Nick Powills: Take That Bullshit and Turn it Into Good Shit

I believe choice to be one of the most powerful tools we are given as human beings.

Clearly, not every situation comes with the ability to use this tool, but choice-adjacent decisions can be found in almost any action. We have a lot of choice as to what situations we put ourselves in, how we handle them and how we grow from them.

This is why we all have an opportunity to take that bullshit and turn it into good shit.

Last year, I was having a bad day. The day doesn’t matter as much as my thought process. Now, I don’t claim this to be an easy task. In fact, the power of choice is quite difficult to embrace. On this particular day, I felt as if I was punched in the gut. At this point, I decided to reflect – I could either let that situation that day impact what happens next, or, I could pause, reflect and cut off the frustration.

When I take pause, I typically envision the final day of my life. I don’t know when it will be or how it will happen – but, unless some unicorn medical miracle is created (and I want to live forever), it will absolutely happen – and most likely, I will feel as if it happened too soon.

That is my reflection to help create perspective – especially around bullshit.

Bullshit is often created by others – but, that would be choosing to blame them for my response. Rather, with an understanding that life is short, I take that bullshit and turn it into good shit.

I pause, and understand that in the grand scheme of things, that bullshit doesn’t mean anything. When I die, I won’t give two shits (good or bull) about that moment, thus, I have the choice to change my outlook on that situation, punt, and get back up to the line again.

In any position of leadership, I promise you, you will have bullshit. As a leader, you have clearly done something to get into your position. As a leader, you may have even more choice than others – use that for good shit. It will most likely make you smile more and feel like you are progressing within this crazy world we happen to live in.