Today is 11/11/11. Veterans Day. It was originally Armistice Day. We celebrate on the 11th day of the 11th month of every year to signify the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany, which was signed at 11 am. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.
Act 164:
“It’s never too late… To Find The Edge
We set boundaries for safety. From fear. Because of habit. Test them. See why you drew them. Push against them. Feel the exhilaration.” – Patrick Lindsay
Quote in book: “For what is freedom, but the unfettered use of all the powers which God for use had given.” ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge
I’m not a huge Gaga fan, but this Act made me think of her song “Edge Of Glory” –
There ain't no reason you and me should be alone
Tonight, yeah, baby! (Tonight, yeah, baby!)
And I got a reason that you're who should take me home tonight (Tonight)
I need a man that thinks it's right when it's so wrong
Tonight, yeah, baby! (Tonight, yeah, baby!)
Right on the limits where we know we both belong tonight
[Bridge:]
It's hard to feel the rush, to brush the dangerous
I'm gonna run right to, to the edge with you
Where we can both fall far in love
[Chorus:]
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment of truth
Out on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge,
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge with you.
It also made me think of Aerosmith’s Song “Livin’ On The Edge”
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seeing things in a different way
And God knows it ain't His
It sure ain't no surprise
We're livin' on the edge
We're livin' on the edge
We're livin' on the edge
We're livin' on the edge
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
The light bulb's gettin' dim
There's meltdown in the sky
If you can judge a wise man
By the color of his skin
Then mister you're a better man that I
We're livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
Both of these songs encompass what I want to say tonight. Bring yourself to the edge of your limit. We all have boundaries and sometimes we need a little nudge to get past our comfort zones. We need to push that boundary out further. Expand ur limits. Find that edge and walk that fine line.
As for finding my edge, lately I’ve been pushing my limits with respect to my comfort zone at work. Work has been testing my patience and I’ve been having to test my limits with regards to diplomacy. I’m having to keep my mouth shut and learn to do a little more politicking. I always knew it wasn’t all about the technical, but I didn’t realize how much politics were involved and that sometimes it doesn’t matter what the right thing technically is. It only matters was the right thing to do politically is.
I’m having to learn to bite my tongue more and more. I’m learning to just salute smartly and just go with what the leadership is telling us to do, even if it’s not the best technical option. I get the politics, but as an engineer and my logical brain, it sometimes doesn’t make sense. I know that going to B-School it helped me define a new boundary/edge, but lately I’ve had to push that boundary out further.
The last couple of months have pushed my limits and there was at least once, I was willing to give it all up. My frustration level was at an all time high, but I’ve learned how to come back from the edge. This is just as important as finding the edge. Learning to come back from it. Some people just fall off the edge or jump off of it. (which in my situation would’ve been to quit). However, learning to just blow of steam and knowing that they will need me later to fix it has helped me come back from that edge. Learning to just let it go at the end of the day and hoping that the next day will be better. I’ve always let things fester and bother me. Learning to let go of work at work has been huge! I try not to bring it home and stress about it anymore. I’m learning to just say, we’ll I gave all the advice and information I can give… if the decision makers make a bad decision, I can’t stress about it. I just need to go with it and figure out a way to make it work.
I’m redefining my limits…. How about you? Do you know where your edge is?
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