The Tour Guide

Lake Michigan from Chicago last week, which I grew up seeing from the other side. Same lake. Completely different view. I watched the sun rising over the same water I used to see it setting. Amazing what a shift in perspective will do.

One of my favorite things about the World Cup has been watching Americans rediscover their own country. You've probably seen the memes: international visitors losing their minds over Waffle House, ranch dressing, wide grocery store aisles, and the sheer acreage of a cornfield. Some people called these things mundane. It took visitors from sixty-some countries to help us see them differently.

It's like getting on an elevator feeling kind of dumpy and the woman already on it compliments you on your shoes. It gives you a lift. Especially when you didn't see it in yourself.

We are wired to find the negative. It's a survival mechanism. Our species stayed alive by staying ahead of threats, and we are very good at it. Fear motivates. Negativity gets attention. Anger mobilizes. Whether it's a headline, a neighborhood social media post, or an upset colleague, the negative is both hard to avoid and hard to see past.

Until someone goes gaga over something you stopped noticing years ago. Suddenly you're like, "Yeah, I do like my shoes."

There is a point in many careers where you start to see behind the curtain. The shine wears off. You know things should be different, but you're not yet in a position to change them, or you're unable to. There's a risk of cynicism settling in. This matters because cynicism is one of the three components of true professional burnout, alongside exhaustion and a perceived lack of efficacy. When all three arrive together, it goes from exhaustion to potential crisis. You can inoculate yourself from cynicism, at least in part, by learning to see your work the way someone else would.

So become the tour guide. Find someone from another office who will swap a day with you. You spend a day in their world, they spend a day in yours. Invite a guest to town for a weekend and show off your city. These take planning, but they're worth putting on the calendar.

Three things worth doing this week:

1. Walk your neighborhood in the opposite direction you usually do and challenge yourself to notice five things you haven't before.

2. Find three things each day this week that you overlook but are actually pretty interesting.

3. Tell someone newer to your field or organization one thing you genuinely think is great about the work or mission.

   
   

Everything doesn't have to be perfect to be worth appreciating. You probably know that the French term eau de toilette literally translates to "toilet water," yet we douse ourselves in it and call it luxury. Through someone else's eyes, things are pretty great. Try those glasses on.

Build the life you're working for.

— Sarah

P.S. This week on Future Walk, my guest, Richard Waldman, and I talk about why your brain is not your friend. If the negativity bias I mentioned above sounds familiar, this episode is for you. The Future Walk Podcast and You Are Not Your Brain | Guest Episode with Richard Waldman - YouTube.