Somehow, someway, I have an influx of people in my life who are obsessed with catch phrases (@MikeOttaviano). These phrases are constantly going in and out of season, keeping things incredibly entertaining, and every once in a while, inspiring an entire lifestyle. One catch phrase in particular, courtesy of my lovely roommate (@Andrew Alario), will stick with me for all eternity. Though it originated way back in the Summer of 2015 in reference to smaller, sillier things (ex. eating ice cream for breakfast), the catch phrase "Power Moves Only" has, simply said, never died. Granted we typically use this phrase nowadays to describe money wasted on takeout food or or outfits that might be just a bit too bold, the other day we silently agreed to use it to describe something of a much higher magnitude, or to put it lightly, a crazily aprubt life choice that I made in the form of City Year Miami.
I had an interview one day, an offer the next, a decision the day following, and now, in just 15 days, I'll be boarding a flight that I have yet to pay for, heading to a city I've never been to, to live with people I've never met, work with students I know nothing about, and live a life completely foreign to me. What do I have to say for myself?
"Power Moves Only."
This phrase is everything to us. It seems to encourage nothing more than recklessness and rash behavior, but in our minds, it's much different. To those who've coined and cherished this catch phrase, it's a solid manner in which to constantly remind ourselves to risk, to perform cost-benefit analyses more than the average human does, to consider what we truly have to lose in a given situation, and to remember that life is a series of choices (also known as "moves"), and that if we have to make moves anyway, they might as well be Power Moves.
The Power Moves Only lifestyle isn't the average, nor is it everyone's idea of a life well spent. It is, however, the kind of lifestyle that will forever, without fail, yield lots and lots of commentary. My most recent power move - City Year Miami - was no exception. A lot of people are happy for me, a lot of people want to come visit, and a lot of people can't believe I'm doing this, some "in a good way" and some in a bad. The comment that caught my attention the most, however, was one that sounded much like this: "I just don't know how you do it."
I got this comment a lot, hearing from many people in multiple places that they wish they could do things like this in their own life, but they just... can't. This prompted me to spend the last week entirely frustrated; not with the people who wish this for themselves, but with the idea that risk is reserved for the elite few who seem fit to handle it. Many would say that a Power Moves Only lifestyle works for me and not for them because I'm fit too handle it and they're not, but if we're being completely honest here, I'm no more fit to handle it than they are - I just have a secret weapon.
"Power Moves Only."
This phrase is everything to us. It seems to encourage nothing more than recklessness and rash behavior, but in our minds, it's much different. To those who've coined and cherished this catch phrase, it's a solid manner in which to constantly remind ourselves to risk, to perform cost-benefit analyses more than the average human does, to consider what we truly have to lose in a given situation, and to remember that life is a series of choices (also known as "moves"), and that if we have to make moves anyway, they might as well be Power Moves.
The Power Moves Only lifestyle isn't the average, nor is it everyone's idea of a life well spent. It is, however, the kind of lifestyle that will forever, without fail, yield lots and lots of commentary. My most recent power move - City Year Miami - was no exception. A lot of people are happy for me, a lot of people want to come visit, and a lot of people can't believe I'm doing this, some "in a good way" and some in a bad. The comment that caught my attention the most, however, was one that sounded much like this: "I just don't know how you do it."
I got this comment a lot, hearing from many people in multiple places that they wish they could do things like this in their own life, but they just... can't. This prompted me to spend the last week entirely frustrated; not with the people who wish this for themselves, but with the idea that risk is reserved for the elite few who seem fit to handle it. Many would say that a Power Moves Only lifestyle works for me and not for them because I'm fit too handle it and they're not, but if we're being completely honest here, I'm no more fit to handle it than they are - I just have a secret weapon.
It's a simple analogy with the power to change your life, and to convince you in the same way it has convinced me that Power Moves are indeed, always, an option. Imagine yourself running and jumping off a cliff, knowing the entire time that you're afraid of heights, water, and everything in between. Our instinct is to think that we need a whole 90 seconds worth of courage, enough to cover every second between the time we start running to the time we stop falling. If we really think about it, however, it takes no courage to run (1), because I could always stop at the edge and refuse to jump. It also takes no courage to fall (3), because if I already jumped, then falling is inevitable and no quantity of courage, lacking or otherwise, could impact the fact that I'm still going to fall. And if running (1) and falling (3) account for 99% of this trajectory, which they do, than I really only need to have enough courage to address the 1% - the jump. Granted, the jump is the hard part and everyone knows it, the trick is to invest all the courage you have into that 1 second, because that 1 second is truly what puts the "power" in Power Moves. |
Let me explain. Take, for example, an overwhelmingly important e-mail that you're writing, maybe to make a powerful first impression, or generally just knowing you have one chance to get it right.
Now, here's what I do.
I mentally and emotionally compare all of my power moves to the diagram above. I subconciously identify which part of this move is "the run" (1), which part is "the fall" (3), and which tiny little 1-second-long scenario is the actual Power Move - "the jump" (2). I choose, based on a principled argument, not to worry about courage that I instinctually feel that I need while making the run. I do the leg work, staying resourceful and focused, keeping in mind that I can always turn back. I then remind myself about how powerless I am the second I make the jump, and forfeit, not to fear, but to the inveitability of the outcome. I then invest all of my attention, energy, and courage into the actual 1-second Power Move (which, for Miami, will be stepping foot on the plane) and because I haven't spent all those precious resources (attention, energy, courage, etc.) on the run or the fall, it's as if I'm stocked up and ready to go take the jump. Before your very own eyes, hitting the send button becomes easier than you expected.
It's the same process that got me signed up to move to Chicago for a summer despite not knowing anyone; to move to Colombia for a semester despite not speaking Spanish; to cycle across the country when I sucked at biking; to give a Ted Talk when I feared I wouldn't impress; to write my phone number on my Starbucks crushtomer's cup; to get a credit card when I'm not financially responsible; to invite my friend and his dog to live with me when I'm afraid of dogs; and most recently, to move to Miami less than a month from the day that the conversation had even started.
The analogy has never failed me, and neither have the Power Moves. This mindset keeps me thinking about how much power I do have and in which moments I should be using it. I use it when I should, end up in situations like these, and now, I'll be spending a new chapter of my life living a little bit like this ...
- Writing the e-mail, beginning to end. This is the run (1). It took work - yes, but no courage, to write the e-mail, because you could have always finished writing and made the choice to not send it.
- Receiving a response/reaction/result. This is the fall (3). No amount of courage would impact the result or the response that your e-mail will receive. The result/response was out of your hands - inevitable in a sense.
- Hitting the send button. THIS is the jump (2); this is the actual Power Move because it's just about the only moment of this entire process that takes genuine courage. It's a 1-second scenario, as I mentioned above, that puts the actual "power" in this specific Power Move. Make sense?
Now, here's what I do.
I mentally and emotionally compare all of my power moves to the diagram above. I subconciously identify which part of this move is "the run" (1), which part is "the fall" (3), and which tiny little 1-second-long scenario is the actual Power Move - "the jump" (2). I choose, based on a principled argument, not to worry about courage that I instinctually feel that I need while making the run. I do the leg work, staying resourceful and focused, keeping in mind that I can always turn back. I then remind myself about how powerless I am the second I make the jump, and forfeit, not to fear, but to the inveitability of the outcome. I then invest all of my attention, energy, and courage into the actual 1-second Power Move (which, for Miami, will be stepping foot on the plane) and because I haven't spent all those precious resources (attention, energy, courage, etc.) on the run or the fall, it's as if I'm stocked up and ready to go take the jump. Before your very own eyes, hitting the send button becomes easier than you expected.
It's the same process that got me signed up to move to Chicago for a summer despite not knowing anyone; to move to Colombia for a semester despite not speaking Spanish; to cycle across the country when I sucked at biking; to give a Ted Talk when I feared I wouldn't impress; to write my phone number on my Starbucks crushtomer's cup; to get a credit card when I'm not financially responsible; to invite my friend and his dog to live with me when I'm afraid of dogs; and most recently, to move to Miami less than a month from the day that the conversation had even started.
The analogy has never failed me, and neither have the Power Moves. This mindset keeps me thinking about how much power I do have and in which moments I should be using it. I use it when I should, end up in situations like these, and now, I'll be spending a new chapter of my life living a little bit like this ...
So, what do I have to say for myself?
"Power Moves Only".
"Power Moves Only".
FEEL GOOD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK
- Spent some time with lots of my favorite name-twins: The Courtney's, and a few of the many Steph's that I know and love (Cohen, Berard, Hall, Robo).
- Barb Stevens (of all people) told me that the Mocha that I made her was going to give us a win vs. Stonehill. And I chose to believe her. And it made my week (even more than making $112 in tips did).
- Brought the new pup, Kane, to work, school, and a bunch of other places to make dozens of people smile and on occasion, cry. Now everyone wants to come visit, which based on my future plans to move, is great news.
- Enjoyed some free Chipotle burritos with two of my pledge-children, Jenny and Sebby, and one of the coolest people I know, Swaggy Sarah Egner. Who knew that fake-Mexican food qualified as a good Christmas gift?
- Spent a spontaneous afternoon with my mentor, Justin Woodard, exploring the historical beauty of Concord, Mass. Unfortunately, the cheese shop was closed, but our minds nevertheless remained open to everything else the afternoon had to offer us, including but not limited to: an excellent art gallery, a chocolate shop, a very hilly hunt for Henry David Thoreau's burial site, and a little tiny Pope statue waving at us from inside a window.
- Took part in a very creative/successful Secret Santa, giving a gift too ... unique... to discuss on the internet, and receiving a gift that was unintentionally brilliant. Part of my gift was a Santa hat for Kane, and when she decided she didn't like it very much, we put on top of our TV, and made the rare decision to spend an evening listening to our Facebook Newsfeed's suggestions for once.
Thank you for reading on this freezing-cold Friday morning. Tune in next week to see what my last few days in Waltham hold for me, if I've made any more Power Moves, and if I learned to love dogs yet.
Have a great week, everyone!
Have a great week, everyone!