Brady Helps

Staying with What is Life Worth?The author, Kenneth Feinberg, writes that memories and faith were a type of “anodyne” that helped people move forward. What role do memory and faith play in helping us transcend awful events?What if, in this context, memory is the act of fondly recalling a past moment, idea, event, or person? And what if faith is a form of hope? For the survivors of 9/11 perhaps recalling their loved one’s memory combined with their faith’s form of hope created a healing “closure” cocktail that allowed them to move forward. What if we could use that formula in our own lives? When you next lose a job, an idea, a project, a loved one, or a thing start by recalling what made that thing so special as if you were remember a loved one from the past. Then, think about what the hopes and dreams you had for that thing. Savor that moment of reflection and then, finally, move on. What makes you special is your ability to combine past and future in the present and do something with it.

When your thinking is cloudy, step back from your thoughts. In fact, step way back. Try to get perspective. What were you trying to accomplish? Who was it for? Why should they care? If that doesn’t help, change your environment. Put yourself somewhere else. Come back to the idea later. Your thoughts aren’t going anywhere.

Where could I look for guidance? My own life? Because of my blue-collar background and Jewish heritage, I was inclined to defend the underdog — to provide extra help to the less fortunate. But was that right? Frustrated, I met with my friend Rabbi William Hamilton of Temple Kehillath Israel, one of Boston’s oldest and most respect synagogues. He explained that some of life’s most complex, unfathomable mysteries had not answers — that the Jewish texts deliberately avoided providing simplistic solutions when no explanation would suffice.” - Kenneth Feinberg, What is Life WorthWhy do we think the big decisions are so complicated? Why do we think that life is not so straightforward? Am I being reductive by. thinking it is? Kenneth sought answers from ancient wisdom because he was looking for a playbook on how to decide. When a playbook exists, learn from the past. When no playbook exists, ask yourself What outcomes can I tolerate? Choose the path with the most tolerable outcomes. Ultimately, that’s what Kenneth did.

I’m reading Kenneth Feinberg’s, What is Life Worth? now. Feinberg uses the book to tell you the story of how he came to administer the 9/11 Victim’s Compensation Fund. Later, the book would be turned into a movie starring Michael Keaton. As Kenneth describes how he stood up and administered the fund, one things sticks out — humanity.In all that we will build, we cannot lose our sense of humanity. Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be able to replace many things, but it won’t be able to connect with you the way I am now. Why? Because I visualize you reading this email from your iPad, your computer, or with your coffee, or while in an elevator… I think about what your day might be like… I imagine what you’re thinking about… because it’s often what I’m thinking about. We connect.When taking on big projects, like the 9/11 Victim’s Compensation Fund or launching a new business, keep the humanity of those you seek to serve at the front of your mind. It is through connection with the others that we make change happen.

No, I don’t believe leadership to be a thankless job. In fact, I believe leadership and management to be one of the most appreciated and fulfilling jobs out there. Why?Because while some leadership/management tasks are thankless, the outcome are (hopefully) success and effectiveness. People are always happy to thank those who helped them be effective and successful.If you are a manager and you believe your job to be thankless, you may not be in the right role or organization.If you have a manager and think their job must be thankless, you may need to spend a bit more time in their shoes.

The thankless job - the job where you are putting in more than you are getting out, where you may not come out of the situation “liked”, where it’s easy for you to be the scape goat if things don’t work out. Ever had jobs like that? Why do we take them?I’m forming an idea that we take thankless because we want to believe we can be the hero. When I look at thankless jobs I’ve taken in the past, I saw myself as some type of “hero.” I would tell myself, “I can do something with this job, it doesn’t have to be that bad.” I always learn that the “thankless" job” has less to do with being the “hero” and more to do with “getting the job done.” Perhaps that leaves us with two choices:Take the job because you want to help others “get the job done”, orAvoid the job and accept the consequences of passing on the opportunity.I don’t see a middle ground yet.

Seth Godin uploaded his blog to a ChatGPT bot (click here), and I wanted to try it for myself.I had a simple goal: answer the what if question.Here’s what I learned: more of us should cultivate a tool we can use to converse with ourselves. Perhaps it’s a diary, a blog, or a bot. Whatever the method, I can’t understand the power and benefits of reflection and learning from our history.May 5, 2023: It had fun with the AI experiment. I took down the chat bot because I don’t want to sustain it financially month-over-month for now. Maybe I’ll bring it back later.

In his book, Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud discusses “closure”, or the process of “observing the parts but perceiving the whole.” You and I do closure all the time.The swoosh icon associated with a famous shoe brand. Golden arches along a highway.A special “ding” on your phone when an “instant message” is received. When we perceive these Icons/symbols/signs we complete the story.Nike.McDonald’s.Facebook or iPhone message.Your goal is to get your audience, those you seek to serve, to engage in closure with your ideas, work, or art. Nike wouldn’t be Nike if the swoosh became too detailed in appearance. Too much details adulterates the symbol. In the same way, you must work to make your ideas and work the simplest possible. What details don’t belong? What can be cut? How do you make your work so simple that a toddler can understand? Less is more.

Re-posting “Don’t Lose Hope” from September 20 of 2019.Hope is what makes us human.Hope is the belief in a future possible.Hope is what motivates us to create the bigger than ourselves.Hope is what helps us find other people like us.Hope is your story.Hope is our story.Hope is the story of now realized.Don't lose yourself.Don't lose hope.

When an opportunity is presented to you:Saying “yes” without qualification is foolish. Saying “yes” and then getting immediately curious about the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the opportunity is smart.Too many of say “yes” and jump.