Insights and Ingenuity

I’ve fallen into a trap. So have you, you just might not know it yet.

In some areas of my life, I’ve let status quo take hold. The norm. The expected. Not rocking the boat, or really taking the energy, time, and attention needed to address some systemic issues that needed to be addressed.  Either those areas weren’t causing enough pain (and ignoring them allowed me to focus on those that were), or I focused my energy in other areas instead, creating my own little diversion so as to avoid the sticky stuff I wasn’t ready to face. I get more passive about those, and think that a lot of other people do, too.

That’s not who I am as a whole. I’m a driver. I don’t know how to be a good passenger, to just let things happen. Few barricades block my path once I’ve decided that Over There’s a place I want to be.  Detours and pit stops might be necessities, but I get right back on the road again. For most things.

It’s just that with these ‘passive’ issues, sometimes I settle in and get comfortable in my seat. Let cruise control take over. Before I know it, I’ve reached my destination, almost without real knowledge of how I got there. Wow! How’d that happen?

Lesson? Obviously, passive is not necessarily equated with safe. It might often mean security, but there’s a lot that’s missed when you’re not paying attention to the road.  Life experiences. Unique opportunities. A chance to impact or influence. And certainly a chance to screw up.

My advice? Pay attention to what you’re doing, and to the other drivers around you. Be nimble, be quick. And don’t take anything for granted.

I think this little metaphor applies to everyday people as well as brands.  We’re in no place to assume anything in this economy. So say ‘thank you,’ be grateful, and face forward.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 5:53 pm and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.