The Opportunity Dance
Opportunity only dances with those brave enough to get on the dance floor.
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3 Fast Things
I don’t need to tell you twice, but it’s Christmas in a few days. Less than a week. Time to embrace gluttony and try not to get into fights with your family. I heard on the news yesterday that a lot of big corporate global companies were acknowledging that majority of the public holidays in the west were based on Christian holidays, and therefore, employees who do not want to take a day off on these days (because such breaks do not complement their non-Christian beliefs), well, they don’t have to. They can take a day off another day of their choosing. So that’s nice and inclusive isn’t it. Nice job, HR.
Related to the above, some Australian companies are choosing to do the same for the controversial public holiday, Australia Day, which is held on the 26th of Jan each year. It’s a day, which for some, represents discovery, freedom and all the fair gos that came with British colonialisation. But for others, it’s a day known as “Invasion Day”, and it’s a day of mourning because many, many Indigenous Australians perished with such colonialisation. My opinion, if you care for it, is that the date should be changed, absolutely. It’s compassion 101.
Nothing, I just want to say that I appreciate you reading this. I’ll write more in the new year.
1 Slow Thing: The Opportunity Dance
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, opportunity only dances with those brave enough to get on the dance floor.
I’ve always been very clear with what I prioritized in a career: freedom and creativity. Above money, above status, above sleeping my way to the top; it’s freedom and creativity that have always captained my ship.
By default, this has set my whole entire career trajectory around a willingness and ability to jump and change and try new things without freaking out about the associated uncertainty. I just want freedom and creativity and so if I’ve seen it floating around 20km off shore, I’ve been fine to jump in and swim out to it.
But what I’ve also done, and what has been crucial in helping me get to the career happy place I currently dwell in, is I have always considered my “hobbies” as complementary to my work; little extra-curricular career-builders if you will.
I’ve been paid as a copywriter, writer, strategist and social media manager, but I’ve worked as a blogger, YouTuber, public speaking student, improv student, comedian and general “self-improver”.
It was with all these powers combined that I became Captain Planet.
That was just a little Freudian slip by an eco-warrior, I guess 😜
Sorry, no, it was with all these powers combined that I knew I’d stumbled onto my dream job when I found the job with with Mark Manson.
I honestly don’t think I could not have found a job more suited to me and my time and place. I mean, come on, a social media manager for a #1 New York Times Bestselling author, OG blogger, self-improvement guru and all-round funny bugger? Yes, please.
On top of that delicious harmony, the job offered me all the freedoms and all the creativities a little hard-to-hold-down dingo like myself could have imagined.
Anyway, I don’t want to brag too much (though to this day I am super proud of my job), this is all just to say that opportunity sprouts when you are active and proactive in whatever shape or form is available to you.
My newest set of proactivities has been in networking and talking a lot of shop with comedians. I am back into stand-up comedy because I am really enjoying the process of learning a creative craft where the sole purpose of it is to make people laugh, but as a result, I am mingling with likeminded comedy freaks who are on their own freeing and creative journeys.
Aaaaanndd, a really exciting opportunity is starting to present itself to me with another comedian. Which is another case of where my skills and experience (thanks to those extras gained with my job with Mark) are exactly what this opportunity requires.
I’ll tell you more about it in the new year as it comes to fruition (or even if it drops off the cliff, because opportunities have a knack for doing that too), but it’s basically just helping a comedian bring his mind-blowing story to life in the form of a self-help book.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Hasta La Vista. Until next year, chicos.
Watch
This week’s video: This Is the Last Episode I'm Doing Alone
Upcoming Shows
Thursday 22nd Dec - The Laugh Inn
January TBC - Roast Battle - Comedy on Edge
Thursday 9th Feb - Sweet As Comedy - Wollongong
Recommendation
Podcast: I’m Quitting Alcohol by David Boyle
Woop woop! Looking forward to hearing more :)