It's not your fault that you're fu*ked up. It's your fault if you stay fu*ked up.

The above is from my desk calendar 'YOU are a BADASS'.

I tore out the page in January and put it to one side, and like many things, I forgot about it, but it 'reappeared' this afternoon (I'm not sure it did so miraculously, but for this post, I am going to say it did—stars aligning, ducks in a row, you know the drill).

I know why I kept it and hope sharing this might connect with just one person. It is linked to my bigger view of things that we never stand still but are always in motion, either moving forward or moving back. Sometimes, that can be almost imperceptible, and we are not conscious of it, tuned into it, feeling a vibe. I have found that that is usually a time I am regressing and not making progress (I have long given up on perfection) and am the better for doing so.

For me, depending on the challenges your day delivers, you smack it out of the park and leave for home, saying, 'I did the very best I could' today. No qualifications, excuses, or codicils attached to it. As I have gotten older, I have found that leaving nothing behind on the table is sometimes not so easy.

Why, well, lots of stuff going on, I think; I spoke before about imposter syndrome and its stealth-like ability to prick you with doubts and insecurities. Somebody I admire spoke to me in the last six months about cadence, and I thought, WTF? In the positive, this means that you are connecting with the rhythm, beat, and flow, i.e., the vibe of those you are engaging with. My reflected view is that it is crucial to success and adding value, whether in your personal or professional life.

For me, it defines something I hadn't been able to label previously: my sense of connection or belonging as part of a greater plan. I have sulked about this in the past and saw it as something outside of me, which, of course, it isn't.

One of the great things about being older is your ability to be truly honest with yourself and those you respect and care for in every facet of your life. Being truly honest will guide you to the right decision, and sometimes that is scary and tough, but it is the best for everybody.

So today, if you feel fu*ked up, do something about it. That will liberate your mind and soul to work out how to prevent it from happening again.

#cadence #olderworkers #honestwithme

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