Slides, Ego, and Letting Go

A reminder that not every detail needs defending - sometimes peace is the real design.

Sometimes the hardest part of work isn't the task itself - it's loosening our grip on how it should be. This reflection is about PowerPoint slides, but really, it's about ego, peace, and choosing where to place our heart.

I was designing and formatting the PowerPoint slides for the upcoming board presentation. To maintain consistency for the overall theme of the deck, I have to adjust some slides slightly to present a corporate consistency sometimes. Of course, whenever I do that, I will get pushback from owners of the modified slides.

In the past, I would spiral into a tailspin of thoughts: Why don't they like what I meticulously designed or formatted? Can't they see the consistency? Why settle for something so plain and boring? I am not good in designing the slides ...

But nowadays, I let it go. I formatted everything, ensured consistency across all slides, and then sent out a gentle note: If anyone prefers the original design, I'll simply change it back.

And that was it. No tug-of-war. No silent frustration. No ego.

Because it's not really about slides - it's about knowing which flights are worth fighting, and which are simply distractions. My role isn't to win the design competition. My role is to bring together eight-to-ten different sources of slides, and make them flow as one.

There are boundaries I can't cross, and there are spaces where I can quietly leave a touch of heart. That's enough. That's exactly why I'm here.