It is amazing what a year can do for someone. I barely recognize either of us from where we were at a year ago. We are much happier, joyful, and always filled to the brim with lattes :)
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Hello!
I’m Kyle Elliott – a friend of Jayme’s and the founder and career coach behind CaffeinatedKyle.com. Through my work, I help people navigate career and
life transitions. I also help them find happiness. I love coffee (if you
couldn’t tell), writing and eating the same thing at different restaurants. I
also love sharing my whole truth; as such, I share this story with you so you
may sit with me in my journey to slow down and find silence – something that is
becoming a little easier for me each day.
The conductor keeps waving his baton faster and faster
and faster.
The orchestra produces more and more music to keep up.
But really, they just want to slow down. They just want a break. They just want
to pause. They just want to breathe.
The conductor has been waving his baton for far too
long. He won’t slow down. He won’t take a break. He won’t pause. He won’t
breathe.
The conductor’s passion has allowed the orchestra to
produce truly beautiful music.
The conductor’s passion has also drained the orchestra.
They are incredibly tried. They are exhausted. They want to slow down. They
want a break. They want to pause. They want to breathe.
The conductor is my compulsions. My need to keep going
and going and going. My impulse to work on projects at 2 o’clock in the morning
even when I’m exhausted.
The conductor is afraid that if he stops waving his
baton and producing music, he won’t be able to start again.
While this has allowed the conductor to produce truly
exceptional music, he has also exhausted the orchestra.
The orchestra is my drive to succeed and the music is my
output — work, work, work.
The music that the orchestra produces is exceptional,
but they never get to enjoy their music. The orchestra is exhausted. They just
want the conductor to slow down so they can enjoy their own music. They just
want to breathe.
They want the conductor to wave his baton a little
slower. The conductor doesn’t even need to stop. He just needs to slow down so
the orchestra can experience the music and catch their breath. So they can
experience the music. So they can enjoy the audience and not be overwhelmed by
the loudness.
The orchestra wants to push the conductor off the stage.
They want to tell the conductor they are tired and out of breath. They want to
end the busyness. They want to reap the rewards of the music they produce. They
want to experience silence.
But they can’t push the conductor off the stage. They
can’t gather the courage. So instead, they keep playing faster and faster.
Until someone in the ensemble stops playing.
And then another person in the ensemble stops playing.
And another person in the ensemble stops playing, until
eventually only one person is playing.
The conductor notices, so he waves his baton faster and
faster, with the hope that the audience won’t recognize members of the ensemble
have stopped playing.
People in the audience do notice. It has become a solo
performance. But to the conductor’s surprise, the audience starts clapping and
cheering. They appreciate the show. While the ensemble was good, the soloist is
even more beautiful. He is able to shine without being drowned out by the other
members of his orchestra.
The conductor is in awe – he recognizes that he can slow
down. That he can take a break. That he can pause. That he can breathe.
So the conductor sets down his baton and enjoys the
music.
