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Part II: The medium vs. the message

LIVING
Personal development for smart people
One of the most successful personal development bloggers
on the Internet completes his two-part series designed to get you thinking
about your life from a new perspective.
By Steve Pavlina is essentially your purpose, teamwork or honesty to your
which I’ve addressed many workplace?
The feeling of being driven times in various blog entries You may find it helpful to
comes from the message of (see the Purpose category on define yourself in terms of a
your work, not the medium. the blog for details). But here’s metaphor. Are you a rock? An
When you wake up each yet another way to discover eagle? A storm?
morning, how do think your message: If you have trouble
about your work? Do you Think about what you bring figuring this out for yourself,
say to yourself, “Today I’m to your job or career (or even to ask people you know for their
going to write something” any random task or project) that’s opinions. (You may want to
(the medium)? Or are you different from how the average have them read this article
thinking, “Today I’m going to person would do it. What’s first, so they know what the
improve the human condition different about your approach to heck you’re talking about.)
in some small way” (the your work vs. how other people Often other people can see
message)? would do the same job? us more clearly than we see
Which perspective do you For example, when ourselves.
think is more intrinsically I primarily worked as a
motivating? computer programmer, I was Embracing your message
Certainly both the extremely aggressive about Once you develop an
message and the medium are improving my skills, and I’d understanding of your
each an important part of your enthusiastically share what I own message (and your
career, but with the rapid pace learned with other people. understanding will surely
of technological advancement, In building my games evolve over time), you can
your medium is likely to be business, I did the same begin to express that message
far less permanent than your thing. You can put me in more consciously.
message. virtually any job, and I’ll bring You can redefine your
Notice that medium- these same qualities to it. career in terms of that
based work is highly subject I’ll aggressively strive to get message. Believe me – this is
to automation. A salesperson better and better, and I’ll share likely to feel very awkward
is replaced by a Web site. A with others what I learn along at first. But over time if you
secretary is replaced by a the way. That’s the message can overcome the social
PDA. A PR firm is replaced that’s uniquely me. conditioning that tries to
by a blog. But automating the Imagine yourself working pigeonhole you into a single
message that’s provided by at different jobs and in medium instead of embracing
a conscious human being, different fields. your message, I think you’ll
now that’s a lot tougher. What qualities do you find it a much more fulfilling
How would you automate bring to your work that are way to think about your
the message of personal uniquely you? Do you spread career.
development, for example? good humor, harmony or In school, we mostly
passion? Do you provide learn a medium. In high
Finding your message analytic depth, intuitive school, I learned the medium
How do you identify insight or a rational outlook? of writing. In college, I
your message? Your message Do you bring loyalty, learned the medium of

12 SMART PEOPLE

computer programming. In
Toastmasters, I learned the
medium of speaking. And
from other bloggers I learned
the medium of blogging.
But the message that I
bring to these multi-media
isn’t something I learned in
school.
The message is something
that’s been a part of me since
childhood, although my
awareness of it has certainly
increased as I’ve grown up.
When I switched careers
from game publishing
to working in personal
development, it was more
than just a job change.
It was a shift from
medium-based thinking to
message-based thinking.
Writing and speaking and
blogging are better media for
my message than developing
computer games. And as
technology continues to
evolve, I have the flexibility to
embrace any new media that
arise.
The media are just empty
containers. The message is
what fills those containers.
Once I began defining my
career in terms of the message
instead of the medium, I felt
much more in tune with my
work.
Sometimes I tell people
I’m a writer or a blogger or
a speaker – all of those are
true for now. But internally
I feel that any one of those
containers is too small a
description of the real work I
do.
Have you ever felt the
same way . . . that your job
title is too small for you?
How do you feel when you
say, “I’m a _____” (fill in
your current job title)? Say it
right now, and notice how it
LIVING
makes you feel. Does it really overlaps this one, you
describe the totality of the may enjoy reading the
work you do? blog post: End Goals vs.
How could you give Means Goals.
yourself a more expansive
message-based career name? Find out more at www.
Instead of thinking of stevepavlina.com, or
yourself as an attorney, order Steve Pavlina’s
for instance, how about new book Personal
giving yourself the job title Development for Smart
“peacebringer” (someone who People to discover
resolves conflicts and restores the seven universal growth
peace)? principles (truth, love, power,
Or instead of being a oneness, authority, courage and
salesperson or a computer intelligence) to achieve major
programmer, try adopting the breakthroughs in your habits,
job title of “problem solver.” career, finances, relationships,
Wouldn’t that be more health and spiritual development.
accurate? How would you
react if someone handed you a
business card that said, “Jane
Smith, Peacebringer”?
I’m sure some people
would give more credibility to
a card that said, “Attorney at
Law” but I’d rather hire Jane
Smith, Peacebringer, since
that title tells me this person
understands the value of her
work extends beyond any
single medium.
What does your business
card say? Does it only list the
medium of your work, or does
it convey the message? What
would be a more appropriate
job title for you? What does your business card say?
Does it only list the medium of your
Beyond career work, or does it convey the message?
As I mentioned at the What would be a more appropriate job
beginning of this article, you
can apply this concept of the title for you?
medium vs. the message to
other parts of your life beyond
your career.
I’ll leave it to you to
think about how you might
differentiate between the
medium and the message in
terms of your health, your
relationships, your spiritual
beliefs, and so on. And for
another perspective that
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