MONDAY MOTIVATION

"Once you do what you can do, you know, 
then you rest easy...

People need time to refresh and to reflect...

Before you can really push off hard on the next part of the journey of your life, 

you've gotta, kind of, see what just happened, 

and understand it, 

and know how it's affected you..." 

~ FLOTUS, Michelle Obama

#MondayMotivaton

MONDAY THOUGHTS

"Anybody can sing a song. We don't own them...

I just like to live with a song."

~Aretha Franklin

ITS BUSINESS

In spite of his or her desire to bend or ignore them, I shouldn't have to remind a professional of the rules, procedures, and laws concerning his or her trade-- but I can, and will. Thanks internet. You are good, and your information (a great deal of it accurate) endureth forever.

Don't mess with people who had to use weighty dictionaries and encyclopedias, GO to a library, and learn the Dewey Decimal System. We KNOW how to find information, remember and comprehend what we read, and spew it with emphasis.

Don't ever think, when your business schemes fail, you can bully someone into submission by proxy. Your proxy will get his or her face cracked, too. Information is a powerful weapon even when wielded by those perceived to be insignificant. 

Though some labor under the misapprehension that niceness is synonymous with clueless-ness, weakness, or ignorance, they should not--and make a grave mistake when they do. Bullying, intimidation, fast-talking, and other shady, snake-like behavior only works on those who are neither aware of their rights, nor the responsibilities that accompany them. Further, they are not aware of the penalties of relaxing or dismissing the rules.

Endeavoring to get over on nice people (who read) is the quickest way to see smiles turn upside-down. Being pleasant is cool, but as long as they have THEIR business hats on, you keep YOURS on, too. I prefer being nice, agreeable, helpful, and accommodating. I detest drama, confrontation, unnecessary competition, and stress, but I've learned that business-- conducted well-- with integrity--is not a bad thing. 

There comes a time, when keeping quiet is not prudent. You may have to remind, or even read to people the basics you have learned--basics that they, as professionals, SHOULD already know and should be sharing with you.

You can always tell when people perceive you to be a pushover. They might as well launch into baby-talk and hand you a teaspoon of strained peas. Perhaps it's the way people have always treated you, but you have to own that you allowed it. You don't, however, have to continue.

In business--whatever it is--don't get comfortable. Read. Research. Haste makes waste. There's a danger in being too familiar and casual. Be careful and discerning about who's in your ear. Be wise. Don't get weary or allow yourself to be influenced by impatient or uninformed individuals. Don't be overwhelmed by pushy individuals. That's when careless and even costly mistakes are made. Sometimes, you simply have to tell people to back off. When you're armed with the right information, they WILL.

Document, ask questions, and take names. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. 

Whatever is right, whatever is true, whatever is standard, whatever is acceptable, whatever is above board, whatever is legal--think on these things. 

If they don't respect the tenets of the business in which they are engaged, that's on them. However, don't YOU take a nap.

#integritymatters 

#readingisfundamental 

#keepyoureyesopen

ART IS SUBJECTIVE

I've been challenged concerning my ability to separate the art from the artist. I don't have to like you to support what you do. Liking you as a person is a perk, and an even bigger perk if I actually know you. I do, however, think that my appreciation of what you do should be a prerequisite to any expectation of my attention, promotion, appreciation, or support. 

If I don't like it, I don't throw my money at it, or waste my time showing up and suffering through, or faking interest. It doesn't matter who else is going to be there. If I just want to hang out with a group of people, I can do that without being subjected to noise, junk, or mediocrity.

In this age of "likes", your presence is often misrepresented as, or perceived as endorsement. What you lend your name, reputation, time, and energy to, matters. What's laughable is the notion that the endorsement of anything or anyone even remotely associated with you, is an endorsement from you as well. Not so. If you don't think what you have to offer is of any merit unless specific people give it the thumbs up, you handicap yourself, and ignore a potentially appreciative audience. 

Tastes vary, and many have proven that there's always an audience for just about anything. When an audience is found, why waste time lamenting who isn't in it. Stressing over, or being angry or disappointed about who isn't there, is a sign that one enjoys what one does at a lesser degree than one's desperate need for certain others to enjoy it. Worrying about who isn't there may expose one's need to compete with, needle, or one-up others who are engaged in the same activity --and one needs to seriously address that. Why minimize the favor shown by those who actually showed up, by stewing over who didn't?

The accolades given to the artist shouldn't overshadow the beauty of the art. Isn't the art the point? Unfortunately some artists diminish their art by revealing that what they really seek is attention for themselves. When the art is intrinsically tied to who they are, the minute the art diminishes or is no longer relevant, self-worth suffers. Fans are fickle. At some point, artists have to not only love what they do, they have to love it regardless of whether others do or not.

So...do you, do it well, and celebrate those who celebrate you. Don't stoop to making others look bad in order to elevate yourself, or bashing those who aren't on board with your artistic agenda. Consumers of Art have a perfect right to their tastes. Unfortunately, many equate a rejection of their art as a rejection of them as people. That can't be farther from the truth. That's the dilemma. Some can't separate the art from the artist, so they reject both, while some artists can't separate themselves from their art and take it deeply personally when it is not widely regarded.

Interestingly, when some people fail to get the audience they desire, they go after what they perceive to be the next best thing--a default audience that has close ties to their desired audience. If they can't get you, they chase down who they believe is your representative as if they've executed a successful coup. Despite the nature of a representative, a representative is not the person they represent. They have feelings, ideas, moods, likes, and experiences of their own.
I know for a fact that I was asked to participate in particular things because the organizer hoped Richard Smallwood would show up. If he had, the purpose of his presence would have been hijacked. 
I feel sorry for people who are delusional enough to think that they have the right to test the strength of your relationships, use them to their advantage, and manipulate the people closest to you. Perhaps they forgot that you are in constant contact with those who are closest to you, and you do discuss, and even laugh about the schemes that others employ. It's not required that I approve of the people with whom my friends work.  I'd tell anyone, when lucrative opportunities come, unless the alliance will cause harm, damage a reputation, or future work, or is with a psychopath or Satan, "Do your best, and go get that check". This notion that you have to be enamored of people to work with them is ridiculous. I mean, it helps, but it is not mandatory. Get that coin, and if they're truly strong, your alliances will survive--in spite of the divisive schemes of some self-absorbed, manipulative jerk who thinks that they have the power to influence, or draw away those with whom you have healthy working and personal relationships. That's just a devil. That's what that is. Stomp on it, keep it moving (all the way to the bank), and like what you like--freely and apologetically.

One of the tricks of advertising is to get a popular person to endorse a product. The hope is, that if Consumer A likes the product, Consumers B, C, D, and E will jump on board--sight unseen. Remember the Vitameatavegemin episode of "I Love Lucy"? It didn't taste like candy. Lucy had to get drunk off of it to appreciate it. The director told her, "No, no, no. You're supposed to like the stuff!" I fear there's a lot of that going on. Someone is telling you that something is good, or expecting you to like it just because they do. You've experienced it, and have concluded it's not, and you don't.  You have a right to prefer the Art that motivates, inspires and moves you, even if that means being in the "out" crowd.

I'd think that producers of a product would just prefer that you actually like the stuff as opposed to just saying you do, stocking up on it, and never opening it. We don't all share one brain. We don't all have to like the same things. It doesn't make you a hater if you choose to decline one offering or another. It just means you know what you like, and have no desire to betray that. 
Art is subjective. What's that old saying? "One man's trash is another man's treasure". The climate I've noticed in some circles is a groupthink mentality that has promoted mediocrity so much, that the mediocre now believe they're outstanding, beloved, and superior to that which is truly excellent. I've noticed a tendency by some to dismiss that which is , timeless, and deservedly relevant, but they can try until they are blue in the face. People know what's good, and they will search and find it even when it is not being offered. There really is nothing new under the Sun, just different players, and a lot of players are riding on the coattails and hanging on to the remnants of supernovas. Were it not for what came before, some things would not be. 
I'm a baby boomer, and I'm spoiled rotten when it comes to Art. My eyes and ears and senses will mutiny if I expose them to something and try to make them think it's good when it is merely a poor or desperate attempt to mirror someone else's work. Packaging is fine, but it is useless, deceptive and disappointing if what's inside is rotten, sub par, or an assault upon your senses. 
It's a shame when the Art can't truly speak or be appreciated because of the antics, personality, reputation, or demeanor of the artist, but it happens all the time.

GRATEFUL

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and HE inclined unto me, and heard my cry. HE brought me up also out of an horrible pit; out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings, and HE hath put a new song in my mouth--even praise unto our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies..." ~Psalm 40:1-4 KJV

"I waited patiently for the Lord; HE turned to me and heard my cry. HE lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; HE set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. HE put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods..." ~Psalm 40:1-4 NIV

"I waited and waited and waited for God. At last HE looked; finally HE listened. HE lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. HE stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip. HE taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God. Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God; turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing," ignore what the world worships..." ~Psalm 40:1-4 The Message