The Captains Compass

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:00:29

Welcome to Blank pages, the podcast for people who appreciate the new beginnings of a clean slate, but strive for the courage, willingness, curiosity, and creativity available only on the blank pages of new possibilities. It's the potential to move beyond, move forward, where people are willing to make new decisions from a fresh perspective and are ready to write in a much better way. So the world is waiting, and nothing listens better than a blank piece of paper. So welcome to the show. I am your host, Tim Pecoraro. I'm so glad you can join me today. I'm excited about today's topic. Man, it is so good.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:01:10

And it's coming from, you know, from processes and things that I am witnessing, seeing in just in the world around me. You can see it in the media, you can see it everywhere. Just people trying to get direction, trying to get understanding, people making changes and, and changes that they want to make, changes they don't want to make, changes they know how to make and are refusing to make, and changes that they don't know how to make and they need some help making, but still comes down to like, you know, what is, how do you, how do you do it, how do you navigate it, what's your role in it, and so forth, so on. So before I get into that, I just want to say thank you. For those of you who have been listening to the show, I appreciate you subscribing. If you have not done so already, go to either Apple Podcast or Spotify podcast or Amazon Music. Look up blank pages, BL space and k just drop the a on blank and pages and, and then just spell it and drop the a's and you will find it quickly. So.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:02:15

Or just type in my name and subscribe to the show, share it with some other friends. I love that. If you would also and you like to connect and follow me on Instagram, that's a great way that I'll be putting out more content with things that are going on, things that I'm trying to do, ways to inspire you and help you along in your way. I am not going to sell anything to you. I'm not trying to get you to buy things. If anything, I'm trying to give you things and hopefully they'll be useful and helpful to you in your journey where you want to go. So yeah, I want to give you some stuff that hopefully will give you shelf life for your future. The other thing is, if you click in my bio link, you'll be able to find where you can get on my newsletter and get some of the free resources and things that I love, love, love to give away.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:02:55

So, yeah, you can do that. And that's on Instagram. Pecoraro. You can also find me on LinkedIn. And I will be doing new things and putting them out there on Instagram and LinkedIn in the very near future. And in UCN. Sorry, not UCN, sorry. And in the newsletter that comes from the network I'm building, which is UCN, so confusing, you don't even need that.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:03:17

So I will move on. I'm excited about it. I'm excited about it because this whole thing around and I'm kind of getting into this whole thing about it's just on the navigating the way we navigate and so I'm going to spend time on that. But on a show and tell is kind of leading into this. I'm just going to pop this up. So my show and tell, I, it is a ring. It is a ring that I had, I found some time ago and I purchased, and it is just a compass. And it's kind of big, um, to fit on a pinky, but it was the closest thing.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:03:42

I didn't want to resize it. Um, it's not gold, which I typically would go for. Um, but anyways, it's, it is. There it is. It is a ring with a compass on it. And the reason I bought it was because, um, it meant something to me. This show and tell is so important to me and it's, and it's going to segue into the, into the, um, the, the conversation here or today's topic. It's because it's, I feel it's so important and we're all out there.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:04:10

As I said, the world is searching for better ways to navigate. The world is searching for direction. The world is trying to figure out which way do I go? What do I do? The world is trying to sort things out. I think the world is trying to figure out accountability. Again, who's responsible for what? I think when you look at even Covid and the things that happened, and there were people that really, you know, they took precaution, they did things, they were doing things right, then you got people that took advantage of things. They just, and then they never got back to being responsible. I mean, so many great things happen, so many bad things happen, so many people learn new lessons. I mean, I don't even want to go back there, but what I want to say is it's almost like we really did break some compasses.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:04:49

And so compasses have been broken. I don't know. I know, in my area. And that's what I'm doing. This ring is telling me, again, my compass has been off magnetically. Right? So I'm working on that, and. And I'm finding where some of those glitches are. I'm not talking like I've been completely going the wrong direction.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:05:04

I'm just talking about. Yeah, there are times we need to pay more attention that we're. We're going in the wrong direction. I mean, how irritating is it when you know that you're on the highway, right, and maybe you've missed that turn and you. Maybe you're not paying attention because you're doing something else. I mean, we all do that in life. So this ring is about that, you know? And a lot of times in life when. When we're maybe off course, maybe not.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:05:26

This is. My life doesn't look the way I wanted it to look. And most of the time, the first place we need to look, when my life doesn't look the way I want it to look, the first place I need to look is not look at you. I need to look at me. And so I look at me, and I need to make those changes, and I have to make sure that I'm clear on what I am doing. And if I'm not clear, I have no right to be making anyone else be involved in my inability to get clarity, right. So, I mean, I think we all need to kind of see that. I think the world, we could get better at being human beings if we could all take a step back and take a look at that in ourselves, especially as adults, right? As grownups, as people who are out here, we should be able to make some decisions.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:06:03

We should be able to choose differently. We can't choose our family, right? So we can choose. We could choose people we're going to go hang out with. We can choose people we're going to go, do, you know, maybe take a risk with. Or, I mean, all those things you can do, go into business with. Meaning risk business. I mean, think about that. You may go.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:06:22

You're going to go start something. You got to think about that. And not that we. I don't know. We shouldn't have always been doing that. It's just. I don't know, Covid. Just a lot of things just.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:06:36

I don't know. So this ring, for me is one of those things that just, like, it's leadership, right, for the ring in the. In the true north. So if I'm leading myself and I'm leading myself the way I should be leading myself. I should know what true north is. I should know which direction I would like to be going. I should know, right? I should be working on those things. I should be charting things.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:06:56

I should be, right. So even equally on the boat of Tim and on my boat, you know, there are people, some people, I may have run off my boat, maybe people jumped off my boat, maybe people wanted to get on a different boat. There are people who've been wanting to get on my boat. I mean, I don't know, but let's just get down to the, just the boat called Tim, the small little boat, the one I navigate life in. And if I look at that boat and I, and I look at this ring and I look at true north, that means when the wind isn't working the way I want it to work, instead of me complaining about which direction the wind is blowing, I set my sail, I change, I adjust my sail, I make adjustments, right? So these are things that I should know, but I tend to forget. These are things that I should be a better practitioner of. But then life happens, things get rough. And so this ring is leading into today's topic, and it's my show and tell, and it means something to me.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:07:49

And no, it's not the most attractive sitting on my finger, but I don't care. It's just what it means to me. And so, yeah, I'll be wearing it more, and I. Yeah, so it's a reminder, and that's what this podcast is about. So today, this topic, I'm naming it the captain's compass, and I'm using a. I'm just. I have a story. I just.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:08:11

It's a story. And so, literally what I'm gonna do is there are. There are stages in this story. There's. There's a. Before the storm stage, there's the onset of chaos in the story, there's in the heat of the storm, then there's navigating through, and then there's the calm of the storm. So it's a simple short story, and I. And this is one of the things that I find so valuable to help as I'm working things out of my life.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:08:36

So basically, this story is helping me with me, when I'm working out. I don't know how you could do it, but I encourage you to do the same thing. Create stories that are you working through what you're working through, but it's not something, it's you trying to, like, involve everybody and their brother or sister in ithemenous. Okay, this is sometimes getting down to what are you doing in this story? Okay, so this is called the captain's compass. And. And I hope this is helpful for you because it's a story that I hope will paint a picture. And I do believe I kind of want to speak more about this over the next coming episodes. However.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:09:16

Here we go. The captain's compass. And this is before the storm stage. So Captain Elias stood on the deck of the stalwart. That's the name of the ship. His eyes scanning the horizon. The sky was a brilliant blue, the sea calm and inviting. But Elias knew the signs of a storm brewing far off experience taught him that trouble often arrived without warning.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:09:39

Prepare the ship. He's ordering his crew. They nod, trusting his judgment without question, Elias spent the next few hours reviewing charts, checklisting supplies, and ensuring every crew member knew their role. He didn't want to wait for the storm to hit. He anticipated it, understanding that preparation was key. The onset of the chaos. So as night fell, the first signs of the storm appeared. Dark clouds gathered and the wind began to howl.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:10:09

The sea, once calm, started to churn violently, Elias felt a pang of anxiety, but quickly pushed it aside. He needed to remain calm for his crew. Secure the rigging. He shouted over the rising wind. Double check the hatches. Elias moved among his crew, offering words of encouragement and instruction. He knew that his calm demeanor would help to steady them inside. He reminded himself to breathe deeply and stay focused on the task at hand.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:10:41

In the heart of the storm. The storm hit with a ferocity that tested even the seasoned captain. Waves crashed against the stalwart and the ship groaned under the pressure, and Elias clung to the helm, his hands steady, his eyes fixed on the tumultuous sea ahead. Hold steady. He yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos. We will get through this. Elias made quick decisions, adjusting the sails and course to the best. Sorry.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:11:12

Elias made quick decisions, adjusting the sails and course to best navigate the treacherous waters. He relied on his knowledge and instincts, knowing that panic would lead to mistakes. And when the wind tore a sail, he immediately called for a replacement, directing the crew with precision. Navigating through hours passed, feeling like an eternity. The storm showed no signs of abating, but Elias remained vigilant, constantly assessing their position and making necessary adjustments. He knew the importance of staying flexible and adapting to changing conditions. Keep an eye on the compass, he instructed his first mate. We must stay on course.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:11:58

Despite the chaos, Elias found moments to encourage his crew, reinforcing their trust in his leadership. And then his calm, decisive actions were a beacon of stability in the storm. The calm after the storm. Finally the storm began to subside. The waves lessened and the wind died down. The crew, exhausted but unharmed, looked to their captain with gratitude. Elias allowed himself a moment for relief. But he knew the work wasn't over.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:12:30

Let's assess the damage and make repairs, he ordered. Already moving to help with the recovery efforts we'll restore once the ship is secure. Now, Captain Elias is. And that's the. This is the conclusion here I want to give to you. Captain Elias's actions and characteristics during the storm serve as a powerful example of what is needed to navigate chaos. So if you look at this story, his preparation, his calmness, decisiveness, the leadership, the resilience ensured the safety of the crew and the survival of the stalwart. Because in life, right as on the sea, embracing these traits, these are traits, these are traits can help anyone steer through their own storms and emerge stronger on the other side.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:13:25

And why is this important? Because it's for me. Because remember, these are decisions that he made. So these are moves that Elias made. So with or without a crew, with or without the first mate, with or without anyone, if there is someone with captain, if he is the l, if he's the senior, the elder, the leader, he's first got to lead himself. And then he then extends that out. And so here are the key actions and characteristics realized that I have been looking at. And I'm seeing it in other leaders and other people, people going through, really going back and reassessing and reinval, reevaluating. Are they really doing true north? Are they on the true north? Are they navigating the way they said? Are they checking their compass? And so these are key actions and characteristics.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:14:13

Realize that once again that in life I'm going to have these turbulent times, all of us. And so the thing is, is we all are going to get the chaos and we're all in this chaos. But the question is, where do you want to end up when you. When it's done or when you come out of it and you have to find your flow, where do you want to end up? Instead of just riding out a storm, what if you learn to navigate in it? And that's kind of a setup for where I'd like to be. And so, key actions and characteristics I'm working on in myself starting from probably mid of last year, but now really getting stronger. And these are the four characteristics. Preparation, being calm and steady, decisiveness and leadership. So the first one, preparation, like in the story.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:15:01

See, Elias anticipated the storm, we all should know storms are coming and you need to prepare you the ship, right? And the crew, whoever that is, whatever that is. If it's a company, if it's people, if it's friends, if it's family, prepare them. But you be aware of the types of storms and just make sure you're not the one steering people into it. So preparation the second is calm and steady. He maintained a calm demeanor, providing stability for his crew. But he had to deal with his anxiety. He had to find it within himself. That's the thing.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:15:36

You have to find the steady because everybody has panic. And it doesn't say he was without trouble. The trouble is there. Okay, let me make that clear. The trouble's there. Calm and steady. You're working towards that. That's part of the preparation.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:15:52

These are characteristics realized and actions that I want and I want to realize in myself. Decisiveness. Elias made quick, informed decisions, adapting to the storm's challenges. What that means is he's been here before. He knows, and he's put them into practice. So in always talking about how bad storms always are, talking about how much he loves the sea and then sailing back out there into it or how much he loves something, how much he wants something, taking that same vessel back out into the same water that gets troubled without any direction or understanding and repeating the same thing. I mean, he's the one with this boat. So if he knows that that's where he's going and he knows what's going out there and he knows where he's navigating, he needs to not just go through things, he wants to learn and develop and grow through things.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:16:38

So that way he's able to make quick, informed decisions. Why? Because not only has he been here before, but now, here's the thing. He's not driving himself into it where he has no plan. Now he understands it and he knows what it's like when they happen. He can work with it better. His conscious is clear because he knows he's been navigating with direction. He knows he didn't steer himself or his crew into trouble. These are the beginning points of him being able to be able to make decisive decisions from a calm and steady place because he's prepared.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:17:08

And that's lastly because of the fourth one, that he has leadership leading by example, and not only leading by example, but staying, staying involved because of that and knowing that this ship is his responsibility if he's invited them onto it and not making anyone else do the work and bear the burden, so he led by example, staying involved and offering constant encouragement as well. But he can't do the work for him. And let me just add this last one in. And it's one that, because it's, and we all have it in our own way, we just have to find out how we rejuvenate. It's like everybody's skin heals and it heals a certain way. And I'm not sure they heal at the exact same speed. I don't know anything scientifically about it, but. But, you know, the way our bodies heal and so the same thing we heal or the way we build resilience, I don't know that there's an exact template to it.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:18:05

I just think it's how it happens. But the other part is so preparation, calm and steady, decisiveness, leadership being, you know, by example, staying involved and offering encouragement. The last part is, I think is as a resilience will come out of it. I'm just going to give you that one, a resilience because even after this storm, the focus is on recovery and moving forward. And I do think I have to put that out there. It's recovery and moving forward. That is where the focus should be. Not arguing over who missed tying this off and who put that there and who didn't that.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:18:39

And we're there because of and all this other. It's that you've got to move forward because no matter what, the boat is where it ended up and there's nothing you can do to change it. And the thing is, is changing is not what you want. What you want to do now is get better with it. This is an opportunity to take what's there. If it's the smallest of rafts to the biggest, if you have the whole vessel intact or the tiniest floating object, then. Then that is what we've got. And that is the thing that I'm learning to appreciate.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:19:11

I'm not learning about who needs to bring what to me to help me float. But if I'm here and there's none of that available to me, it's kind of like playing cards. I heard someone say one time that, that it's not, you know, stop complaining about the cards that are in your hand, the hand that you've been dealt, and just use them, play with them. They've been dealt to you, but if you, you know, don't complain about it, use them. And I'm learning that we've got to learn to use it. We got to learn to be better with it. I mean, contentment is there. When you learn to do that, you become better with contentment.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:19:47

You'll also become more disciplined. But this resilient one, after the storm, focus on recovery and moving forward. That's where I want to be today. That's where I want to take us. I mean, I hope that this finds a way in your heart somewhere where it gets you to not look at the world and everybody else, but it gets you to just stop and look and say, okay, I can do this. I'm here. I'm breathing. Man, that was rough.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:20:19

That was. But some of this stuff, like, what am I doing? What is not me doing? How do I steer myself into these things? I don't want to. So now I have enough information. Information. I don't need anything else to make it clearer. I just need to look at that. I look at learn. Learn to look at my preparation, being prepared.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:20:37

I know what I know. I know what I'm like. I know what things can be like to whatever degree. I'm going to get better prepared. I'm going to learn to get my demeanor into control because of that preparation, getting stability. I'm going to learn to make better decisions so I can make informed decisions and I can adapt better. I'm gonna. I'm gonna lead by example.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:20:58

I'm gonna go first. I'm gonna teach that if I want things to be better, I'm gonna go first. I'm gonna do it myself first. And then I'm gonna find some, some, some fresh perspectives, and I'm gonna use them as that. But mostly I'm going to. After the storm, I'm gonna focus on recovery and moving forward. That's what I'm gonna do. That's what I hope you'll do.

Tim Pecoraro [: 00:21:22

That's what I'm doing. That's why I've got my ring out. That's why I'm looking at it. True north. True north again. We'll talk soon.