Kathryn Booth

Control, Perspective and Preparation

What do you do when you feel discouraged and like things are out of control?

I got a message from a dear friend who, like me, often takes on some pretty big projects and would like to make the World a much better place. He asked “What do we do if we’ve done all this work and no one cares? Yes, we could reach millions of people, but if we already haven’t maybe what we are doing isn’t good enough?” Ever feel like that? I think from time to time, we all do.

Whether what we are doing is good enough I take off the slate immediately – we are doing the best we can with what we have to work with or I wouldn’t be involved with this person on a close level. From a fiscal perspective, yes – if the market isn’t interested in what you are offering, you need to rethink, regroup and withdraw if the cost is too high. From a “change the World” perspective though, there are other factors.

One factor is scale – if you change the World even in a small way for a person, it means a lot to them if the moment is right. I would rather have an impact that is powerful, positive and lasting even if it is restricted in scale just to my own family than be some kind of flavor of the month celebrity that has nothing lasting and meaningful – just a great body and pretty face.

One factor is timing – how many messages aren’t received because they are ahead of their time? Or released during some shattering event that consumes the consciousness of the people who could move it forward. What movies opened the weekend of 9/11/2001? Even if they were the best film in history, the vortex of attention never touched them that week.

Control and Perspective

This morning, I was enjoying David Allen’s audiobook “Making It All Work”. You may be familiar with his “Getting Things Done” book and strategies. He was discussing (I listen to audiobooks) that we are constantly shifting Control and Perspective.

I immediately thought of my friend and also another project I am working with called Return To Honor that assists released inmates and people in rehab programs to find community resources and shares a message of hope and accountability. When people are in a prison – they have pretty much zero control over their circumstances but they can shift their perspective.

I was reminded of a story that Tony Robbins tells about meeting Nelson Mandela. “How did you endure 27 years of suffering when you were imprisoned?” (or something like that…this is a blog and my living room is filled with 8 post slumber party boys playing Twister) Nelson Mandela responded that “He wasn’t suffering, he was preparing”.

Getting more control requires preparation – having a clearer perspective also requires preparation.

My friend and many other people I know have been facing a substantial shift in resources, mainly money for the last several years. What he and the best of those I know have done has been to make a choice to focus on what is in their control, to have a long term perspective and not judge success by immediate cash flow and public embrace and to continue steadily preparing, preparing and preparing. It isn’t a direct comparison to someone in prison, but it certainly restricts certain options to a pretty spare list.

Times change, the economy will change and our opportunities and challenges will continue to be a flow of the unexpected.

I’m really proud of my friends and colleagues who have chosen to take this time to prepare – when resources come to promote what they have created – I am confident that the light inside them will shine bright and clear.

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