Comments on: It's the Cynicism That'll Kill You. http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/ Fawn Germer Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:36:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: admin http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-137 admin Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:48:43 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-137 Great post, Suzanne. Great post, Suzanne.

]]> By: Suzanne Wigginton http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-124 Suzanne Wigginton Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:29:06 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-124 As a reformed negtivity junkie, I truly appreciate your article. I too am striving to positively effect those who read my words and at times I feel unqualified or inadequate, picturing people who "knew me when" rolling their eyes and visualizing me in a white robe with my head shaved and passing out flowers (not that there's anything wrong with that). Regardless, I am doing the work and reaping the rewards of manifesting my own reality and it's reassuring to be inspired by someone successfully farther down the path. Thanks! As a reformed negtivity junkie, I truly appreciate your article. I too am striving to positively effect those who read my words and at times I feel unqualified or inadequate, picturing people who “knew me when” rolling their eyes and visualizing me in a white robe with my head shaved and passing out flowers (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Regardless, I am doing the work and reaping the rewards of manifesting my own reality and it’s reassuring to be inspired by someone successfully farther down the path. Thanks!

]]> By: David Williams http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-136 David Williams Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:03:27 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-136 Idealism instead of cynicism? We all know the things we've said when tragedy happens. The names we have for bums frozen under the bridges or the corpses burned in fires. That's not idealism. It's the cynicism that comes by trying to make it in a harsh business with harsh people. I think can't help but think Jos Schuurmans didn't spend very many days in real newsrooms. Idealism instead of cynicism? We all know the things we’ve said when tragedy happens. The names we have for bums frozen under the bridges or the corpses burned in fires. That’s not idealism. It’s the cynicism that comes by trying to make it in a harsh business with harsh people. I think can’t help but think Jos Schuurmans didn’t spend very many days in real newsrooms.

]]> By: Jos Schuurmans http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-135 Jos Schuurmans Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:57:38 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-135 I'm with @Jeffry Weiss on this one. The journalists I know and respect are idealists who believe that their critical attitude is a positive force in this world. I used to be a journalist (not a marshmallow) and even though I'm an entrepreneur now, that idealism will always be part of my identity. Once you become cynical, you've probably lost that ideal and it may be better for you to move on - like write a book in the tradition of Napoleon Hill and grow rich. BTW, did anyone read Chris Locke's new chapter in Cluetrain@10? @Doc, I know you did :-) Would be interesting to discuss it here in this echo chamber. I’m with @Jeffry Weiss on this one. The journalists I know and respect are idealists who believe that their critical attitude is a positive force in this world.

I used to be a journalist (not a marshmallow) and even though I’m an entrepreneur now, that idealism will always be part of my identity.

Once you become cynical, you’ve probably lost that ideal and it may be better for you to move on – like write a book in the tradition of Napoleon Hill and grow rich.

BTW, did anyone read Chris Locke’s new chapter in Cluetrain@10? @Doc, I know you did :-) Would be interesting to discuss it here in this echo chamber.

]]> By: Doc Searls Weblog · Can’t make hard boiled soft http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Doc Searls Weblog · Can’t make hard boiled soft Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:44:08 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-134 [...] my take-away from Fawn Germer in It’s the Cynicism That’ll Kill You. The encompassing [...] [...] my take-away from Fawn Germer in It’s the Cynicism That’ll Kill You. The encompassing [...]

]]> By: admin http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-133 admin Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:50:55 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-133 That's a really good point. I think I'll write an item about this rather than going on about it right here. Great point, Rosemary. That’s a really good point. I think I’ll write an item about this rather than going on about it right here. Great point, Rosemary.

]]> By: Rosemary Goudreau http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-123 Rosemary Goudreau Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:35:39 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-123 Maybe more than cyncism, what your friend faced was depression. There's a lot of it going around these days as journalists, even optimistic journalists, face the loss of their occupation. The challenge for a life coach like you is to meet people where they are, and help them figure out their first few steps, then the next few. Hail Mary passes rarely work or happen, as you well know. It's the old "three yards and a cloud of dust" that moves the ball down the field. Same is true when you think about the path to reinvention. Few of us find the perfect opportunity out of the box. But as we explore this and that, we will find our way. To many of your friends, your success looks formidable and unreplicable. But when you break it down into "how to" steps for moving forward, no matter the destination, the path seems not so daunting. Defining small steps might help your depressed cynic find a sense of direction again. Maybe more than cyncism, what your friend faced was depression. There’s a lot of it going around these days as journalists, even optimistic journalists, face the loss of their occupation. The challenge for a life coach like you is to meet people where they are, and help them figure out their first few steps, then the next few. Hail Mary passes rarely work or happen, as you well know. It’s the old “three yards and a cloud of dust” that moves the ball down the field. Same is true when you think about the path to reinvention. Few of us find the perfect opportunity out of the box. But as we explore this and that, we will find our way. To many of your friends, your success looks formidable and unreplicable. But when you break it down into “how to” steps for moving forward, no matter the destination, the path seems not so daunting. Defining small steps might help your depressed cynic find a sense of direction again.

]]> By: Keith DuBay http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Keith DuBay Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:21:12 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-132 We are all our own worst enemies. Didn't someone smart say that? Dawn's work is inspirational to us all. We can't wait to hear you speak in Denver at the ACG meeting. OMG alert the authorities, she's returning! We are all our own worst enemies. Didn’t someone smart say that? Dawn’s work is inspirational to us all. We can’t wait to hear you speak in Denver at the ACG meeting. OMG alert the authorities, she’s returning!

]]> By: Marty Rosen http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-131 Marty Rosen Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:05:20 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-131 Being a journalist is hard and it's rewarding. I did it for almost 25 years and if I got a do-over I would do it again. I was a skeptic, though, not a cynic. When friends asked how I could get up each day to face the daily bad news I said "because if I didn't think I could make it better I would give up today." I left in 2001 because the business model was dying and because I could. Now I pick and choose the best potential AIDS research and programs and combine that with a passion for logistics and deadlines to run multi-day fundraising bike rides. I just finished NYCDC this week, and know that Fawn is right. Success breeds success, and optimism, joy and perseverance are contagious. Again and again, I saw people shed doubts about their physical abilities and push on because everyone else was doing it. I've learned to separate the rare malcontent from the group because that negativity can infect and taint an entire event. Being a journalist is hard and it’s rewarding. I did it for almost 25 years and if I got a do-over I would do it again. I was a skeptic, though, not a cynic. When friends asked how I could get up each day to face the daily bad news I said “because if I didn’t think I could make it better I would give up today.”
I left in 2001 because the business model was dying and because I could.
Now I pick and choose the best potential AIDS research and programs and combine that with a passion for logistics and deadlines to run multi-day fundraising bike rides.
I just finished NYCDC this week, and know that Fawn is right. Success breeds success, and optimism, joy and perseverance are contagious. Again and again, I saw people shed doubts about their physical abilities and push on because everyone else was doing it.
I’ve learned to separate the rare malcontent from the group because that negativity can infect and taint an entire event.

]]> By: staci backauskas http://hardwonwisdom.com/hard-won-wisdom/fawn-germer/comment-page-1/#comment-125 staci backauskas Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:55:58 +0000 http://www.hardwonwisdom.com/?p=2364#comment-125 You always have a choice. You don't always know that, but you do. Yes, perhaps it feels empowering to step away from what you know doesn't work anymore. And yes, perhaps being laid off can encourage feelings of victimization. However, the opportunity to really exercise your right to choose is pretty powerful when you experience something like losing your job. People can choose to be like the friend you wrote about a couple of weeks ago - a world-class photographer who realized after he got downsized that working at a Chinese restaurant wasn't his calling, and took his life savings to go to Africa. Or they can choose to hold on to "hey, this wasn't the plan" and feel all of the accompanying blame, resentment and bitterness. Only one of these choices will manifest peace in your belly. Only one of them will enable you be who you really are. Maybe this is why I never really tried to be a journalist, despite the degree :) You always have a choice. You don’t always know that, but you do. Yes, perhaps it feels empowering to step away from what you know doesn’t work anymore. And yes, perhaps being laid off can encourage feelings of victimization. However, the opportunity to really exercise your right to choose is pretty powerful when you experience something like losing your job. People can choose to be like the friend you wrote about a couple of weeks ago – a world-class photographer who realized after he got downsized that working at a Chinese restaurant wasn’t his calling, and took his life savings to go to Africa. Or they can choose to hold on to “hey, this wasn’t the plan” and feel all of the accompanying blame, resentment and bitterness. Only one of these choices will manifest peace in your belly. Only one of them will enable you be who you really are. Maybe this is why I never really tried to be a journalist, despite the degree :)

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