of the lessons in Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art,” and what he says about the Pro vs. the Dabbler.

I think we need to be reminded of the lessons you have here. You certainly can’t rely on the euphoria to push you through, because it simply doesn’t last. If your only focus is the commercial aspect of any endeavor, well, you might be heading to the edge of the cliff without even knowing it. This is why it is important to genuinely love what you’re doing, but you need to really put in the work and hone the craft. If you are only focusing on the finish line, you’ve got it all wrong.

With that being said, I’m still high on passion. I’ve discovered mine in my mid-forties through blogging and social media. This realm has been a catalyst for me, but I think passion is a process of discovery, … a result of doing the work!

Thanks!

Comment on Reluctant But Resolved: A Challenge To Die Empty by Todd Henry

Todd Henry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:07:00 +0000

Thank you, Jill. The polaroid thing is something that’s taken me (a self-diagnosed speed addict) quite a while to learn…

Comment on Reluctant But Resolved: A Challenge To Die Empty by Jill Chivers

Jill Chivers — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Todd, deep appreciation for this post, which I have shared far and wide with my network. I appreciated your take on passion and, like you, have found myself shaking my head at the commoditising of “passion”. In your list, the one that really jumped off the screen at me was #7 — that your contribution will develop like a polaroid — over time as you take action.

The speed of our digital connections can sometimes mislead us into thinking that the speed of our human connections and contribution has also accelerated. And of course, they haven’t – it’s just the mechanism that has gathered speed, thanks for the internet. The speed with which human contribution and connection happen have not fundamentally changed, despite the dizzying pace of the online world.

Wonderful post – together with Jane’s on the diminishing meaning of the word passion, this post has made me think and feel differently (better) about my own contribution. Thank you

Comment on Reluctant But Resolved: A Challenge To Die Empty by Todd Henry

Todd Henry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:08:00 +0000

Taslim, your point is well-taken. It is very difficult to parse “passion” and “contribution”, and I don’t disagree that passion can play an important role in driving great work.
What I probably didn’t articulate well is that I in no way believe passions to be irrelevant. I am mostly concerned about the increasing amount of posts and content I’m seeing that insinuates that the *most* important thing is to feel fulfilled and thoroughly passionate about your work at all times. Passion in these settings often means “I want to do this because it makes me feel good”, rather than “I see a great contribution I can make here with my talents” or “there is a wrong I can right, even though it may cost me something.” I simply believe that our commitment to our work and our dedication to making a contribution should trump our desire for comfort. There’s nothing wrong with fulfillment, but it cannot be the goal. I believe it must be a side benefit of full engagement. I believe – in many ways – we are saying the same thing.
Passion of this kind is forged in the fires of turmoil, which means a daily battle with Resistance, and a commitment to the work. It is earned via a daily assault on the beachhead of apathy.
Thanks for your thoughts.

Comment on Reluctant But Resolved: A Challenge To Die Empty by Taslim Jaffer

Taslim Jaffer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:50:00 +0000

Thanks for this post that I’m sure will make people take a look at what they are contributing to their families and communities. You might say I’m one of those passion people who is dedicating a large amount of time to encouraging people to recognize and follow their passions – though I don’t tell people they have to quit their jobs. Nor do I ask for a crazy amount of money to give people answers they already know.
Passions seem to be getting a reputation of being self-serving and I think nothing is farther from the truth. Everything you have mentioned about contributions here can be applied to passions – in fact, I have a difficult time separating the two. I think when you spend some time pursuing a keen interest, even as a hobby, you are energizing yourself to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling life – you are better able to contribute to your families and community in all the many roles you play. A stay-at-home mom who reviews books on her blog once in awhile will take that pleasurable experience into her daily interactions with her kids. A businessman who takes some time to actively pursue his passion of golf will feel refreshed and energized in his work environment. Passions aren’t a get-rich-quick scheme – they’re a stay-happy-and-healthy tool.
Some people are lucky enough to be able to take their passion for helping others and create non-profit organizations, or use their obsession with biology and make amazing discoveries in science. Exploring a passion and using it in service of others takes an incredible amount of work but the end result is an amazing sense of fulfillment.
Is passion the most important factor in doing great work, as you ask? In my personal experience, I have never wanted to work harder, jump out of bed to get the day going, until the day I accepted my own uniqueness (passion) and felt blessed to be able to contribute to my community. To get a job done, sure, it primarily takes hard work. To get a job done well, consistently, and with a longer lasting sense of accomplishment, it’s got to be fuelled by passion.

Comment on Reluctant But Resolved: A Challenge To Die Empty by Todd Henry

Todd Henry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:24:00 +0000

Yes!

Comment on Reluctant But Resolved: A Challenge To Die Empty by Shirley Sorbello

Shirley Sorbello — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:56:00 +0000

Powerful motivation to allow your own uniqueness to shine!