There are things in life we want, and then there are things we want most. They often stand in each other’s way.
I didn’t go to an innovation summit I really wanted to attend today. I felt FOMO. And it felt good.
There’s a fable about a donkey who stood between a stack of hay and a bucket of water. Equally hungry and thirsty, he couldn’t decide what to go for first. He died because he didn’t move at all. Afraid that choosing one meant losing the other.
Watching brilliant people speak is inspiring. But if it keeps you from doing the work that you are meant to do - it’s not inspiration anymore, it’s distraction dressed up as productive learning.
⭐If you want to stand in the spotlight someday, you can’t spend all your time watching others in theirs.
I told a friend about my dilemma, wanting to go, trying to justify it as a great networking opportunity, but also knowing I had work to work on, that mattered more.
He asked, “What do you want most?”
And I realized: it’s not about knowing more things from more people. It’s about shipping my own thing.
Maybe, just maybe, I can make a better choice than the donkey. And figure out what I need most before it’s too late.
PS: If the donkey had known dying of thirst is faster, perhaps he would’ve chosen differently.
