10/05/26
STORY
Years ago, my family took a trip to Ocean City, Maryland.
We drove from Northern NJ, so it took us about 4 hours to get there.
It was the late 90s, before Bluetooth or streaming, so we relied on the radio.
You remember those? 😆
My father had an FM radio station on, and we were listening to music during the ride.
Once we were out of range of the NJ/NY area, the station we were listening to turned to static.
My father had to explain to us kids why that happened, and he had to search for another station to listen to music.
In reflection, this is a powerful metaphor.
You leave your house and head towards a destination, which represents your life’s journey.
As you drive, you set your radio station to a certain frequency.
The radio station represents what gives you a sense of fulfillment and meaning.
Early on in your trip, you tune into one station to listen to your music.
You find the right station, and you love the music that plays.
As you drive, you may notice that the station is no longer tuned to a frequency that plays the music you enjoy.
It may turn to static, or it may change to music you don’t wanna listen to.
Therefore, you need to change the station.
On your life and career journey, what gives you a sense of fulfilment and meaning today may change in the future.
Just like how what gave you a sense of fulfilment and meaning years ago no longer does it for you.
The point is that everything changes.
Circumstances change…
Environments change…
And you change.
Therefore, be aware of how “tuned in” you are.
If at any point you’re starting to hear a lot of static…
You may need to consider changing the station.
What does that look like?
It could require a major turn of the “knob” to a new career or starting a business…
Or a slight turn, such as a new opportunity or a change of scenery.
Either way…
Be open and willing to change…
Because your journey is too short to be forced to drive long distances listening to static.
You deserve to enjoy the ride with the kinda music that gets you dancing in your seat.
OBSERVATION
(The following observation was written with the help of AI)
Psychologists Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel Gilbert, and Timothy Wilson studied more than 19,000 people, ages 18 to 68. They asked them how much they’d changed over the past 10 years, and how much they expected to change over the next 10. People of every age said they’d changed a lot in the past. But they predicted they’d barely change in the future. The researchers called this the “end of history illusion,” because we treat who we are right now as the finished version. The funny part is that it’s just as untrue for the next decade as it was for the last one. In other words, the station you’re tuned to today probably won’t be the one you want 10 years from now, and most of us don’t see the static coming.
(Quoidbach, Gilbert, & Wilson, The End of History Illusion, Science, 2013)
STRATEGY
This week I invite you to consider the following:
Are you tuned to the right frequency?
On a scale of 1-10…
Where a “1” means you have zero fulfillment and meaning in your life…
And a “10” means you are capped out in fulfillment and meaning…
What score would you give yourself?
If the goal is to be at a “10”…
How much “turn of the knob” is required?
A slight adjustment?
Or do you need to make a major change?
Whatever your answer…
What is one step you can take this week to tune in to the right station?
Rooting for you,
Jay (inviting you to stay tuned in to your favorite radio station)
International Keynote Speaker
Host of the “Unstuck” podcast
Fan of all types of music, including Eminem, Ed Sheeran, 2Pac, Bob Marley, and many more
