communications

February 3, 2016 - Daily Notes

A voicemail with a British accent this morning. Someone from The Economist inviting me to attend a forum. His words were crisp and soft at the same time. The polite cadence had pauses to emphasize the time-sensitive nature of his message and there was sincerity when he said, "Have a great day today." The whole thing lasted forty seconds. It shifted my perspective.

I've been struggling, as many of you know, to balance my need to make a living with my desire to take this magazine, Lucia, from beautiful fledgling to the full expression of wings-spread-wide flight. I make my living today by working in public relations. My clients are innovative companies, teams of smart people making exciting things happen as they grow. When friends ask me, "What do you actually do?" it is challenging to respond succinctly. There is a one word answer, though, and it is this: communication.

I communicate.

It is an art, a science, a process, a talent, and a skill that can be learned, honed, applied, and made into almost anything you can imagine. It is also time-consuming and energy-dependent, especially to do it well, especially to for fast-moving companies. It requires not just time, but also attention, focus, thoughtfulness, curiosity, creativity, flexibility, availability, and ability to think fast and smart.

We are all communicators. Our words are our art but they are also much more. Every text we type, every email we push, every voicemail we leave, matters. Each time we convey information to another human being we are changing the world. Words are important. Delivery is important. What you say and how you say it creates the world we all live in.

Remember this today, as you go about the balancing act of your life. Your words are crucial. They are changing the world. Which words will you choose? Where will they come from? How will you deliver them? 

xo
laura

do the next thing

January 29, 2016 - Daily Notes

Some days, everything happens all at once. 

You have a cold so you sleep in and when you wake up you remember that it is the last Friday in January and things are due. You owe emails, taxes, bills, reports, invoices and drafts. You have two afternoon appointments and a conference call on your calendar. You need coffee. You shower and stumble to Starbucks and they make you a venti when you ordered a tall but today that is a really good thing because:

Magic on the doorstep when you get back home...the FedEx man dropped a box of PROOFS from your printer...the proofs for Issue Two of Lucia are here and you were not expecting them until Monday. You squeal delight through your sore throat, nearly drop your cup and your umbrella, and rush to carry the box in from the rain. 

You consider for a moment not opening it until tomorrow. There is so much work to do today. You leave the box on the dining room table and head to your computer and the moment you sit down you know you cannot focus on anything else until this beauty is out of that box. So you go back to the dining room table that doubles as your layout desk and you rip open the package.

Stunned, you can barely breathe. The cover is more gorgeous than it looked on the computer screen. Everything is. Oh, my, god. You did this! It's here. You snap a photo in your excitement, dash to the computer to write a quick note on the blog to share the excitement with Lucia's growing family.

Your to-do list is still there, though. It is still long and everything is urgent. You remember what Pema Chodron says to do when you feel overwhelmed. She says to take a deep breath, feel your heart, and move into the next moment with an open mind. Then, simply do the next thing. Do it with your entire heart, give it all of your attention. When it is done, do the next thing. 

You smile. You did this. WE did this. 

xo,
laura

momentous and ordinary

January 26, 2016 - Daily Notes

Today is the day I will send Lucia Issue Two to the printer. Finally.

The FTP login is waiting in my inbox. The InDesign files have been pored over so many times I can no longer count the saved versions. Lucia's design advisor has given it her blessing. Our editorial advisor looked me in the eye with a smile last week and said, "Send it! Go!" 

I want to pause for a moment first. For me, this is a momentous occasion. 

Today is also ordinary. It is Tuesday, it is raining, I am sick with a cold. The furnace guy was here this morning. I have a conference call at 3 p.m. 

Sometimes we mark our achievements with big celebrations; red-letter days filled with family, friends, flowers, speeches, praise. But the very moments our most important achievements occur, we are often alone. Right there in the middle of normal, routine life something we've worked toward culminates. We feel it in our hearts. There is a quickening of pride, satisfaction, relief and excitement all bundled into one.

We must mark these minutes. Even if only with a deep inhale, a mental snapshot, a closed-eyes prayer. We must learn to whisper from ourSelves with a capital S to ourselves with a lowercase one, and with sincerity say, "Good job, you."

Life, after all, is made up of moments: they are ordinary and momentous at once. They are precious, important. Proof that we are living.

What will you celebrate this week?

I can't wait to share Issue Two with you very soon--it is so beautiful. Thank you for continuing to be part of this journey.

xo
laura