A Takeaway on Takeaways
Yesterday I realized that I’m always looking for the take-home message in everything I do. Whether I’m writing an article or reading a book or listening to a podcast, I want to grasp at least one key element from what I’ve just heard or watched and do something with it.
And I get frustrated if there’s not a clear takeaway. For example, I love the BHE podcast, and the panel sometimes gets way off topic during their discussions, which feels to me like a bunch of philosophical made-up stuff. And then I start feeling like I’m not smart enough to understand anything that they are saying.
The Enneagram: Making Stuff Up As We Go?
The Enneagram is intriguing, I think, in the fact that there is much that feels true and yet still much is open to interpretation. Honestly, sometimes it seems like different authors, even going back to the original authors, are just making up stuff on the fly as they go.
For example, it wouldn’t surprise me if some E. authors decided to equate each Enneagram number to a type of coin…”Oh, and type 9 equates to a quarter! And type 4 is a penny! And if you take coins and toss them into a fountain and they land upside down, well, that’s a type 6 with an SP/SO stacking.”
It’s challenging to find one new thing when the discussions sometimes feel so convoluted.
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My Brain Wants One New Thing
My brain resists philosophy and pretense and long narratives. It’s seeking something more, something I can take and put into action. It’s seeking one new thing to consider, talk about or try. I think because I seek actionable items, it has been natural for me to adapt my editorial style, which I call BLOT, the bottom line on top. Give me the most interesting fact first, and we’ll talk it out from there.
When I read a novel, I’ll skip past pages of description to get to “the good stuff,” and I think this is another example of what I’m describing.
Holding Space to Learn & Discover Something New (or not)
Last night, I had a realization.
And that is, with my triple ability to reframe and my ability to hold space, I can relax about discovering the one gem, and I can hold space for the conversation, the narrative, the long pause, the historical references, the fifty-year backstory.
I can also continue to enjoy all of my favorite bloggers, podcasters and YouTubers without needing to implement a single thing that they say or suggest. (I think this is why I liked the beauty bloggers so much earlier this year. I watched a lot of eye make-up tutorials, and I couldn’t wait to drive home at night and try the techniques.)
The takeaway can simply be the enjoyment of listening, no additional action is required.
I’m going to see if I can implement (yep, you caught me!) this idea moving forward. We’ll see how it goes.
