750 Words - Day 16
And the streak continues! Last night i sat down to watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I saw it on Amazon Instant videos and added it to my watchlist. I coudn't figure out why i wanted to watch this film or where / if i had heard of it. Then it dawned on me. I betcha this is a Tim Ferriss thing. Sure enough, it's one of the documentaries he recommends surrounding cooking. It's amazing how that seed was planted without me even realizing it. Yet, when i saw the title, something clicked.
It was a great documentary. Unfortunately, the whole thing is in Japanese but if you don't mind reading subtitles i recommend it. Although the movie is about an 85 year old sushi chef, the movie touches on many things that can be applied outside the kitchen. It seemed like everybody in the movie had knowledge to drop. The old sushi chef, his apprentice son, a restaurant critic, and various people from the fish market all had quotes i felt necessary to jot down.
It seems that greatness, no matter your profession can all be boiled down to the same characteristics. No matter the source, the same characteristics continue to surface again and again. I won't get into those now because i can't think of them without looking in my notebook. I plan to do a follow-up post regarding my notable quotations from the documentary after i'm done with this challenge.
I've already written the post and i also have notes from another book i've read this year. I don't want to post them yet, though, because i'd prefer not to post multiple times per day and then go a week without anything. I'll keep those posts on hand for those days. The only issue i have with that is that i'm withholding information from all of you. What if there was something contained in those notes that would change your life and i'm just sitting on them? That would suck. It's also a reason for you to check back.
I found out yesterday that i am getting a revised role at work. I currently work only on the corporate branding side of things but now i'll be splitting my time between the corporate side and a specific brand. It's a great opportunity for me and i'm looking forward to the change of pace. It begins next Monday. I'll work two days for the brand, two days for corporate, and the departments will alternate Fridays. I hope there's a nice little raise involved, but minimally it's an opportunity to work with different people and learn new things. I'm looking at it as a fresh start in my organization.
There is no reason not to enjoy your job. After all, none of us are forced to show up everyday. We may have a million reasons in our head as to why we "can't" quit but those are all excuses. Your manager does not come to your door every day with a weapon and force you to log the hours. (Although i've heard there are same damn crazy factories in China) Anyway, we are free to pursue whatever we want. We are the captain of our own ship.
Even if you have a lowly job, if you are the best at it you will gain notoriety and earn a more-than-modest amount of money. Jiro was a sushi chef. There are probably millions of sushi chefs in the world. But Jiro loves making sushi. He calls it his life's work. This is one of the reasons he is one of the absolute best in his trade. A love for what he is creating and the unrelenting drive to improve. Jiro wants to make each piece of sushi better than the last. Incremental improvements over the long haul. It is because of how he approaches his work that he is so successful.
I'm sure he makes more money than other "higher-paying" professions because he's at the top of his craft. You can be mediocre at something you hate or you can strive to be great at something you love. Jiro shows us that choosing something you love, even if the money isn't there, is the true path.
I think when i'm finally able to fully immerse myself in my work, myself and the world around me will be of great benefit. When we do the work we are meant to do, it radiates outward and makes the whole world a better place for everybody.
