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SMARTY.

The human side of business

Big Life

Performance.

July 5, 2016 · By Amy Swift Crosby

In my vintage Benz. The '80s got a few things right.

What happens when we can’t…do what we normally do? When our naturalness doesn’t come through? When we fall down? And maybe can’t quite get up?

First, humility. The reminder of your humanity descends like a drumbeat in your chest. Then, a short (or long) spiral of despair. Why this? Why now? Why in front of him / her / them? And finally – bargaining. The attempt to persuade yourself that you are not that, it is not you, and that output doesn’t necessarily make you any more or less than you were yesterday. This too shall pass, you say.

We try not to tie our performance to our value. But it’s hard not to.

There are two ways to see this:

You can decide that having the opportunity to experience the granularity of your emotions is a gift. A ride you willingly take. Because the rewards are self-knowledge, and sometimes a chance to see someone else’s generous reflection in reaction your own fumble, is deeply beautiful. It’s something you might not see in the throws of success.

The other way is to avoid biting the hook at all. That means the highs aren’t as high, nor are the lows that low – because you’re not on the ride. You’ve meditated / medicated / mediated your way to an unmovable center that feels, moves, risks – but never too much.

I vacillate on this. Better to pop the top off the convertible and feel the magic hours in their splendor? Knowing with the top down, you’ll be exposed to all the weather of every season? Or, better to get behind the wheel of a Volvo, smooth, steady, no jagged edges, and feel the sun through a small, unsatisfying sun roof.

Let’s go for the elements. You’ll get wet and cold sometimes, but there’s nothing like it when it works.

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About Me

photo of Amy Swift Crosby

Amy Swift Crosby is a brand strategist and copywriter who has positioned or voiced messaging across the commercial spectrum, from icons like Ford, BVLGARI, Pottery Barn, Pantene and Virgin, to boutique brands like The Wild Unknown, fitness franchise Barre3 and the rebrand of legendary metaphysical bookstore, Bodhi Tree. She has leveraged this expertise to help entrepreneurial women and small businesses owners hone their skills, mission and message, while uncovering their own “voice.” This blog explores “the human side of business,” and universal themes like uncertainty, anxiety, the tension between engagement and disconnection, personal value and most importantly, of finding - and hearing - our own voices in our everyday life.

Photo - Andrew Stiles

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About

SMARTY began as a thriving community in Los Angeles and Boston with weekly panel discussions and events designed to better understand the mindset and growth strategies behind successful entrepreneurs. Today, SMARTY is a weekly blog written by Amy Swift Crosby who chronicles her life as a creative, parent, entrepreneur and spiritual seeker. As an urban refugee living in a New England seaside village, she unpacks topics ranging from uncertainty and doubt to the built environment and advertising. More on Amy.

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