In Parker Palmer’s book On the Brink of Everything, he says,

“When I’m asked for the ‘elevator speech’ that sums up my work, I always respond, ‘I always take the stairs, so I don’t have an elevator speech. If you’d like to walk with me awhile, I’d love to talk.’ I don’t know of a life worth living or work worth doing that can be reduced to a sound bite.”

This takes the pressure off so completely! We are free to be on many paths at once. We are free to be interested in many things, and to have beginners mind about all of them. We are free not to craft an elevator speech, and to take the stairs together instead. And we’re free to be surprised along the way—we are beings who change, and we live in a world that’s changing. Halfway up the stairs, our conversation is likely to change.

If we walked together for awhile at this moment, I might say some things like:

  • Death, aging, illness, disability, and pain are occupying a lot of my attention right now, and I wonder how my work will intersect with those realities.
  • I love group life, and I’m also constantly befuddled at the nonsensical nature of organizations. They love to act like they know what they are doing, and they usually don’t. I can’t save them, but we can work together to bring more joy and connection into the chaos.
  • Some of the work I’m proudest of lately has to do with helping people quit things. Quitting is an under-utilized strategy for a fulfilling life.
  • I believe it’s more important to trust the groups I’m with than that they trust me. If I trust the wisdom inside them, we will build trust quickly together.
  • People want to know what the purpose of their work is, they want to make progress on it, and they want to be seen and connect with one another along the way. Some things just don’t change.
  • We have three centers of intelligence—our heart, heart, and body. Any work that doesn’t involve all of those will be sub-par.
  • I’m into singing, play, improv, and silliness as modes that unlock potential the fastest.
  • Trying something is far superior to endlessly discussing the best thing to try.
  • At the bottom of everything I do, whether it’s coaching, facilitation, mediation, or consulting, I long for liberation. Liberation from oppressive structures like sexism and racism, liberation from unnecessary friction that slows people down in their work, and liberation from our fantasies of control and linearity.

Your turn—how would you describe what’s fascinating you lately? How would you describe your callings in the world? I’ll walk another flight of stairs with you and listen.