4 Things You Created

Creation vs. Consumption. But First, Creation.

For busy couples: a reminder of what you’ve created

There's a stark contrast between creation and consumption. Yet there's a crazy harmony too – we consume to create, we create from what we consume. The law of conservation of energy at work. Or simply put, tradeoffs.

Given the number of Costco boxes and a full garbage bin on the curb, it can feel like an all-consuming world. I drove to said Costco to buy groceries and yard bags so I could drive them back home, eat the food, throw the boxes away, and shove old clippings in the bag…to throw them away. Consumption!

That's exactly why it's critical we create something. Preferably more than we consume.

I believe we were made in a Creator's image. Which means you were literally built to create, and create well.

"Oh geez, entrepreneurship or building things or art isn't really my thing."

Good news: you've already been creating. Sometimes it isn't obvious. Sometimes we don't give ourselves the credit. And sometimes we're so deep in consumption mode that we forget to review what we've actually built.

Celebrating the relationship we’ve built is the whole point of Date Night Done. Time and busy schedules just get in the way.

Type of say the type of date that feels right for you two and we plan, book, and add an element of surprise/delight while you stay busy doing what you do. Just $10.

Have your Date Night Done for you. Easy, stress-free, worth it.

4 Things Where You’re the Creator

If you're reading this, you've likely created these things. They're worth taking note of. Truly. And as the creator (or major contributor), you can continue to edit, enhance, refactor when needed. Or – maybe more importantly – you can sit back and appreciate what's pretty damn impressive.

1. YOU CREATED YOUR PARTNERSHIP

Obvious for this publication, right? But it's true – this relationship is something you chose to build, and it's there literally every day. It was manufactured out of nothing more than an introduction.

Look at it today. What's worth celebrating? Any tweaks needed? You're the carpenter here.

2. YOU CREATED YOUR KIDS

I've never created anything else in mere minutes (hours? seconds? don't judge) that could possibly have such exponentially crazy ROI.

Watching my almost-4-year-old run around a playground this week made me realize: if I don't take a moment to just go "wow," I miss a daily burst of delight in basking in this creation. It's easy to miss... and easy to correct.

3. YOU CREATED YOUR CAREER

No matter how you're feeling at this moment about it, you were an innovator in this experiment.

At some point you studied, made decisions, collaborated with others, and created things of value for people who continued to trust you to take it further. You may have also created a career that showed you what NOT to continue doing.

If it's put even one meal on the table or taught you one lesson, you're a creator with a valuable invention sitting in front of you.

4. YOU CREATED... YOU

Sounds corny at first. But a podcast reminded me recently that your interests, dislikes, passions, comprehension of topics – and the combination and processing of those things – manifests in this world as highly unique.

And you did that.

There are 100 things I can name about myself that I'd like to improve or edit. But can't we take a minute to appreciate that we've created something unique that can absolutely offer value to ourselves and those around us... if we share it with that fleck of light in mind?

Take It Off the Shelf

It's these amazing things we build that are worth taking enjoyment in. Celebrating them by taking them "off the shelf" and admiring them a little bit.

That clay pot you made with your own two hands brings that much more enjoyment when you give it a disproportionate few minutes to look at it and say "I'm really glad I built that."

And every time you don't just shelf it... it gives value back. It has actual utility! It holds water and pours it, looks nice doing it and it even holds a story.

That's all the reason I built Appairent and now DateNightDone – having 100 different ways, big and small, to take stock of these incredibly important things we create. Even if we need help manufacturing that moment, it's worth doing. While I build with this core belief in mind, it’s easy to miss all across my world as weeks go by.

Related Challenge

To frame out the above try 1 or some of these this week.

Partner: Take 5 minutes to think of a specific thing you appreciate about your partnership. Tell them. It’s so worth it even if you feel like a Hallmark movie at first blush.

Parent: The next playground/sport practice you’re watching take the frame I mentioned above. Put phones away and all the other bull that pollutes our minds that makes us say “can this be over yet, this isn’t what I need to be doing”. Watch your creation at work, that’s the point of creation in some sense.

Person: Write down 3 things about yourself that make you uniquely valuable. You don’t have to puff yourself up. I recently did this trying to see that unique intersection and it was pretty fascinating- not impressive, good or bad, just fascinating.

Owning Creation

God himself sat back and noted what he made was very good. And they are and were created for his pleasure. That’s owning creation!

I think that moment alludes to wholesome contentment. A contentment that brings us full circle to, ironically, consumption... but that's for next week.

🍻

Hat