Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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September 25, 2008

What Parts of Your History Are You?

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 7:51 am

We Are Who We Were

Missing_brick_by_sxc.hu

When I first came to blogging, I had decided to write my way into a new career. I was lucky enough to have a background that such things might be possible. So I set off with the metaphorical wind in my sails. It was working well for quite some while.

I was sure. I was certain. I put myself out there. I brought my “beginner’s mind” to the situation. I brought my best thinking to the new problems that I eagerly came to conquer and solve. It was refreshing, invigorating. I was in the game again. At least I thought so.

Then I woke up.

I realized something was missing, more than something — whole parts of my skillset, my experience, and my history. I wasn’t talking about or using what had taken me a career to acquire. When I left my old situation, I left behind useful parts of me.

Twice in the last week, I’ve had a conversation with people who’ve done the same thing I did — walked away from talents or skills when they walked away from a situation that no longer gave them room to grow.

An intelligent someone said last night, “All of this time I’ve been totally missing what I love to do.”

Sometimes life is so much about learning and building that we totally miss the hole in the wall. We forget that we build our future on what we’ve learned and accomplished before. Our skills and talents become part of who we’ve always been and who we are.

Our experience is the mortar that holds us together. Our history is the glue that connects us to each other. Fashion and buzz words fade away. Memories and learning are what remain.

I’m a teacher. I’m a writer. Try as I might to do other, in some way, those are what I’ll always be.

What parts of your history are you?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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20 Comments to “What Parts of Your History Are You?”

  1. September 25th, 2008 at 8:17 am
    Karin H. said

    Hi Liz

    “All of this time I’ve been totally missing what I love to do.”

    How I recognise this. Years ago - before we ‘went-it-alone’ - I was promoted to another department (logistics). My ‘former’ tasks involved a bit of logistics and I really liked that, so logical choice?
    Then after a few weeks I started to feel I missed something. And I discovered soon it was the phone conversations I used to have with clients - mostly solving small logistic problems - in my old task. Those conversations weren’t promoted with me to the new department and I really missed that.

    And now in our own business: I have the best of both (well, make that many) worlds ;-)

    Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

  2. September 25th, 2008 at 8:20 am
    KatFrench said

    I think that it’s probably exacerbated by the fact that usually, those big career shifts accompany some kind of personal trauma. We don’t like looking back, and we lose much in the process.

    I had the same realization a while back. I was living like I had no past–as if I’d sprung Athena-like from the head of Zeus, full grown, two years earlier.

    I was doing well in my “new life” but there was an emptiness that I eventually realized was all the parts of me that I’d exorcised. Reintegration can be a slow process, but it’s most definitely a worthwhile one.

    Great post!

  3. September 25th, 2008 at 8:25 am
    Steve Olson said

    I’m computer geek and a rebel. I’m blue collar and rough around the edges. At the same time, I am a compassionate and energetic communicator. At the same time, I know I’m a little bit odd - different. I know it is there, but I can’t get my mind’s eye around it. I am a risk taker. I am a pilot. I am a hockey player. I am a gamer. I am a husband and father. I am a customer service minded person. I am an entrepreneur. I am a leader.

  4. September 25th, 2008 at 8:41 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Karin!
    The good part is that you recognized what was missing and recovered it. Too many of us don’t realize that we’ve moved foward leaving pieces of ourselves scattered behind us as we go.

    The best of both worlds sounds delicious to me. ;)

  5. September 25th, 2008 at 8:45 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Kat!
    The hardest part of getting ourselves back together has to be waking up to the fact that we need to. Somehow I think we just keep moving without thinking. Until, wham! boom! something knocks us flat and we finally see what’s going on.

  6. September 25th, 2008 at 8:46 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Steve!
    You’re a stunning example of a human being. :)

  7. September 25th, 2008 at 8:48 am
    Todd Smith said

    Thanks for reminding me of such an important point. I spent the first 10 or 12 years after college going deeply into meditation. I studied it, I practiced it, I even became a monk in a remote ashram for four years. No matter how much I love being a professional photographer today, that love of spirituality is always at the core of me. I didn’t used to bring it up in my work professionally, but I’m starting to show it off as a part of what makes my work unique. Thanks for re-inspiring me to make use of every brick I have.

  8. September 25th, 2008 at 8:55 am
    Maxine Teller said

    Yes, I completely agree that we are the sum of our experiences, Liz. In fact, I’d argue that until we find a way to utilize the full sum of the skills and experiences we’ve acquired/built/accumulated, we are not truly fulfilled…
    My example is this. I have a BA in sociology, experience as a strategic innovation business consultant; online and broadcast media experience; marketing, communications, business deveopment skills; lots of experience performing–singing, acting, etc. Until recently I was not using my performance backround and felt that something was missing. I am now working on incorporating speaking and presenting into my consulting work and feel that I’ve addressed that little voice in my head that says things aren’t quite right yet.

  9. September 25th, 2008 at 9:40 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Todd,
    What a gift to go back to recover. I can only imagine how much you must have missed it. Reflection and depth are so much of seeing.

  10. September 25th, 2008 at 9:44 am
    SpaceAgeSage said

    I’ve been doing morning pages - a writing exercise to develop self and creativity - and have realized this same thing. I’m glad to have your affirming post about this.
    Blogging is great, but I’ve lost touch with my keener physical senses by not teaching or training in the martial arts recently. I’m left with a hole inside of me. I also realized I never pursued some performance pieces I wanted to do as educational skits. My husband and I know we would make great motivational speakers, but we’ve let that slide too. Time to queue up some new thoughts!

  11. September 25th, 2008 at 9:45 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Maxine,
    I’ve come to think that one sign that I’m heading in the right direction is the integration of all past successes and learning into where I’m going.

    There’s nothing to prepare you for the rest of your life except all of your life.

  12. September 25th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
    Amy Derby said

    Every time I come here I get inspired. Now I want to become a monk in a remote ashram for four years. :-)

    Ah, the pieces of ourselves we leave behind… There are some pieces I’m intentionally leaving back there, buried in deep deep graves. The good parts I’m trying my best to integrate and carry on. (Sometimes they fight with each other.) I will probably always be interested in the legal stuff, which is why I feel like I have the best of both worlds blogging for lawyers. That’s the easier part. I’ve integrated the cares-too-much part by writing for nonprofits. Also easy. It’s the stuff like the creative writing, the novel manuscripts that just sit there, the napkin poems — those are hard for me to integrate into a career. They’re part of my life, but they’re not the main part anymore, and I just can’t yet visualize them merging in with the other part. I feel like I’ll always wear my slutty corporate hat by day and my Secret Creative Society hat by night. Luckily I stay up so late there’s more night than day. But still, there must be a way to combine them somehow….

    I have a straight male friend who tells me in his next life he wants to be a lesbian. In my next life, I want to be a homeless poet. I’ve done that in this life too, a little bit, but the corporate side always haunted me back. Next time I won’t let it. :-)

  13. September 25th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
    Joanna Young said

    Hi Liz, it’s an interesting one isn’ it? I left huge parts of my previous career/life behind when I left the civil service. There are a lot of bits I don’t want to revisit - but I know there are some skills and approaches that I want to and do incorporate into how I am now.

    I’m also finding that now I’m beyond that phase it’s easier to reconnect with bits of my life before that (going back about 20 years) which is good fun. Like you say it’s about integration, bit by bit. I think it’ll probably remain a permanent work in progress though :-)

  14. September 25th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
    Karen Putz / DeafMom said

    Holy moly Liz, you came up with a quote that is going in my quote book:

    “There’s nothing to prepare you for the rest of your life except all of your life.”

  15. September 25th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
    Anita Bruzzese said

    Great post, Liz. I think in this hyper 24/7 world, we constantly feel like we have to keep moving or we’re going to be roadkill. But sometimes in our rush to the next goal or the next thing on our “to do” list, we leave behind some important stuff. We forget to listen to our heart and soul — to the essence of who we are and what makes us, well, us.
    Thanks for reminding us not to forget who we really are are our journey to the next destination.

  16. September 26th, 2008 at 7:00 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Amy,
    Every bit of what we were brings us forward, but I’m with you there are bits I’m happy to keep back where I left them. I really like your Secret Creative Society. I hope you value it and find a time when you weave it back into the fabric of what you’re doing. Things like that seem to nourish us in ways we don’t realize.

  17. September 26th, 2008 at 7:02 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Joanna,
    Your words, “work in progress” isn’t that really what it’s always been about? Sometimes I wonder how we’d all be if we’d never been reviewed, graded or approved? Would we be better at living?

    Like you, the integration and reintegration gets easier as each day comes to me. Old bits and pieces show up like old friends and I’m learning how to welcome them back again. :)

  18. September 26th, 2008 at 7:03 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Holy cow, Karen,
    That’s something! Thank you!

  19. September 26th, 2008 at 7:05 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Anita!
    We’re all born with everything we need to be who we are, then we spend the rest of our lives looking for it. Seems sort of silly doesn’t it? We should find a new system for being who we are. :)

  20. July 11th, 2009 at 10:37 am
    Weekly Link Dump Four : Performancing said

    [...] We Are Who We Were – Thoughtful post by Liz Struass highlighting the fact that the past is who we are. [...]

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