theberliel

The creative process can be unrelenting. Whenever it burns me out, I think about the fact that Oprah recorded 4,561 episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show over the course of twenty-five years, and yet only a handful of moments are considered iconic.  Meaning that most of the work Oprah did on her show was unremarkable—yet that doesn’t mean it was unimportant.  When talking about her work in a 2017 issue of Vogue, Oprah said, “Do the work as an offering, and then what ever happens, happens.”  Oprah didn’t know which of her 4,561 episodes The Oprah Winfrey Show  would be culture-changing or life-changing for her audience, but she recorded them all anyway.  Creatives often fall into the trap of assigning immense value to their own work, treating each pieces as if it will be the one that changes the world. We pour in our hopes, ideals, and dreams, and we are disappointed when no one cares. We ask why we work at all and if we should keep going.  The answer is: of co...

“We have a great culture.” We have all heard it. We have all said it. But what does that mean? Ping-Pong tables, free meals, and beer on tap? No. Yoga, CrossFit classes, and massage chairs? I so need that, but no. The promise of being part of a hip, equity-incentivized, fast growing team? Closer, but still no. Culture is often referred to as “the way things are done around here.” But to be useful, we need to get more specific than that. “ I’ve been working in HR for over twenty years, and the best companies I’ve worked with have recognized that there are three elements to a culture: behaviors, systems, and practices, all guided by an overarching set of values.” -Melissa    A great culture is what you get when all three of these are aligned, and line up with the organization’s espoused values. When gaps start to appear, that’s when you start to see problems — and see great employees leave. These gaps can take many forms. A company might espouse “work-life balance” but not offer...

W hen I left my house get dirty, I let it get all the way dirty.  Inevitably, eventually, I come to a moment when I suddenly realize I have been living in a absolute pigsty and must immediately clean everything in sight. I begin moving bits and bobs off every surface: a pair of socks under the coffee table, kitchen scissors that have migrated to the entry way table, every pair of pants I have worn that week left exactly where I took them off. I clean like this for hours, but I don't see any change. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing no progress after working for hours on end.  It's then that I remember that picking up a little bit from every where never helps. And so I change tacks from focusing on bits and bobs to going surface by surface.  I completely clear off the chair in my room. then the top of my desk, then all the books strewn across my bed. until finally order begins to emerge around me.  The finance word calls this one-surface-at-a-time approach the "...

I  watched Judy on my free time recently. It's story of Judy Garland, played by Renee Zellwegar. Undeniably talented, Judi Garland rose through the ranks of standard in the 1930s, arguably most well known for her potrayal of Dorothy in the original The Wizard of Oz.  Judy struggled with many ups and downs throughout her lfie, but the fim culminated with one profound and beautiful statement at the very end that I believe shines a light on building a life you love.  Judi explains that one wonderful song embodies the hope she has for the future: somehwere over the rainbow. "It's a place of hope," she explains. And we are walking toward that magical place of hope together. She explains that the joy was found in the journey if she allowed "the walking to be enough." Our greatest joy isn't found at the top of mountain or even behind the gates of Oz. Rather, joy is found along the bumpy, beautiful, broken yellow-brick road—with every way we grow along the path,...

Tampa, 2022 In the Bible, Ecclesiastes 3 : 11 states, "He has made every thing beautiful in its time." A 1997 Indigo girls song more simply states, "Everything in its own time" (and that's the name of the song, too).  What I take away from these similar sentiments is that, by definition, your time cannot be dictated by anyone else's timing. Your life, your path, your journey, and your joy are singularly your own. Everything that is yours will be made beautiful in your own time.  Don't dwell on someone else's life, and don't let someone else control yours. Instead, rest assured that your completion will come when you are ready for it. In its own time.  There are a million ways to do everything. Do things how you want to do them. Do things that ignite your sense of joy; do things because they make you happy or curious.  I always boldly think and say to myself everyday, "No, I don't have a ton of experience or a wealthy family with a fancy ...

  🌸  No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. 🌸 AESOP B uilding a life you love is fantastic.  But what if the life you love could also contribute to the world in an even better, bigger, and bolder way?  There are so many "go get 'em' books there about how to achieve your dreams and make big things happen, but what I find is missing in many of those messages is the ways  in which your beautiful life could contribute to the bigger picture of God's image. How can this life you love inspire others, help others, and serve others? I would love share about doing all things with kindness by serving and loving others well.  This seems elementary right? Let's all be kind. Easier said than done sometimes though.  We are all human, so although kindness may be our goal, each of us still occasionally experience jealousy, grumpiness,  sadness, hurt, a short temper, regret and anger.  But what if we cultivated a spirit of grace that we ext...

 She was one of the rare ones.  So effortlessly herself and the world loved her for it ATTICUS To be effortlessly you is to refuse to boast and also to refuse to shrink. ☺ May we all have the confidence to be effortlessly ourselves. To drop the baggage of who we used to be, who we thought we'd be, who our families wanted us to be, who the world says we should be. . . to simply be us. Imperfect and growing. Messy and kind. Smart and savvy. To confidently seek out what we need. The truth is that to be effortlessly you is to refuse to boast and also to refuse to shrink.  Maybe it's because I am pushing thirty two. Or maybe it's the buckets of experience I've had as a scrappy educator, but I'm done playing small, shrinking or dimming to make others comfortable. You too?  This is fire, y'all, and I feel it so strongly. I'm ready to say hard things, to be proud of my achievements and to press into the uncomfortable for the sake of hope and what could be.  You wer...