Good Morning!
I hope that your week went as good as mine! I started last week the Friday before! (Perhaps there is something to learn from that!)
Last Friday and Saturday Lori and I set our sights on achieving a rather crazy goal...even for a "younger and more resillient" set...The Prestigious Honor of accomplishing the Duval Crawl standing! In actuality...we needed a break from our routines...we got it...and stood to tell the story! The Genius of "the AND" played well into our trip! We spent a relaxing two days together...and we had a blast! We reconnected and enjoyed every minute!
As we drove to Key West...I could feel "decompression" set in! That deep sigh...brought on by the aroma of the sea air...the azure colored water...the rate of the trip...It always has a way of reminding a person of what the real priorities of life are WITHOUT words! Some people do not percieve it as Lori and I do...we go tense and leave relaxed...actually...
WE NEVER want to leave...but we do...perhaps someday...the trip will be "one-way!" That is actually on my vision board...
The past few days I have been deeply tied to the publisher. Yesterday a great phone call with the President of the company...Today I submitted the drawing to the art department, a correctly formatted manuscript to editing, pictures to the Cover Art Department...It is a blast! I have to go through this 5 more times to fulfill my vision for this year! The other 5 may not happen until the first quarter of next year...but my discussions yesterday confirmed that they are will to work books simultaneously...as long as I am up for the ride! I AM! Bring it on!
Enough of that! This is not about us...this is about you!
I am proud of all of you who saw your path and "stayed the course" this week...those who set their sights on making differences and can tangibly show what they did!
It is stuff like that which make legends!
YOU ROCK!
Perception and Illusion
For those of you who partied last night...you may want to wait until your head is stable before going further...LOL!
The Keys and perceptions! I often wonder how anyone can not love that atmosphere...but many people do not! Who is right?
You probably have gathered by now that among other things...I am a student of perception...
I am intrigued by perception...In fact, I am often mezmerized...
Take a moment to gaze at the following picture...
If your eyes work somewhat like mine, you saw that the rings appear to be rotating...even though you know that the picture is static! There is no video magic here...you can print it out and get the same effect!
What is interesting...we all see that movement in the rings...
If you haven't caught it...there is a strange thing happening here!
Let's regress for a moment...
A few years back...one of the cliches that "bugged the heck out of me," was..."Perception is reality..."
It was overused by those people who did not take time to think about the real meaning of their words!
Let's back into that statement...
Think about the definition of reality...it is that upon which the majority of the people agree upon...
We all agree that the rings are moving...yet they are not! What that real? By definition the movement is real! Yet we all agree it is not real...but an illusion...
So reality must be deeper than simply agreeing on what is seen...
Reality, in the complete sense of the word, is an interesting concept...it is not only what we all agree that we see...but it also contains a component of what we agree is the interpretation of what we see or better stated...what is logical! There is a component of sanity involved.
Sanity is a hard concept to define. The best example that I can use is actually numeric! Sanity has to do with appropriate behavior and belief systems of approximately +/- 45% of the average within the "bell curve." That means that the upper or lower 5% of the population's behaviors or beliefs are extremes and therefore in the "possibly insane" category! That means that standard behaviors and beliefs are held by about +/- 3 standard deviations of the "average beliefs or behaviors. Deviant behaviors and beliefs exceed that!
Why are we going so deep down this rabbit hole? Because once we clearly understand reality and logic and sanity...we can apply it to perception and better understand how we should act and react!
When a person percieves something...they actually go through that reality/sanity check...
Yet sometimes their reality is skewed by flawed logic...thus their sanity falls outside the norm. If this is actually accepted as reality by others...a vicious circle is created that could and more often than not has deviant or extreme consequences. We must be constantly on guard for situations like these. People get hurt!
Blindly accepting "perception as reality" means that you could place your finger on one of the rotation circles on that picture and stop it! Try that! The rings keep moving! It is like running towards the water that you see on the horizon, in a desert...it is only an illusion! In that case...it generates a behavior that will end in a quick death!
Deviant beliefs lead to extreme consequences...when you come upon an extreme perception...be on guard! Test it from many angles and get as much feedback as possible...
This applies to our everyday experiences as leaders...
We often draw a conclusion that may fall into the "extreme zone." Check it out! Ask for other's perceptions and feedback...draw your conclusion from the mean...and not the extremes!
The most plausible explanation for most every situation is generally the simpliest and common one...not the conspiracies!
Another interesting concept to be aware of is "group vision" and "group think." This is when a large group of people see or think the same...in reality it is generally a large group of people following the lead of a strong-willed individual!
In situations like these...it is generally apparent who that individual is...a good leader (you!) would then ask for perceptions and reality checks of the individuals, when the group is not together...and influence is in check...
Where this is all going...is that perception is not reality...
That phrase can only be depended upon only in the average sense of the concept...as one moves futher from that average...the possibility of it becoming flawed grows exponentially.
Reality must be validated...tested from all angles and never truly trusted...
Do not takes someone else's word for reality...then you fall into the category of a follower in "group think." These individuals are lemings or sheep...and both are known to run off cliffs or drown themselves in the sea...just because one stupid one started!
Leadership is constantly tested by that phrase...perception is reality...
All perception contains some element of illusion...make sure your illusions are consistent, repeatable, and average!
Enough Said...for today!
Have a great weekend!
Plan your upcoming week...
Have the difference you make be the one you intended!
Pura Vida!
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