December 1, 2009

Being. Doing. Having: Unfiltered.

Nice to see you again. Follow me, @SydneyOwen. Thanks for being here!

This weekend I had the pleasure of traveling to Seattle and I never thought I’d come back with so much knowledge. One, if I ever leave Chicago (not likely, at least not anytime soon), I’m TOTALLY moving to Seattle. I could (and would) eat seafood every day and its all SO FREAKING FRESH there. And it’s a whole lot of alternative/indie which makes me feel, well, normal. And pretty. So there’s that.

But what’s tops on my list from this weekend? The lessons I learned while visiting the Pike Place Fish Market.

All I wanted to do (besides work, obviously) was get down to Pike Place Fish and catch a fish. I didn’t get to it till Saturday and when I got there I was like a kid in the candy store, er, fish market. I met a bunch of the guys and when they asked me why I was there I said “I want your book. And I want to catch a fish. Please.” So they sent me around the back of the counter to practice.

After being thoroughly trained on how to catch the fish from five-ish feet away, the guys threw the fish back out into the crowd, some 25-feet away and then chanted something and then threw it from out in the market up to me behind the counter. AND I FREAKING CAUGHT IT. See me here, examining my prize:

PB282418

What’s better than the memory of catching the fish is the high I got from being in that atmosphere. In my last two jobs, the Fish Market corporate training video and philosophy has been instilled in the employees. What does that mean? Well, I don’t really remember the specifics but the guys there make up a well-oiled machine. It’s fabulous to watch.

The biggest takeaway that I’ve gathered from the book so far is this concept of being, doing and having.

Being –> Doing –> Having: Your core beliefs and underlying assumptions (being) will determine your actions and behaviors (doing), which results in outcomes (having). -”Catch! A Fishmongers Guide to Greatness by Cyndi Crother and the crew of World Famous Pike Place Fish.

What does this mean to me? I think with this whole Unfiltered thing I’ve got going on here, that I’m much closer to fully understanding what it means to be a Human Being instead of a Human Doer. What you do is a result of who you are being. Nothing in life happens TO YOU, life happens and you choose how to react to it. The “catch” is that ordinary happens and greatness is created (all of that is from Chapter 2 of the book – I can’t take credit for all that genius).

So when I take all of that into consideration – what I’ve been writing about is right in line with that philosophy. I could sit around and wait for things to happen, or I could make them happen. Just yesterday I was saying how I was waiting for today to be awesome. Then I remembered the fishmongers and said I was tired of waiting for today to be awesome, and that it was time for me to make it awesome.

So the laundry machines were full. I need to go get groceries because everything in my fridge is molding. I’ve been sitting in this chair for three hours haphazardly watching the news, catching up on emails and trying to make a mark on this world, somehow. By the looks of things, not all that awesome. But I chose to tackle today with a smile, instead of letting the little things bring me down. And I think that’s what the fish guys are trying to get at.

So what’s your take on all this? Do you react or do you make things happen? What do you think about the idea of Human Being vs. Human Doer?

  • "Life happens and you choose how to react to it."

    I think I go through phases with this. Sometimes I feel like I'm totally and completely in control, being and doing and creating my life from scratch, just the way I want it. But other times? It feels like things really are happening to me, or more accurately, things are happening around me and I'm moving in slow motion.
  • Yeah, I can get on board with this. I'm a big believer in actively being content about yourself...putting yourself in rooms you find compelling and interesting. I'm not big on the attitude that we're all supposed to get off our asses and beat the rest of the world into our canvas so we find it pretty. Being totally reactive is a recipe for disaster. Following your gut, especially in the ways it wants you to express yourself; that's a recipe for a dose of happiness. Thinking action is everything misses the part where you stop and listen to what the world is saying to you.

    We all have a unique relationship with control; self-control and emotional control. We generally need different levels of it, but we all need a balance; some semblance of the importance of our decisions, alongside some notion that the world does it's own thing and digesting the world is part of the game.

    I'm in a period in which I'm a little unsure as to the product of my decisions. I keep making them as they present themselves, but I'm also listening quite a bit. Things are happening around me (quickly, actually), and that's exciting.
  • Such a great philosophy! We follow this each day in my Post-Graduate Public Relations program at Loyalist College (Belleville, ON, Canada).

    I believe that I am both a Human Doer and a Human Being. I'm not trying to be wish-washy - promise - however even with trying to make things happen for me I still believe that fate is somewhere in the background making sure that life happens like it is suppose to be. Then again, maybe I am just trying to cover both ends of the spectrum! :)
  • I am kind of mid point and need to get into the MORE make them happen stage of my life. I think I could be further along and be where I need to be if I did so. I get half there and then something stops. I preach to other people to make them happen but need to work harder to make them happen myself. I think if I did, then I would be where I want to be now. Who knows.

    I hope the new year will bring me the success I am looking for and I put forth the effort to make it happen. People respect you more if you are a doer instead of complaining anyways.
  • Hi Sydney. As another Seattle-ite, I, too, love reading how people enjoy our city. But even more, I never thought that you could learn this from the fish guys:

    "I could sit around and wait for things to happen, or I could make them happen."

    This is a theme and mantra for myself and many of my friends. We're all the kind of people who know that it's up to steer our lives in the direction we want to go, and we are not the people who sit back and wonder why things are or are not happening. I'm actually going through a career change and have a lot of creative obstacles in my future if I want to accomplish this goal. Though one thing is certain, I can't rely on anyone else to do it for me.

    Thanks for sharing.
  • One, welcome! Glad to have you here and throwing your thoughts around. Two, you're absolutely spot on in saying that nobody else can do it for you. I wish more people realized that kind of stuff. But then again, if they did, i might not have a job bc there would be tons of people that are go-getters (like you and I) that would be doing the same things that I did. :)
  • I'm more of a "make things happen" person. I have known people that were so indecisive, and they would just wait for things to happen to them before they would ever do anything. And when that happens, it means you never make a decision until you absolutely have to. I, on the other hand, like to be proactive. Lets say for example that I want to go visit someone. I will pick a date that works, book the plane ticket, and be done with it.

    I guess that's kind of what you mean, right? A do-er?
  • I wish more people were like you re: the visiting thing. That's incredibly frustrating when everyone is so nonchalant about making plans. I'll just do it and be done with it too.

    I think I'll need to write a follow-up post better explaining the BEING vs DOING thing... I'll get on that.
  • Human Being vs. Human Doer--- Not sure if I get it entirely, but I'll say this: Just being human is a true gift. We look to so many external things for miracles, but if we could just see that we are the miracle... everything we do will be magic. I think :)
  • First of all I love to hear non-locals loving Seattle. You are one of my internet favs. Second, I think most of our lives is a battle between letting things happen to us and making things happen. When things happen to us its hard to understand or let them be. But by making things happen ourselves, it is easier to deal with a negative outcome because we had control and can learn from the mistake

    Keep up the good work!
  • I hadn't even thought of the consequences but I think you just hit something that is right on the money. By being a BEING, I have greater control. And being a control-freak, that's fitting. I'm not okay with the whole "roll with it" thing, though sometimes I have to be, I'd rather have control over the situation at hand.

    Great point!
  • See my daughter catch a fish! and she writes well, too!
  • AdrianaHernandez
    Great post Sydney! You've sold me on the book and I can't wait to read it now. Maybe it's because I haven't read the book yet but I believe that that the "being" goes hand in hand with "doer". To be satisfied with the "being" you have to work hard as a "doer" to accomplish goals. I'm not a sugar coater so when my friends come to me for advice or complaining about how they want a better job blah blah blah I tell them that they need to take action rather than waiting for it to just happen to them.
  • I think to an extent, it does. Without rewriting the entire chapter for you to read to distinguish the difference, at face-value, I think they do go hand in hand. Read the book, then come back and tell me what you think, I'll be interested to see if it shapes your thoughts at all! :)

    And I'm right there with you on the taking action vs. waiting for it to happen. I would still be waiting for this to happen to me if I hadn't taken action. And that's a scary thought.
  • "I could sit around and wait for things to happen, or I could make them happen."

    That's everything right there. And it's such a simple concept really. Yet there's only a few of us out there tuned in to it. Glad to be in your company.

    Here's to continuing to help others make things happen. :)
  • Glad to be in your company as well, Tim! Thanks for being here and weighing in. :) I don't have much more to add to that!
  • This whole 'liking' concept has really stricken me as awesome.
    I was going to pick out the same piece as Tim did, so I'll just add a little bit more- it's a daily thing. It's a habit that one must work they're way into. I know that I'm still working on it. There are times where I think, "sh*t, I can't believe I just didn't do that." But it's all about eliminating those times, and, going back to my comment on the last post, focusing on "what is" and "what can be".

    Also- I am definitely picking up this book. I've always heard about how great it is, but just in passing comments. Your post really drove it home that it'll be worth an investment.
  • AND BY THE WAY, I loved the comment on the last post - you're totally wise beyond your years (and that's why I demand that you stay in touch because I'd LOVE to work with you when you graduate).

    Thanks for bringing the "liking" to a whole new level. I'm a fan that you're a fan of the liking. :)
  • Sydney. So happy to see your post today. Like you, I believe in seeking out people who are proactive in creating their own reality. Most people won't get it because they choose to play life safe. And safe = boring. I applaud you for going against the grain. if I hear another person reply to "How was your day?" with "Busy" I am going to barf. We should be able to make most days great, right? Here is a similar post I wrote: http://bit.ly/11wMMG
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