Photo by Jessica Pamp on Unsplash

Uh-Oh, My Values Clashed

I was a medium-sized fish in a huge pond for years. Then I became a bigger fish in a small pond. Finally, an opportunity to do things right. Treat people fairly. Encourage. Ditch the politics. Promote creativity.

It was great, but I burnt out quickly.

Day 1 of my bigger fish experience I told myself, and my team, that I’d operate according to two core values:

Honesty and Positivity.

I believe in these values. They guide me in my current situation — startup founder, consultant and writer (it sounds more impressive than it is.)

I learned yesterday to watch out for when those values crunch gears. In an effort to be honest, I wasn’t positive enough.

And it hit me. All those times when, conversely, in an effort to be positive, I wasn’t honest enough.

A reminder that in everything. Everything. We need balance.