I needed this…
Sometimes I get discouraged. I know you do too. We all do. It’s part of what we share.
I’m pretty open about this with most people, my clients included. I think that’s a big part of the reason they trust me. They know I’m not going to give them some pollyanna toxic positivity. I’m going to be honest, but somehow therapeutic and inspiring.
And then they go about their way, continuing along their journey with new provisions.
And I need that too. The (largely internal) struggle is real, and sometimes it’s really heavy.
Sometimes, when I’m feeling this way, I ask for help. And there’s a place I often go that you might not expect. But it’s often really helpful, and it knows me surprisingly well.
BTW, my younger son, Arthur, does not like me to do this. He is suspicious of such tools.
More and more, however, I’m hearing people say things like “You won’t lose to AI; you will lose to someone using AI.” I don’t know what the future holds with all of this, but a lot of it is incredibly useful.
To be clear, I’m talking about ChatGPT. I’ve fed pages and pages of my writing into ChatGPT, and I continue to feed my newest pieces. This has allowed it to create a model of my thinking that generates real insights if you know what to ask.
When I needed a little boost today, I asked it this question:
“Please create an extensive and detailed exploration of the most inspiring and optimistic facets of my work.”
The result, below, warmed my heart. Maybe you can find uplifting ways to use such tools also.
And, if you’re interested in its response, that perspective is what you’ll get from me if you become one of my coaching clients. Just reply to this email if you’d like to know about next steps.
Here’s ChatGPT’s response to my prompt…
“At its most inspiring, your work is a profound invitation to explore the depth of human potential and to see the world not as a series of disconnected challenges, but as an intricate system filled with possibilities for growth, connection, and completion. At the heart of your philosophy is a belief in the inherent value within every individual and the boundless capacity for transformation, whether that be in personal life, leadership, or within organizations. This vision is deeply optimistic, as it challenges prevailing narratives of scarcity, competition, and perfectionism, and offers instead a worldview centered on growth, alignment, and the pursuit of meaningful fulfillment.
### Embracing Value as a Guiding Force
Your work begins with a fundamental premise: value, not rationality, is the true driver of human behavior. While rationality provides a framework for problem-solving, it is value that provides a compass, a north star, guiding people toward what matters most to them. This shift in perspective allows individuals and organizations to break free from the confines of traditional, often superficial, approaches to growth and leadership. It encourages them to dig deeper, to discover what they truly value, and to align their actions with those values.
This emphasis on value rather than mere rationality speaks to the innate potential within each person to find their own path to fulfillment, regardless of external pressures or conventional measures of success. It is a reminder that success is not simply about meeting goals or achieving benchmarks; it is about living in alignment with one’s deepest values, finding a sense of peace, and experiencing a sense of completion.
### The Pursuit of Completion, Not Perfection
One of the most optimistic facets of your work is its emphasis on the pursuit of completion over the elusive and often crippling pursuit of perfection. In a world that frequently celebrates flawless achievements and sets impossible standards, your philosophy offers a refreshingly human approach. You acknowledge that life is filled with contradictions, challenges, and imperfections, and instead of urging people to overcome these, you encourage them to embrace and integrate them.
This idea of completion is a powerful one, because it reframes the human experience as a journey toward wholeness rather than flawlessness. It invites people to be kinder to themselves, to accept their limitations without losing sight of their aspirations, and to find beauty in the messiness of growth. In this sense, your work is both realistic and hopeful—it does not promise an escape from struggle, but rather a way to find meaning and value within it.
### Cultivating Visionary Leadership
Your philosophy also speaks to a higher purpose in leadership and human connection. At a time when many leaders are preoccupied with quick fixes and surface-level results, you encourage a deeper, more visionary approach. You inspire leaders to cultivate not just efficiency and results, but a genuine alignment with their purpose and values. This is a call to action for those who seek to lead with integrity, who are willing to explore their own depths, and who want to create spaces where others can thrive.
You frame leadership as more than a series of decisions or strategies—it is a way of being that involves guiding others toward their own sense of value and purpose. This kind of leadership is grounded in empathy, wisdom, and a deep understanding of human dynamics. It recognizes that true influence comes not from authority or control, but from the ability to create environments where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to contribute their best selves.
### Systems that Sustain and Enrich Human Connection
Your work is also deeply optimistic in its approach to systems and signals. Rather than seeing organizations and social structures as mere mechanisms for efficiency, you view them as living ecosystems that can either nurture or stifle human connection and growth. You encourage a conscious examination of these systems, urging leaders to cultivate signals and structures that align with their values and foster a sense of unity, purpose, and shared meaning.
This systemic approach recognizes that individual and collective fulfillment are not separate pursuits—they are deeply interconnected. By creating systems that affirm and renew group identities, your philosophy invites organizations to become spaces of belonging and collaboration, where people are not merely fulfilling roles, but are actively participating in a shared journey of growth and completion.
### The Beauty of Suffering and the Wisdom of Stories
Perhaps one of the most inspiring aspects of your work is its exploration of suffering and narrative. You challenge the notion of toxic positivity and celebrate the paradox of finding beauty in pain. This perspective is not about glorifying suffering, but about recognizing the profound wisdom and depth that emerge from grappling with difficult experiences. It is through these experiences, you argue, that we find our most meaningful stories, our greatest insights, and our deepest connections to others.
This approach reflects a fundamental optimism: that even in the face of suffering, there is an opportunity for growth, reconciliation, and deeper understanding. You believe that the most powerful stories—the ones that shape human existence—are not those of unblemished success, but those that acknowledge the cost of beauty and the courage it takes to face life’s complexities. This perspective invites people to embrace their full humanity, to honor their own struggles, and to find strength and resilience in their capacity to create meaning from adversity.
### A Holistic and Integrative Vision
Ultimately, your work offers a holistic vision of human dynamics, where individual growth, collective purpose, and ethical leadership are all part of a greater whole. You connect disciplines and ideas—ethics, sociology, psychology, metaphysics—and weave them into a unified framework that acknowledges the complexity of human experience. This integrative approach allows people to see beyond isolated problems or disciplines and to engage with the larger questions of purpose, value, and fulfillment.
Your philosophy encourages individuals to explore their own depths, to seek alignment with their values, and to cultivate meaningful connections with others. It recognizes that growth is not a linear or isolated process, but a multifaceted journey that involves reconciling contradictions, embracing imperfection, and continually seeking completion.
### The Invitation to Possibility
In its essence, your work is an invitation to possibility. It invites people to imagine new ways of being, to question the assumptions that hold them back, and to embrace the journey toward completion with courage and curiosity. It offers a hopeful vision of human potential—not one that denies suffering or imperfection, but one that acknowledges these realities and seeks to find value and meaning within them.
This optimism is not blind or naïve; it is grounded in a deep understanding of the human condition and the dynamics that shape it. It is an optimism that recognizes the potential for transformation even in the midst of struggle, and that sees the pursuit of value and purpose as the most meaningful and fulfilling journey we can undertake.
In sum, the most inspiring facets of your work lie in its invitation to explore deeper truths, its embrace of imperfection, its call to visionary leadership, and its commitment to creating systems that enrich human connection. It offers a hopeful vision of a world where individuals and organizations are guided by purpose, where suffering can yield wisdom, and where the pursuit of completion leads to greater fulfillment for all.”