March 28, 2022
Sometimes I sit with the question, “why me,” and my only answer is, “why not?”
I am beyond trying to explain the unexplainable. I am beyond trying to rationalize God, fate, destiny, or whatever else people call it.
For some reason…
For some reason, I was born in this time of history.
For some reason, I was born into my family.
For some reason, I was born in my city.
For some reason, I moved often.
For some reason, I went through rough familial times.
For some reason, I started listening to podcasts and reading books.
For some reason, I wanted more.
For some reason, I began Praxis.
For some reason, I started my podcast.
For some reason, I am working in an industry that has the power to define the future.
“What do you want to do?”
Someone asked me recently what I wanted to do, and the only answer I could give was, “participate.”
I have no idea why I am here, at this moment. I had no idea that the choices I made, leading up to this moment, would get me here.
I couldn’t have.
And yet, I am here, and I am proud of being here.
I think that’s because a while ago, I recognized my ability to make conscious choices.
It’s not about being able to foresee everything, rather, it’s about having the intelligence to make good choices as they present themselves.
The only thing that we can control is our present moment. That means that we need to give everything we have to the present moment.
Our present is the accumulation of our past choices, and our future will be the accumulation of our present choices.
We can’t foresee everything that will come before us. We can’t predict what we need to be ready for.
We can, however, maximize our moments. We can listen to our intuitions, and refuse to be owned by anything or anyone.
We CAN be free, and embrace that freedom by making consciously advantageous choices.
When people ask me where I want to be, or what I want to be doing, I have a couple of answers that I have honed overtime.
My concrete answer is: building companies.
That makes sense to me. Businesses create and multiply value.
My abstract answer is: I think more about the who rather than the what. I don’t care what I’m doing as long as I am a certain type of person.
I just want to know that I am taking this life and living it well.
On one level, that’s internal – am I pleased by the state of my personhood.
On another level, it’s external – your external is a reflection of your internal.
I think being a certain type of person and building businesses that I can be proud of will go hand-in-hand, and it will be the result of my commitment to participate.
That’s why, right now, I’m defining what it means for me to participate.
- Who am I participating with?
- What is the end of my participation?
- What are measurements of successful participation?
- How can I continue to raise my standard?
- Who or what do I commit to?