Say Nothing

Be all for it, or be quiet and say nothing. This is the type of thing that age teaches you. Too often we wear our opinions on our sleeve. Perhaps they belong in our pocket.

This is a waterfall moment for me. If you know me, I have an opinion on just about everything and even when I don't, I can think pretty quickly on my feet and outline some strategic principles to consider on a whim.

These days, I am learning to say less. Sometimes I see too deeply and I miss the stuff on the surface. Sometimes I only see the surface and do not see deeply enough. I guess that what I am learning is that there is a significant and positive measure to allowing people the opportunity to run off on the pursuit of a dream even if I know that the chance of success is limited.

• Dreaming is good.
• The courage to pursue a dream is divine.
• Failure teaches the best lessons.

Having said all of that, there are boundaries to this type of thinking. When it comes to the people we love, it is impossible to let them run down a dead end street, dreaming of rainbows, when I have a strong instinct that failure is eminent. Does that make me a hypocrite?

We all have a tendency to hold back the ones we love. My parents held me back plenty, but they also held me back from things that I respect today much more than I respected them at the time. I would also add that for each time they held me back from a dream, they opened a door to another one.

Dream carefully, and listen to the ones that love you. But also, find times to say nothing when dreams are materializing and little is at risk. 

By the way - heading to a private event to watch PINK tonight. Exciting! I don't think I have ever seen a superstar artist in such an intimate setting.