In Search of the Perfect Dimple and Other Things that Don’t Matter Much
Some things don’t matter much while others matter a lot—Simple enough, right? Everyone knows that. How easy can it be? But we still manage to get our priorities all out of wack!
Have you ever gotten so caught up in something that before you realized it, that thing occupied way too much of your time, attention, and energy? You don’t have to answer that, by the way.
The continuing adventures of our move to Santa Fe inspired today’s post about things that don’t matter much (but we think they do at the time).
For example, a long time ago I would have blown a gasket over what I uncovered as I unpacked the box below:
Let’s be clear, though—I was still not a happy unpacker. Preferring the untucked alternative, I rarely wear a necktie these days. Just the same… someone had stepped squarely on part of my former identity. They had mangled my ties so much they would never be the same again.
I once loved my neckties, I’ll admit that. My necktie collection was in some ways an avatar…
Neckties were a trademark of my former corporate self.
Early in my career, I had visions of the executive suite. “Dress for Success” was one of the many strategies I embraced as I attempted the climb.
My peers were right there with me. Get this… We actually competed over who could tie their necktie with the perfect dimple. (Just for the record, my perfectionism served me well in this battle of the someday would-be executives).
Being fair to my youth, we all know that our inexperienced eyes were easily diverted by the shiny objects du jour. Pointless competitions were a hazard of being young, impetuous, and not-so-wise.
And I managed to miss the more productive strategies...
Strategies like embracing the lessons shared by mentors. Or, that relationships are built by putting others first. And so many others that were far too easy to miss.
Don’t get me wrong, I could keep banging away on the keys as I remember other lessons that took decades to learn even though there were hiding there all along—in plain sight. That would end up being a book and we don’t have time for a book.
The lesson here is to not get side-tracked in the first place.
Side-tracked by perfect dimple pursuits and other things that simply don’t matter much.
Yep, I was on a quest for the perfect dimple. Okay, okay… for the most part it was just one more thing we chose to make into a competition. We did that kind of thing.
I think the thing most of us miss is that we still let ourselves get too wrapped up in the minutiae. We work too hard and too long on things that really don’t matter all that much.
And it’s usually at the expense of something that does matter.
We allow ourselves to become distracted by the next interesting little thing that comes along. Whether it’s worthy of our time and energy or not. What will it be this week?
So, I thought I had the perfect quote by author Wes Moore to wrap this baby up. But it turns out I has misremembered it.
What I thought he said was…
Don’t make things that don’t matter too much, matter too much.”
Pretty good advice, I believe.
What he actually said was…
Don’t let people that don’t matter too much, matter too much.”
— Wes Moore, author, entrepreneur, and Army veteran on Super Soul Sunday
That’s good counsel too! And that will have to be another post for another day. Until then, do your best not to make things that don’t matter too much, matter too much.
Be untucked.
p.s. Thanks for dropping by LifeUntucked®. If you enjoyed this post be sure to share it with a friend, especially if they are in pursuit of the perfect dimple. I owe you one…
Copyright © 2021 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved
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