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Don’t Miss Take Yourself by Reinventing Backwards

Insight #118

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Here's something I wish someone would explain to this current crop of callous politicians: Any fool can rewrite history that only other fools will believe.

Who do I blame for this insane idea of rewriting history? Yes, I know it is an idea as old as Adam, the first guy to say, "I didn't do it!" But today the movie industry has boosted this mindset, what with its passion for rewrites of novels and scripts, and for never-ending sequels.

But do you know what I really dislike about the movie industry? Their ability to shout, ‘Cut!’ To re-do the scene again and again until they get it right. (I’m jealous of that.)

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Imagine that power! The power to shout ‘Cut!’ and to re-do until you get it right. That’s the way to deal with your mistakes. (Did you catch that? Miss takes.)

Well, in real life, not reel life, you mostly have only one chance, one take, to get it right. And often you don’t even know in advance what the right outcome should be. Nor do you have the benefit of focus groups to design in advance the best outcome that moviegoers will pay for, or the one that people in your life would prefer.

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When you don’t get it right, when you miss take, the trick becomes one of how to write your story from this point forward. Not rewrite, but write from scratch.

How do you create a new story starting now? By living, not playacting.

But there’s the catch. Unlike in the movies, living is an art that takes some skill. And a sizeable chunk of that skill, again unlike in the movies, lies in taking responsibility for the outcomes.

Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.

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Quote of the Moment:

“You are not in a movie. Your mistakes are not miss takes. Shouting “Cut!” will not magically fix them.” The Chief Nonsense Officer.

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