A Sitting Duck No More

I’ll admit, I was one of those who never really used LinkedIn. Or looked at it. But then I started getting hooked to “Influencer Posts” that cover a variety of topics from various levels in the professional world. Last week, Arianna Huffington posted Hemingway, Thoreau, Jefferson and the Virtues of a Good Long Walk  and it really got me thinking.

Maybe those guys (being Hemingway, Thoreau, Jefferson and the slew of others mentioned) were seriously on to something. I’ve often turned to walks during stressful times. Times to catch up with friends. Or just times to escape it all. And often, these happen along the lakefront. Though for some reason, it’s only during the fall and spring (maybe that chill in the air slapping you in the face has something to do with it). But it’s my first defense when things get rough.

Take for instance this past week at the office. A colleague was seriously overwhelmed and after seeing her walk by my desk, I followed up with a Gchat message saying: “Want to take a walk?” Even though we never went  outside, it still helped. To get up and just walk away for a bit to gain a little perspective, but more importantly, a little distance. I’ve made a point to just pop into offices instead of calling people, just for the chance to get some mobility into my day.

I particularly enjoyed the quote from Gregory Berns in Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently when he writes, “new insights come from people and new environments — any circumstance in which the brain has a hard time predicting what will come next.” That to me sums up why around that 2:30 hour at the office, I’m craving somewhere for my legs to carry me. Sitting makes me feel stuck. Sitting makes me feel like a lump. And how is one supposed to be creative in that kinda of setting?

Below is an infographic from Mind Yourself Chicago on the importance of getting out there, for less than an hour. So feet, sandals, flip flops and boots, start walkin’.

Dancing in the Dark

Last week had been a busy one at the office. And I was quickly losing steam. This past Friday, I found myself at the office late, again, and just thinking of how great it was going to be to get home, throw on sweats and completely veg out for the entire weekend.

“So, I just got Bruce tickets tonight at Wrigley. We should probably go,” said Dan, the Client Service dude working late with me.

We left everything at the office, grabbed a cab and walked into Wrigley Field just as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band took the stage. It was an unbelievable night. I cried, danced, I shouted, I sang at the top of my lungs. And the coolest part? Looking out among the crowd and seeing the range of demographic. I cannot remember the last time I was squashed among such a range of ages.

It was just what I needed after a crazy a work week. And it just went to show me, you can lean on those in the office you never imagined. Because we’ve all been there. And we’re all going to be there again. It made me realize that work isn’t the end-all-be-all and letting it effect me so much hasn’t been good for anyone. Thanks to Friday, and Bruce, I was able to step back and see, life can still surprise you just when you need it most.

Bruce still has it. Which is no shock. Because to quote Mom, “He’s the Boss!”

All of the Lights

The Chicago skyline is going to have some bright, colorful lights to compete with at the end of the week. From February 10-20, Millennium Park (and Cloud Gate–or The Bean) will become Luminous Field. The work, by artist duo Luftwerk will take pedestrians on a sound and light spectacular, making the exhibit truly interactive.

I for one am pretty excited to see this from our office viewpoint, then go down and just dance crazily in the lights, among the lights and under the lights.