Books on Work: Die Empty, week three

I need Todd Henry’s latest book, Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day.

At the risk of revealing my own "ego inflation," a phrase explored in depth in Chapter 8 —“Be Confidently Adaptable,” I firmly believe I have unleashed potential inside me. This realization slowly gnaws away at any sense of contentment about my work. I pray I’m not one of those people who go to the grave without accomplishing “my best work every day.”

I went to a small Baptist college to study music, with voice as my instrument. Most of the voice majors studied privately while they were still high school students, they could play the piano, and some even knew a little about music theory.

Not me. I was immediately intimidated.

Talented peers sang scales and arpeggios inside practice rooms with black Kawai baby grand pianos. Theresa, my sorority Big Sister, was one of ten national finalists in the New York Metropolitan Opera Audition, and sang on the stage of the Met—as a college student!

Eventually I switched gears, left the music program and discovered a natural aptitude for and increased confidence in marketing. I’m proud of the significant contributions I’ve made along the way. But over the last couple of years, I no longer find the same level of enjoyment I once experienced when conversations turn to value propositions, brand identity, SEO, social media best practices, and reputation management.

Life in the Shadows

As I read Chapter 9—“Find Your Voice,” I’m grateful. Henry finally gives me the language to describe what’s happened. I’ve spent the bulk of my career on “shadow pursuits.”

“Shadow pursuits are activities that capture our attention and give us a sense of accomplishment, but serve as a substitute for the real work that we know we should be doing.

“Sometimes these shadow pursuits become such close substitutes for the ‘real thing’ that we can go for years before we realize that our entire life has been built upon the pursuit of something that didn’t really matter to us to begin with.

“What’s especially sinister about shadow pursuits is they often don’t feel like a compromise, because we can be quite successful at them and even reach the top of our field without realizing that we’ve been afraid all along to pursue something closer to our true ambition. Deep down, we sense the gap and know that it needs to be bridged. However, no matter how far we may have drifted off course, it’s always possible to set a new bearing.”

As I evaluate how to walk toward my dreams, I can’t help but wonder if writing may emerge along the pathway.

Join us on Monday mornings in November as we make our way through Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day. Don’t have the book? Buy it here, or here,and leave a comment below to join in the discussion. Join us next week as writer Charles Lee finishes up our discussion on chapters 10-12.