Letter

Dear don’ts of the ordinary world

You tell me:

  • Don’t dance in the tube
  • Don’t talk with strangers
  • Don’t smile at strangers
  • Don’t use funny clothes
  • Don’t take too many days off
  • Don’t proclaim the world as wild and free
  • Don’t say things are not ok
  • Don’t paint on walls
  • Don’t laugh too much
  • Don’t cry too much
  • Don’t forget your past
  • Don’t wait too much
  • Don’t rush into things
  • Don’t believe people
  • Don’t dance like no one is watching
  • Don’t be an open book
  • Don’t scream
  • Don’t lose your temper
  • Don’t lose sight of who you are
  • Don’t eat ice cream
  • Don’t be a dreamer
  • Don’t lose yourself
  • Don’t fight for this
  • Don’t quit
  • Don’t procrastinate
  • Don’t be silly
  • Don’t be afraid

You’ve advised me with a list of “don’ts,” but you also say not to be afraid. How can I navigate through these restrictions without feeling overwhelmed or fearful? Remember, patience is crucial; don’t push your don’ts too hard over me. Fear might hinder my ability to approach my goals.

This article from HBR about the decision of playing it safe is the riskiest strategic choice, says.

If we’re going to close the gap between the mostly incremental trajectory so many of us find ourselves on and avoid falling into the trap of the timid transformation, we must fundamentally rethink our relationship to risk. We must come to see, to quantify more fully, and to acknowledge the potentially enormous cost of our inaction. We must understand the roots of the fear that keeps us stuck. We must embrace the beauty of imperfection and accept, as Seth Godin reminds us, “that if failure is not an option, then neither is success.”

When we accept that safe is often the riskiest strategy of all, we see that in the face of accelerating disruption often the only choice that has any chance of success is to aim far higher in the value we deliver to customers, to move much faster, and to act boldly.”
If the world has changed so much, why have you changed so little?” Their answers are often complicated, but much of it has to do with a reluctance to confront our fears and fully appreciate the growing risks from our unwillingness to take bold action.

STEVE DENNIS