2014 Advice

A Happy New Year is QUICKLY Approaching !

2013 is quickly drawing to a close...and what it afforded us will soon be memories...some of them good and some not so good!

As we enter 2014, and we vow to make it a better year...

Success advocates will be reminding you of how important it is not to carry any baggage from the past into it...or...

Is it?

Should we carry that past baggage into next year?

This thought is intriguing!

I like seeing through the fluff of the "snake oil" sales people...

This may be one of those things in which they are selling you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear!

Let's listen to what we need to hear before it is too late!

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When combined with our tradition of New Year's Resolutions, it makes me think that there may be some worthwhile baggage that we need to carry...

Although you may not believe it...

Our the broken promises, resolutions...AND our failures!

That sounds pretty depressing and those experts who are trying to sell you a success placebo will argue!

Let's look at the facts!

Successful individuals do not quit trying...they do not give up on those things that they know are right...

They persist until they achieve what they envision...

With ongoing persistence...they resolve to improve their lot in life and set goals...

They know their mission and align tasks to them...

Some of these goals may not be achievable...on the first go around...but they do not quit!

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Take a moment to reflect on the resolutions of the past...

Especially those resolutions that you failed to accomplish...

I am amused by people who...when creating their list of resolutions...exclude those that they failed on in the past...

"I tried that one...not going to do that again"

Nothing worth having comes easily...

Perhaps...you already have a list of resolutions...

It is simply those that you failed to achieve in the past!

I know that my list...if it consists only of my past failures...would be longer than any list that I could generate in the few remaining hours of this year!

Why not resolve to achieve your past failures!

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I was listening to an interview with a high school football coach that said...

"The Pro-Bowl performances are created at half-time!"

Half-Time is an interesting concept...

The first half of the game is played and then everyone leaves the field and licks their wounds and re-energizes or admits defeat!

The coach has assessed the opposition for their weaknesses and adjusts the plan...

Half-Time is a time for rest...

We are given many Half-Times...New Year's is an official Half-Time!

Are you licking your wounds?

Are you going to admit defeat?

Have you assessed your opponent?

Have you resolved to win?

Are you going to change your plays?

2013 had some weaknesses...

There are holes in the defensive line...

2014 is in a locker room too!

It is a "bully" team...playing with dirty tactics...

Make no mistake...It is planning how it is going to beat you!

It has as much to win as you have losing!

You will never defeat it unless you learn for the first half...

That baggage that I referenced is important to success...

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As you resolve...

Look at your past failures in a different perspective...

I can almost hear you saying...

"That was a great resolution...this year I am going to do it!"

Just because you missed the pass the last time you tried that play...doesn't mean that it didn't have the potential of a touchdown!

If every failed play in football was never repeated...there ultimately would be no plays...

If people never tried and tried again...

You get the picture...

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Happy New Year!

Resolve to not repeat the failures of the past...

Not by failing at what you attempt...but

By succeeding at what you tried and failed at!

There is open field between you and the goal line!

Catch the ball this time and run like the wind!

Pura Vida

Success is All About Focus!

Successful people always seem to be able to do the right things...and the right time! 

Many times it seems like they have fantastic luck and that opportunity has been handed to them! 

It is my observation and experience that luck is not handed to anyone (except in extreme cases) and that the general majority of successful people...made their luck...

This begs the question..."How do I get lucky?"

People are lucky in love...because they gave love first...and were prepared to accept it when given...

People are lucky in business...because they gave their best to business...and were prepared to new opportunities when they arose...

I could belabor this point...but I do not see a need to...you get it!

To that end...successful people do their best to prioritze what they do...

Successful people look to have 3 major activities in their lives...

1 - Activities centered around their current commitments
2 - Activities centered around accepting new responsibilities
3 - Activities centered around preparation for the next step

This is pretty systematic!

It requires dedication and discipline...

BUT WAIT!

Let me not be unrealistic...there is a 4th activity...better stated...a "non-activity" critical to one's success...and this is a routine with a sub group that I call the HIGHLY Successful!

In a word...

REST!


The World's Demands...

It would be great if the only things that were handed to us would fall exclusively in one of those 3/4 activity categories...

But they don't!

There are many other demands...

I call everything outside of those 3/4 categories..."Noise"

It is noise that distracts us...

It is noise that fogs our clarity...

Our lives are full of noise..

And it is a fact that a lot of noise...is not good for our success!

But noise and information overload and demanding jobs and demanding families are a "fact of life"...

What are we to do?

We can't just put the activities of success into the 3/4 categories and refuse to do the rest...

In actuality a successful person does not start with everything falling into place...

In fact...they may NEVER have everything fall into place...

But what they do is to work diligently to do more things that fall into those categories each and every subsequent day...

It doesn't take acting on many of those "properly categorized" to turn one's luck around!

That leads us to the next question:  "How do they do what they do?"


The Hardest Person to say "NO" to...

We need to be needed...in fact there is one person that you really need...you!

Despite the fact that the prior statement is "tongue in cheek"...we like to confirm that we are needed...

We need to be needed...and we do not hear that we are needed enough...so we self-confirm our being needed...

We confirm that through our "selfless activities...and sacrifices!

so we take on other tasks!

No big deal!

We believe that we know what we are capable of doing...

AND YET...

We have a tendency to over-commit!

It isn't that we take on tasks that we are incapable of performing...

We take on lots of stuff that make us feel good about what we are doing...

Sometimes we intentionally take on things to justify procrastination!

Heck...the reasons for what we do are many are there are people who do them!

The objective of a successful person is to reduce the number of those commitments on an ongoing basis!

To do that...we have to learn to say "NO!" to ourselves...

We have to stop thinking we HAVE to do that!

We need to ask..."Do we NEED to do that?"

HOW?

By putting our "To Do" list up against those 3/4 criteria!

We need to systematically and without fail ask:

Is what I am doing...


...centered around my current commitments...or...

...centered around accepting a new responsibility...or...

...centered around preparation for my next step...or...

...centered around much needed rest?

I can hear the answers now...

NO...
NO...
NO...
NO...

And you say...I just have to do it!

RIGHT!

Then you need to ask...

"WHY?"

Listen to your excuse for not saying "NO" and develop a plan to make that excuse invalid in the future...

It's a fact...You need to do what you need to do...

But rather than loading your list with an every growing number of misaligned activities...establish a life-process that takes those things off of your list and keeps them and "their cousins" off...


If you want SUCCESS go and get it!

It is this simple...

It does not require any special incantations...or seminar fees!

I take that back...there is a "magic" word that you need to say often..."NO!"

and...

You can send me $500 for this wonderful blog...and if you do not share it in 2 minutes your dog is going to get sick nd throw up on your carpeting...

...just joking!

Just do it...and stop complaining!

I bet what you are complaining about are not the things you love doing!

Put this simple exercise into play...and I would almost bet (if I were a betting person)...that you'll see a significant difference!

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!

Are WE Smarter than Frogs?

Why worry about frog behavior?

Every major civilization in our history did not believe...

• The Romans never fathomed that they would collapse...
• The Mayans never fathomed that they would collapse...
• The Byzantines never fathomed that they would collapse...
• The Easter Islanders never fathomed that they would collapse...
• The list could go on and on!!!

One of the things that each of those civilizations had in common was that they were "blind-sided" ...caught totally unaware of the pending doom...

...and now...

These people...these civilizations are nothing more than a memory!

Who is to blame?

We'll never really know...

What destroyed them?

We'll never really know...

We can only speculate...

They probably did not know or realize it themselves...

So how can we?

Why should we be any the wiser?

Does it matter?  They are dead and gone...we are alive!

It appears that knowing is no more important than our high school history lessons...YAWN!

If it is good to know...then...

We can ask..."How could something like this happen?"

...and use our "gift of hindsight" to find the answer...

But let me remind you of one of my "epiphanies of the utterly obvious"

History is our greatest teacher...it will repeat itself...until we learn the intended lesson!

The interesting thing is that I believe that the answer to the "How did this happen?" question is not to be found only in our history...the answer is all around us!  Not just in our history...but also in nature...ourselves as individuals, our society!

...AND...

I believe that understanding frogs actually holds the answer!


A Vivid Image!

In 5th grade...My science book described a very interesting and somewhat disturbing animal behavior that, to this day, haunts me!

The book warns the reader "NOT to repeat this research..."

and I can tell you...that we totally complied with that warning after reading the entire section...

I also suggest that you do not do this experiment...just trust it for what it has told us!

The article said that researchers placed a live frog in a beaker of room temperature water...

The frog loved it and sat in perfect bliss...

The researchers then heated the water is slowly...expecting the frog to jump out when the temperature got to a certain level...

Why?

Because frogs actually have a highly developed central nervous system and amazing reaction system...

Researchers hypothesized that the ability of a frog to discriminate was going to be very precise!

Instead...they found that the frog just sat there!

Totally oblivious of the rise in water temperature...

Despite a higher order nervous system...It was clueless!

It simply sat there...until the water became too hot to live in!

and it died!

Stupid frogs!


To Err is Human

After reading that section of the book I was glad that I was not a frog!

Humans are much smarter than that!

OR...Are we?

We have many "higher order" systems supporting us...

As a species these system allow us to be VERY adaptive...

It is one of the greatest human strengths...

I also believe that it is one of our greatest weaknesses...

AND...it will be our demise!

As an individual and as a society...and as a civilization!

AND...as a species!

Why?

Because it is our ability to adapt that makes us no smarter than a frog!

It is our ability to tolerate and adjust that has caused the demise of major civilizations!

and it is causing the demise of ours!



Of Frog-ness and Human-ness...

Biologists once labeled frogs as the "living environmental heath" indicator...

Overall...frogs are sensitive to their environment...such as chemicals and contaminants...

If a frog can live in it...the environment is pretty clean and healthy...

It is interesting though...

Frogs will continue to live in the environment (refusing to leave) until it kills them!

Love canal in the northeast US is a living (DEAD) example!

When you look at it for what frogs really tell us...

Frogs are not a good indicator...

Yet they are an indicator...

Their bottom line is that...If they are not there...it is too late!

Why do they do this?

Frogs are both tolerant and sensitive at the same time...

They are a lot like humans...

They put up with things (tolerate) until it is too late...

Humans are like frogs...

We generally tolerate until we crumble!

Think about it!

As individuals and as a society...we are tolerant and sensitive at the same time!

We will tolerate things that will ultimately lead to our demise...

Allowing things (issues) to accumulate or heat up and then...

"Where did all the people go?"

Are we smarter than frogs?

Having set the stage...

Let's cut to the chase and answer the question...

Are humans smarter than frogs?

The answer...

In a word...

NO!

We are no smarter than frogs!

In fact we have always acted, are acting and will continue to act like frogs...

Maybe even worse...

Frogs are peace loving and don't intentionally hurt the world around them...and seldom hurt one other!

The "vanished civilizations" stand as reminders of just how oblivious and "frog-like" we were, are and will continue to be!

Shame on us!

You would think we would learn...

Yet history repeats itself...Why?  Think about it!

But we can't...

We are no better than frogs!

Frogs may even be smarter than us!

They don't waste time attempting to accumulating riches...

They just sit around...eating bugs...doing what frogs do best and sadly die!

Dumb People!


The "froginess" of Individuals and Society...

We can conclude that as individuals, as a society, as a civilization and a species are no smarter than frogs...

We are sitting in our respective beakers...in our water...

Totally oblivious to the fact that it is heating up all around us...

"It is just another degree or two...no big deal!"...we say to ourselves...or to other frogs around us!

We are oblivious to the realization that the end result is going to be "frog soup!"

This article is not just about "global warming" and the environment...(it could be)...in fact...at this point in our juncture the environment should be the least of our worries...

We have proverbial water heating around us at a ever-accelerating rate...and we have to do something about it!

As individuals...our being oblivious and lacking response to what is contributing to our heated environment...is not only leading us to our personal demises but also to our society's fall!

It won't be long before our species disappears from the face of the earth!

It is sad!

We no longer aspire for higher levels of education...and more class...

Instead...

We tolerate sub-human behaviors like bullying...or disrespect...or just plain nasty talk...or stealing...or lying...

You get the picture!

Hey...you say...all of those actions are driven by the lack of our misaligned respect!

DEAD ON!  But...

People will be people...right?

We are supposed to embrace diversity and tolerate differences!

But this has created a situation not unlike an avalanche!

We fear addressing detrimental issues under the blanket of tolerance called "political correctness..."

Political correctness...

That is like saying criminally lawful!

It is an oxymoron!

I recently heard a religious leader call for the elimination of the "stand your ground" law...saying that "we have to protect our children..."

Isn't that the law that says if someone acts in a way that threatens your life...you have a right to defend yourself...

If we are protecting our children from that law...I think that we are admitting that their behaviors put them on the wrong side of it!

That religious leader must not be thinking...or at least he is not being led by God...in actuality..he is...

Grandstanding...pure and simple...

He just exposed his real motives to the world...

To incite unrest...for the sake of public attention!

So Sad!

I have an answer for his..."protect our children" thing...

If you are a half-decent parent...your children will never be a threat to anyone!

The only people who have to fear that law are those who are aggressive enough with others that they cause fear of bodily harm and death!

I ask...Parents...have you done such a bad job raising your children that you have to lobby to have the law that protects good people from thieves and murderers removed from our books?

If you do not think that you have a problem...

Go and stand at a mall and listen to your children talk...

"I am going to hit you in the face"
"I am going to take you out"
"If she was here I'd kill her"
"he needs to be popped"

and on and on!

We idolize low-level sub-human behavior...

We allow it because we think that it is cool!

It is NOT COOL!...it is a festering wound that is causing our society to heat up...and who will be to blame? 

Those who allow that kind of talk and behavior!

When I was growing up...I remember being at a Montgomery Ward store service desk with my mom...

As we stood in line...a lady "went off" on the service person...

Actually how she behaved was not unlike I observe dozens of times at Wal-Mart today!

The only difference was that while she was ranting...the Manager of the Department called the police and they took her away...

She actually was charged with disturbing the peace!

My community did not tolerate that kind of behavior...

I wish that would happen now!

I truly would love to see those nasty-mouthed people hand-cuffed...and charged with disturbing the peace...

We should seek peace...

Those poor Wal-Mart Customer Service people are not paid enough to have to kind the kind of abuse that they get every day!

These verbal abusers are bullies...I bet their children are too!

They are the kind of people that need to be protected from "stand your ground!"

Our society needs to protect its peace...

But it won't because we have become tolerant of low class, sub-human, disrespectful, "just plain nasty" behavior!

We have allowed fear to control our lives...

The problem isn't that law...it is a lack of respect between individuals...the problem is those people who have to fear that they will be on the wrong side of that law...

Who is to blame for that?

It is us frogs!

We have tolerated those bad behaviors and that has subtly contaminated ourselves and our society...

Our tolerance is a contaminant...

The behavior of our society members is a contaminant...

We are living in a cesspool!

We need to learn to love ourselves and then live by the "Do unto others..." law...

Seriously...if we treated each other with respect...the "stand your ground" law would not be needed...it could be on the books and NEVER exercised...

If we have to protect our children from that law...then the best thing to do is put them in jail before they get killed!

It is sad!

Why is this a issue anyway?

It is simple...

Grandstanding...like that "professed" "man of God"...shows how much like frogs we really are!

The problem is not the law...it is the reason for the law!

Let's stop being like frogs and learn from our history!

That is a simple example of our "frog-ness" but the problem is more than a gun control bill...

...or standing your ground!

We have grown oblivious to one of our greatest gifts...our past!

I was recently told..."be a little more tolerant"  you have to remember our history!

I responded...I do remember our history and that is why I am intolerant...

Those who can't remember the past are frogs!

Our past is a gift...

The cool thing about this gift is that it is gone!

Yet...the fact that we learn from it...and apply those lessons...makes it awesome!

Yet we allow the bad things of the past to contaminate our present!

We bring up issues that are long since dead and gone...

We remind each other of the "bad old - Good old days" and bring it back to life!

It incites the shallow-minded people to action!

It controls the simple thinking masses!

This behavior causes us to relive our pasts over and over...

When we relive our pasts...we have to time to live in our future!

It brings up past wounds that we ourselves never really had!

Our past...like any wounds should be allowed to heal...we may have scars as individuals or a society or even globally...but even scars fade and are forgotten over time!

But let us not forget...and let it be the lesson that history taught us!

Wise people remain aware of the mistakes and injustices of the past...they act on the lessons...over and over and over...and not on what caused us to learn the teacher!

The bottom line....THE PAST IS GONE!  Get over it and let's make today and tomorrow better!

As a person thinks...it is how it will be...

Injustice, hatred, aggression, etc; love and feed upon attention...

Ignore these bad characteristics...and they will starve...and die!

Yet we continue to feed them...

Think about it...

What lives in this world is the sum total of our tolerances and intolerances...

What lives and thrives in our world is what we allow to do so!

Now that I think about it...

We are worse than frogs!

I could go on and on...

But that is not needed...

Our pond is a sacred place...

It is the only one that we have!

Our world is literally and figuratively contaminated...

We are contaminated...
as Individuals
as a Society
as a Civilization
as a Species

Our world is heating up...

If we do not get smart to the change...

We are going to end up like the bygone civilizations...

We'll be that species that used to be here...

We are going to end up like the frogs,,,

We are going to "croak"

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!

Finding the Information that Leads to Success

As we learn and seek to better our plot in life...we are often faced with the questions:

"What do I need to do to make a change in my life?"

...or...

Do I need to learn something else?"

...if so...

"What education should I pursue?"

...or...

"What do I need to learn next?"

...or...

"What do I need to know to move to the next level?"

Is there such thing as too much information? 

We are inundated with information on a continual basis...

Attached to much of the data that we are inundated with are claims that allures us and leads us down the path that we should be walking!

Shifting Gears...A detour...for a moment!

Let's divert for a minute!

The aforementioned "claims of data-value" I call "meta-claims"  They are "tags" that may of may not be real...

Data on its own merit has no value!  It is just data!

Data begins to have "potential value" when it is interpreted...and it turns from data to "information"

Information still lacks real value until it turns into actions or reactions...

It is what information causes one to do or not do that is of value...

Yet the form or function of  information does not change...

Information is a virtual sense is a catalyst!

A catalyst of action or inaction!

Back to the track!

Data improperly interpreted or rejected or blindly accepted can be misleading...

Did you catch that?

"LEADING" or "MISLEADING"

It can take our actions down the right path...or the wrong path...

It is important to have the correct information to ensure that you are acting properly...

There is another possibility...time is often wasted on the acquiring and processing information that we'll never use...

I call this type of information...trivia!

It is (was) important to someone...but not to us!  (TRIVIAL)

To maximize our effectiveness and impact...we can not afford to waste time chasing data that we'll never use...

Why?

Excess knowledge tends to cloud, diffuse or even block the information that we need!

All this having been said...it is critical for us to be discerning in our learning...aligning our pursuit and acquisition of information with our mission, purpose or intent!

So the answer is "YES...there is such a things as too much information!"

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Is "Information is King?"

Information is critically important...

...but it must be recognized that not all information rules our lives...

...It is only focused and useful information that reigns...

...or should rule our actions and reactions...

All other information is our enemy...

Why?

Because we lack infinite mental capacity...omniscience...DUH!

We are easily overloaded and when this happens...we risk "pushing out" information that we need and replace it with useless information...

..."trivia"

...or worse...

..."counter productive"

It follows that we are best served by specialized knowledge that serves our purpose...

...and should be allowed to rule our actions...

So the answer is "YES...but only information that serves our purpose!"

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What Information should we pursue?

Theoretically...we want everything that we know to be useful...

Better stated..."Productive"...

In truth this leads us to an insight that makes the pursuit easy!

To start...let's look at a few "guiding principals" related to information acquisition:

• Information that does not serve our immediate needs has to be questioned...
• The value of "stored for future use" information declines in value by the amount of time "in the future" that it will be put to use...
• The value of information is relation the the probability that it will be used

We can conclude that the value of information is determined by its immediate application

Having sorted through that "short list"...this takes us to the next categorization...

So the answer is "We need to seek and obtain productive information!"

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Productive Knowledge...

Information when properly used becomes productive knowledge!

HUH?

Information has great potential (potential energy)...

It changes into "knowledge" when it is used to an end...(hopefully a "good" end)

In other words...

That which we use has value to us...

Knowledge which serves our purpose is the best kind of knowledge...

Especially when our purpose is good, true and beautiful...

It then makes sense that we have to control information flow and its use...

In order to control our information intake...we have to be able to categorize it as good (useful) or bad (counter productive)...

Being able to recognize good information from bad information is a talent...a gift...

But it can also be learned!

Given the specialized nature of useful information...it follows that the amount of bad information far outweighs and out numbers the good information...

All we have to be able to do is put the information into one of two categories...

If it fits...into one of those two categories...

It is potentially useful or good!

The two types (categories) of valuable information...that can lead to knowledge...

There is information that makes us more efficient.  This type of information when it is converted into knowledge, provides us with more time to learn and do other things.  It adds value by providing proverbial "bandwidth."

There is information that makes us more effective.  This type of information when it is converted into knowledge, differentiates us from others that are doing the same things as us...

Does this make sense?

There is Efficiency information and Effectiveness information...

Although both serve to the same end...they are very different!

Each must be balanced so as not to create lop-sided or biased performance...

HUH?

We can become focused on efficiency and not produce great results...

...or...

We can become focused on effectiveness (how well we do a job) can totally mess with getting stuff done in the required amount of time!

Did you catch it?

Real value has 2 components...

1 - Doing the right thing (effectiveness)
2 - AT and IN the right time (efficiency)

THE BALANCE!

There are many variations on this theme,,,but it is the right blend that produces value!

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Let's put this all together into a workable plan...

The perfect situation arises when you know...

Your purpose...

and...

Your mission...

Then sifting through the information is easy!

Simply answering the question "Does this information make my mission more effective or does this information make it easier or faster in the achievement of my objectives?"

If the answer is yes...

Then it can become valuable (i.e. turned into knowledge)

BUT...

Not all of us have a perfect "handle" on our mission and purpose!

If that is the case...

Then look at what you are doing RIGHT NOW!

If the information serves you at this moment...

It is worth acquiring,,,

If not...

FORGET ABOUT IT!

LOL!

As funny as this sounds...this exercise serves a greater purpose that will help clarify your pursuit!

At minimum...you should do what you are doing as efficiently and effectively as possible!

Believe it or not...

Where you you are and what you are doing is probably not vary far from your purpose and mission...as much as you may not like that...

So seek the information that you need today...let it guide you and you'll find more and more clarity!

We do not need to belabor this topic any further...

Get out there and start sorting!

Make it make a difference in your life and the lives of others!

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!

What are you looking for?

Some of the best lessons have been around for centuries!

This submission recalls one of those stories that made a big impact in my life...

It comes from one of the first Chinese philosophers...centuries before thinking was cool!

"Sit back" and listen...I will not include the moral...you can make up you own...

There once was a man who had inherited the land of his family...

This land had been in his family for as many generations as anyone could recall...

In an attempt to carry on with the family tradition he tried his best at farming...

His best was not very good...in fact, his farm could not produce even enough to feed the sparrows!

In his poverty and desperation, he walked to town and sought the advice of a sooth-sayer...

After deep contemplation the sooth-sayer gave his prediction...

He told the poor man that he would be faced with a VERY difficult decision...

...but if he picked the right path...he would become one of the richest people in the province!

The poor farmer left the sooth-sayer with hope...and consternation...

After a few days...the farmer decided that the farm was not going to be the source of his wealth...

He knew he had to leave the farm and travel the world looking for that source of wealth!

 After a few more days of contemplating his plight...he went back to the town and found a man to buy it...

He took his money...and began traveling around the world in search of his riches...

The years passed and his searching took him no closer to the riches that he was promised...

As he neared the end of his life, he longed to see the family's farm one last time...and he returned...

As he approached the farm, he saw that it was no longer a barren plot of land, but held a magnificent palace...

He approached the gate and was met by the landed owner who recognized him...

They talked of his travels and finally the wanderer asked the landowner about the palace...

The landowner humbly admitted to the good fortune that was given to him...and how shortly after buying the land...he walk down the path to one of the fields...he looked down and found a ruby the size of his fist...with a little digging he found that this land provided large rubies with nearly every shovel that every dug in it!

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Our lives are much like this...

We know that success lies just around the corner...and we have a choices to make and are often allured by what we think the path to success is!

Our riches are more often found where we reside...

We are where we are for a reason...and simply have to look for the gifts that our present longs to give us...

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!

Life Wasted

This may sound like the familiar comedy presentation 

"You may be a Redneck"

READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

I have been thinking about the characteristics of a successful (value-added) life...

Despite the fact that I have dedicated a goodly portion of my life to understanding the components and characteristics that leads one to success...I know one thing!

Success is a difficult thing to define...

I can openly admit to the fact that I have been somewhat unsuccessful in clearly and accurately defining what success is...

Every time that I think that I "nailed" it down...it slips away!

...it is elusive...

...and rather than wasting any more of my time (and yours)... I decided that perhaps I would carve away at the whole thing of "life"...removing what success isn't...leaving us with a somewhat clearer understanding of what it possibly is!

What we do know is...

If a life isn't successful...

It is a life wasted!

Although not completely true...let's look at this in a simple binary fashion...

I call it the "net' perspective...

If a life contains more failures than successes...it is a waste...

If a life contains more successes than failures...it is not wasted...

Shifting Gears...

One of my favorite stories is about the unveiling of the statue "David."  Michelangelo was asked, "How did you build such a beautiful statue?"  To that he replied..."I did not build it...I started with a large amorphous block of marble and took away everything that wasn't David!"

Our lives are like that!

When we enter the world our options are infinite...and as we go along...we chop away at the possibilities...until we figure it all out!

Our hope is that by the time we unveil our masterpiece...it isn't too late!

The pursuit of understanding is often like that!  It isn't about what we amass...but that which we chisel away...

As I think about it...isn't this scientific method?

Back on Track...

Let's chisel away...

Let's look at SOME of those things (actions, behaviors, characteristics) that cause us to waste a life!

• If you think that you don't have anything to change...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have stopped learning...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have had a moment of aggressive nastiness...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have put someone down...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have ever bullied someone...you may be wasting your life!
• If you are not striving to build a legacy...you may be wasting your life!
• If you think that your failures are someone else's fault...you may be wasting your life!
• If you are waiting for something to happen before you can start...you may be wasting your life!
• If you don't take time everyday to reflect and show your gratitude...you may be wasting your life!
• If you do not know what you need to be doing right now...you may be wasting your life!
• If you haven't started doing something to get you closer to your goal...you may be wasting your life!
• If you do not greet the day with love, excitement and anticipation...you may be wasting your life!
• If you do not know specifically what your mission in life is...you may be wasting your life!
• If people are not positively changed by being around you...you may be wasting your life!
• If your speech contains anything negative or hostile...you may be wasting your life!
• If you think that you have to stand up for your rights...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have never failed...you may be wasting your life!
• If everything comes easy...you may be wasting your life!
• If you do not look for something nice to say to everyone you interact with...you may be wasting your life!
• If you think you can have what you got and get what you want...you may be wasting your life!
• If you are hanging with people who drain you with no return...you may be wasting your life!
• If anything that you do is illegal...you may be wasting your life!
• If you think that you are in control...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have asked for leniency or an exception...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have ever done less than you could have...you may be wasting your life!
• If you think that anything in your past gives you license to do something today...you may be wasting your life!
• If entitlement is a required component of your success equation...you may be wasting your life!
• If you do not say "thank you" often during the day...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have not been criticized for being too focused...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have never asked for help...you may be wasting your life!
• If you have never given help...you may be wasting your life!
• If you can't remember the last time you couldn't wait for tomorrow...you may be wasting your life!
• If you haven't wished that you could return to a younger time and done it over...you may be wasting your life!
• If you are NOT thankful for everything that has happened to you...you may be wasting your life!
• If today is not the "last of your past"...you may be wasting your life!
• If you do not realize your own uniqueness...you may be wasting your life!
• If you are living as if you have tomorrow...you may be wasting your life!
• If you are not in control of your emotions...you may be wasting your life!
• If you don't laugh a majority of the time...you may be wasting your life!
• If you think yourself better than someone...you may be wasting your life!
• If you say..."I am too old"...you may be wasting your life!
• If you say..."I am too young"...you may be wasting your life!
• If you are thinking that none of these apply to you...you may be wasting your life!
• If you didn't think "I can add more to this list"...you may be wasting your life! 

IF YOU READ THESE BULLETS AND DID NOT THINK..."I HAVE SOME THINGS I CAN ADD TO THIS LIST"...

IF YOU READ THESE BULLETS AND DID NOT THINK..."I HAVE SOME THINGS I CAN CHANGE ABOUT ME"...

TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT YOURSELF...AND...CHISEL AWAY!

THERE IS A MATERPIECE HIDDEN WITHIN YOU!

YES...SUCCESS IS IN THERE!

ENOUGH SAID... 

PURA VIDA!

Our "Truth" is so Limited

Let's start with a simple test/example...to see what you are capable of!

Interesting?

We think of ourselves as being so aware of the world around us...but...

Look at how much you are incapable of...

How much is going on around us...that we are oblivious to!

This sets the stage for some interesting thoughts!

Let's start with what you heard...

You heard every tone...right?

I bet...NOT!

You are limited by your auditory acuity...

You miss a lot of sound (data) because you lack audio acuity!

You lack the ability to detect it...

You hearing has been desensitized!

Much of the sound spectrum...you (we) could not and in many cases...NEVER... hear!

Guess what?

...The same holds true for every other of your (our) senses...

Our eyes can only see a narrow portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (visible light)...but there is a lot more electromagnetic energy (data) that we can't perceive with our eyes!

(That's right...data is conveyed by energy!)

As a result...we have other senses to detect other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum...

I could go through every sense...but I think you get the picture!

1 -Hearing - Sound
2 - Sight - Light
3 - Smell Chemical composition of air
4 - Taste - Chemical composition of solids/liquids
5 - Touch - Heat and pressure
6 - Kinesthetic - Positional (muscular)
7 - Vestibular -  Gravity

Yes 7 senses...not 5!

Many people have been taught that there are 5 senses...but there are 7 distinct senses!

Yet because each only detects a narrow portion of the spectrum we miss data!

Now let's go back to our original thought...

There is a lot of data that we receive...and are totally oblivious to the fact that it is there!

Let's go outside the box...

If there is stuff that we can't sense because our senses have been desensitized...there may be a ton of stuff happening around us that no one can "sense" because there is no sense organ for it!

Many will argue that the senses that we have are those that we needed to get to where we are...and that all of the other stuff going on is frivolous...

I totally agree!

My point is that thinking that we have all the data important to truth is narrow...in fact our truth is as narrow as our senses are limited!

Have we considered that "Truth" is not contained within our limited data sources...but a sum total proposition of all of the data!

The entire energy spectrum!

Advanced Science...

Physicists have spent years studying energy and some of them...postulating multiple dimensions...

Sadly...we'll never be able to see them...feel them...hear them...because our senses are incapable of detecting them...

Something to consider...what physicists are calling multiple dimensions may just be energies that we can not detect!

an interesting thought...but it is just that...

Does it matter?

Let's go back to an argument that I mentioned earlier...


The Expanding Universe...

When I was in 3rd grade...and going through our science book...one chapter was about the stars!  We were studying astronomy!!!!...While we were doing our lessons...my teacher told us that scientists believe that the universe is expanding...

A little boy (me) sitting in the back of the room asked, " Isn't the universe really considered everything?"

To that the teacher answered ..."yes"

"So if it is expanding...what is it expanding into?"

She looked at me but did not answer...

"Because if it was everything...then it had to be expanding into itself which was already the universe...which means that it isn't expanding..."

To that the teacher corrected me and said, "the universe is expanding into nothing..."

I think that she hoped that I would shut-up!

But I kept at it...and she finally put an end the "fruitless" discussion by telling us that this is what the book (data) tells us and we simply have to accept it until scientists find (see or hear) something different!

In other words...

It doesn't matter!

Expanding knowledge...like the universe...

When I think about data being energy...it takes me to this thought...

Knowledge is infinitely vast!

Knowledge is constantly growing...expanding...

What is it expanding into?

Itself?

LOL!

Does it matter?

I think so!

Attempting to expand knowledge is useful,,,

...when it's application is of benefit...

But what is of value...and what is frivolous?

There may be a message in our "growing older" experience...related to that fact that we as humans become desensitized...over time...

Perhaps this is the crux of wisdom...a desensitization to extraneous and frivolous data...

Perhaps we lack certain senses because there is no need for certain pieces of  data...

Perhaps we should learn to do what we can with what we have!

Perhaps many of the additional senses that we lack have gone the course of our appendix...

...which is a remnant of some organ we had in the past...but no longer serves a function...

WAIT...physiologists have discovered that the appendix does serve a function!

It is a place that reserves the beneficial bacteria from our intestinal tract...in the event that we get sick and discharge or kill the bacteria that resides in our intestines...the bacteria reserve in our appendix recharges us!

It is something...Darn...just when we were thinking that it was useless!

...that new data...consequently led to information (interpretation) and insight!

We knew that it was there...but our interpretations and tribal knowledge said it was useless...

Our real benefit came when we did more with what we already had!

A lesson...raw data...leads to information and when properly interpreted it leads to insight!

Our goal is to do the most with what we have...before we attempt to move forward!

Maximize it!

But then again...

Does it matter?

Whether we knew what an appendix did or not...did not make the appendix function or function better!

The Narrow View and Arrogance...

The biggest risk that we run as human beings is that we accept what we sense as fact and reject everything else...because we don't sense it...

"I'll believe it when I see it or hear it with my own ears..."

Just because you can't hear it doesn't mean that it is not there!

It just means that it is below the threshold of your perception or to go a bit deeper...our understanding!

It is our own weaknesses...that which aids and abets "deception..."

Let's think about this and apply the potential arrogance in an effort of science...

The search for extra-terrestrial life...

Scientists are looking for planets rotating stars...at a distance that would create earth-like conditions...

It is our narrow and arrogant understanding of fact that lies at the foundation of this effort...

Perhaps we are a rarity and that life abounds in a vacuum full of radiation...the void of space itself!

Perhaps in the real world...liquid water affects the abundant life like molten rock affects us!

One may argue that we would have found it if life like that existed...

maybe yes...maybe no!

Definitely not if we were not looking for it!

The space around the earth could be filled with life...like our oceans abound...and that life could be significantly more intelligent than us!

Why do I say that?...because it has nothing to do with us!  LOL!

We have allowed our narrow view to limit our search and perception!

Doe it matter?

Expectation theory...(kind of...)

Psychological studies show that people see what they expect to see...or believe that they should see!

The mind plays some terrible tricks on us!

People see things that aren't there...

...and miss things in plain sight!

Some may argue that we are simply doing the best we can with what we have...

But why do we allow the data/information of others influence us?

It may be that we subconsciously recognize the fact that we can not acquire all of the knowledge important to us and depend (default) to the information of others for the sake of efficiency...

...just like lemmings do!  LOL!  (BTW Lemmings do really stupid things!)

Seriously, it may be that we are not independent and we would desire...but more like ants and bees...whose synergistic (I hate this concept...LOL) is apparent in the ability of the hive/colony to be more than the sum total of the hive/colony members...

The critical nature of this concept is that it totally depends on trust (ants and bees have trust?  I believe so!) and specialization (credible "trustworthy" information).

If there is a risk that "IF" the individual conveying the information is inaccurate...the entire hive/colony suffers...perhaps to its demise...

We need to recognize this risk even in our own activities...

Although we are not structured as an insect hive or colony...we still run the same risks as they do when we blindly accept information...or lack information!

Mass hysteria...caused by misinformation...or even hype...can lead us down a path detrimental to our society...

Hype campaigning...can cause voters to divert to the wrong conclusions...and elect the wrong individuals!

This scares me!

Inaccurate news reports...

"Remember the Maine!"

Causes wars!

This scares me!

In a sense...we are a hive or a colony...and we have to protect our existence at our core!

Does it matter?

I believe that it does!

Other Senses...

Scientists have found that pigeons have the ability to sense the earth's magnetic field!!!

Although they have yet to say it...this is another sense!

Why do I call it a sense? 

Because they use it to find home!

AND it works every time!

Scientists have found that Hammerhead Sharks can sense life buried in the sea floor!!!

This one they have called another sense!

Why?

Because that is how they find food!

AND it works every time!

What is important about these discoveries is that it confirms that there is other senses...

Many would argue that if there were other senses...we would have found them...

Now we can say...with confidence...

THERE ARE OTHER SENSES!!!

and they can serve a beneficial function!

We often reject the thought because we don't have them!

Think of all of the money we'd save on GPSs if we had the pigeon sense...LOL!

Senses and Truth...

A Pigeon's truth is different from ours because it has different and/or additional information...

A Hammerhead Shark's truth is different from ours because it has different and/or additional information...

But how do we know what their "truth" looks like?

We really can not know what they feel like...

Why?

Because we lack that sense!

We are oblivious to the energy that they sense and feel...

even how it feels!

What responses it drives...

As a result...

We have to convert "truth" into something that we can understand!

The weird thing is that for us is to understand that which we can not sense...it must be converted into data that we can see or hear or taste or touch or feel...and so on!

We do not know what their sense really is like!

We do not know their reality!

Real pigeon and shark "Truth" is lost in translation!

This important aspect of data and translation must be fully grasped in order for us to understand what we really know as "truth"

At best what we know is limited...

More often...we are functioning under some delusion!

Yet we are functioning!

Does it matter?

I do not know!

Searching for an answer...

What matters is recognition...

Recognition of the limitations of our perception...and the data that it provides...

Recognition of the fact that there is massive amounts of information that we are incapable of capturing...

Recognition that we remain a hive or colony and that misinformation can have dire adverse effects on our very existence...

Recognition of the fact that people use misinformation to "hype the hive" and misdirect us for their own selfish reasons!  (perhaps the "hypers" had misinformation to begin with!)

These recognitions limit our definition to truth to simply "that which works...for us...right now"

The elements of this definition are very important...

1 - How well it works or serves us...
2 - How broadly serves us (how big "us" is)
3 - How long the "truth" provides elements 1 & 2

Let's push this a little further before we close for the weekend!

Since our senses are limited and we can be misinformed by others...

Your truth is limited to you as an individual...

It is what makes you function...survive and thrive!

You (we) no more...have the right to push our truth on another as they have on you (us)...because of the "risk" or limitations of what we know...

Those who claim to be aware or hold more knowledge or enlightened may be just the opposite...

...we need to be keenly aware of this fact...and not fall prey to them...or act like them...

If there is a time for it to be "all about you" it is with this concept and this concept only!

Does it matter?

I believe so!

It is a critical aspect of success!

Enough said!

Pura Vida!

  

Taking "it" to the Next Highest Level!

In a way this is simply mental rambling...done simply to open some doors of deeper thought...

From a "Day to Day" perspective...Rocks don't change... ...much...

I once read a quote that said...(poorly quoted...but you'll get the point), "If you aren't getting better...you are getting worse..."

At first I disagreed with that statement...because there are many people that are phenomenally great at being stable as if their life's motto is... "same old - same old"

That is to say that they definitely aren't getting better...AND they definitely are not getting worse!

And they were (are) happy!

But as I thought deeper into this topic...I had to ask...

Is not getting better...bad?

So deep in thought, was I, that I was not watching where I was walking and low and behold...I stubbed my toe...on a rock!

Not really...but it made me smile!


So let's go back to "the rocks!"

Rocks don't change much from day to day...

They are a great "standard of stability"

If there was such thing as a picture of "same old/same old" it would be a rock...

I can say that except for geologists...for everyone else...

Rocks are boring...

AND DEAD!

BUT WAIT!

I bet that you are asking..."Didn't you just write about the fact that a rock could be conscious?"

Yes I did..."but I did not say that consciousness required life!

This leads us to an interesting thought about apathy!

Apathy requires consciousness of the situation...but it includes inaction!

A rock by definition is simply the "epitome of apathy!"

It just sits there...no matter what the situation may be...

Apathetic people (those who lack action) are the same...

They are nothing more than rocks!

What an interesting thought!!!

Rocks are boring...

AND DEAD!


Change and life...

There are so many interesting and technical definitions of life...

My perspective on the definition of life changed when I thought about providing value to the world around us...rather than just the standard definition of life which includes:

• The ability to reproduce...
• The ability to self-sustain...
• The ability to grow...

What I have concluded is that the standard definition of life is VERY self-serving...but I had to ask...

Is that living?

HUH?

Is there a difference between Life and Living?

It the difference distinct (black or white)...or is it just different shades of grey?


Levels of life...

Life exists on many levels...perhaps it would be easier to envision a continuium...

It is the "rating system" that we could use to segment and stratify (classify) each individual entity!

Let's create one!

The possibilities are endless...so I get to pick one!

Let's use a standard of "Value"

Value...we'll define as "positive contribution to the world, outside of the "living entity"

On one end of our spectrum we then have a life that is totally self-serving...that contributes to the world around it!

We call them parasites and predators...

AND...

On the opposite end of the spectrum...we have life that is totally altruistic...

We often call that type of life "food"

As we ponder this concept...we realize that the extremes are purely theoretical...

There is a "value proposition" involved in all life...

It is the answer to the question...

"What does the world get...for what the entity took from it?"

I know that this is boring...but stay with it for a little bit longer!  LOL!

It is just logical that "Most" of life resides around the center of our rating system...

AND...

That value is dynamic and relative...meaning that at any time something can be valuable to the world around it...and then suddenly become valueless!

ALSO...

Something valuable in one part of the world may actually be detrimental in another part!

DUH!

An epiphany of the utterly obvious!

Enough of the "value" discussion!


What to do?  What to do?

Earlier in our discussion we contemplated the difference between "life" and "living"

An interesting concept to note is that the "value" can not be determined or defined by the "entity" for itself...

"Value" is determined by the world external to the "entity"

Which means that what it provides to the outside world is of greater value than what it takes in value from the world...

It is a "net cost" thing!

Success (for those aspiring for it and rather loosely defined) is the point at which the world receives more value than it gives for the entity's presence!

In order to be a "valuable" entity...one must continually strive to add value that is either equal to or increasing or changing...(the latter preferred)...

Do you see where we are going?


Time for a commercial break!

What is this world coming to?

What ever happened to Common Courtesy?

When did Common Sense become a trait to be avoided?

Good questions!

We may have the answer for you!

Back in the days of yore...

Common Courtesy was simply expected...

Common Sense was a trait that everyone strives for...

Then came excuses...

Like...

"...OH...he is just angry...he loses control and common courtesy falls by the wayside..."

"...they are teenagers...everyone knows that all teenagers lack common sense..."

I bet you can think of hundreds of these excuses that licensed individuals to be discourteous...or just plain STUPID!

What we have realized that "excuses" and the universal acceptance of them is a fatal disease!

Excuses must be avoided at all costs...lest you fall victim to this terrible pangenic disease!

Disease you ask?

What are the symptoms...

The first symptom is that people tend to lose their hearing and eyesight!

They begin to fail to see bad things going on around them...

The second symptom is lethargy...(some experts have called this "political correctness")

Their reactions are delayed to a point that that any response to the detrimental behaviors around them are meaningless...

The third symptom is apathy...

The infected give up totally...take on a rock-like appearance...and retreat into total non-effectiveness...

Rock-like?

ROCKS ARE DEAD!

This message has been brought to you by the association for the elimination of rock-like apathy!


Success and Living...

If we strive for success...we are by definition striving to go beyond life to living!

Success (and we all know it) is temporal...and volatile...

Success (value) of one moment can be totally "value-less" the next...

Success over a period of time is simply "maximizing" the number of moments that value has been added to the outside world...relative to what has been received!

If we pursue success we are always "taking it to the next level"...

Doe this make sense?

Excuses for failure simply add explanation...but do not create value...

That is just common sense!

This is more than common sense...

It is a commitment...and obligation!

To our entire existence...but more importantly...to every moment...

...we need to take it to the next level and the next and the next!


Let's revisit our "Common" theme before we close for the weekend...

Speaking of taking it up a level or three...there is something that (I think) needs to become a level again! 

I hope that you agree!

We joke about common courtesy and common sense being oxymorons...

We are guilty of letting it become that!

Most of psychology and sociology agrees that individuals have a tendency to perform to the expectations of the world around them...

If an individual does not display common courtesy...or exhibits common sense...it is because it is not expected...

The lack of either is not a genetic issue...

It is the result of the world around them...(their world)...becoming apathetic to less than desirable behaviors...

We can change this...

How?

By first modeling and then expecting common courtesy and common sense from those around us!

Let's make Common courtesy and Common sense...

COMMON!

If it is common then it is expected...

Let's take life to the next level...

It is our obligation to do this in EVERY moment!

Enough said!

Pura Vida!

A Required Change of Perspective

The introduction to one of my classes begins with the following picture and a "Psycho-Geography" question...

This question really checks your geography/history intelligence...

The funny thing is although nearly everyone really knows the answer...YET the majority get it wrong!

Here's the question:  What was the tallest mountain on earth before Sir Edmond Hillary found Mount Everest?

What do you remember from your elementary school geography classes?

Dig deep...the answer is there!

Many people tell me that they do not remember anything from those lessons...

Some will (in frustration) tell me that this information does not matter...

In reality...the information does not matter...BUT...

What matters is what you response teaches you!

What is the answer?

Mount Everest...

Hillary did not create the highest mountain...he only discovered it!

Before he discovered it...it was the highest mountain on earth and remains the highest to this day!

OK...I am proud of you!  You knew the answer!

When this question was first posed to me...I allowed my ego to make it necessery for me to dig into my cranial archive of mountain names!

I listed probably 20 or more earlier known mountains...

My "academic arrogance" clouded my interpretation of the sentence and my perception of the real world...or at least my answer...

I learned an important lesson about interpretation and perception from that experience...

What we accept as fact often clouds our ability to see the real truth!

Do you know what I mean?

Shifting gears...kind of!

Early in the 20th century...Albert Einstein looked at the world a bit differently...and from his perspective proposed the "Special and General Theories of Relativity."  This was sparked by his inability to use Newtonian physics to reconcile how he saw the universe...things just didn't look right!

Newtons "laws" especially related to gravity had been accepted as the way to see the universe for over 200 years!  It was time tested, seldom challenged...and nearly grounds for a charge of scientific blasphemy or heresy if something contrary was proposed.

It didn't take much looking for him to find an alternative explanation for what he "found"! 

The scientific community was intrigued by his discovery...but refused to accept it until it was tested, confirmed, retested and verified!  Finally the day came and it was announced in newspaper headlines around the world..."THE UNIVERSE HAS CHANGED"

The fact of the matter was...the universe DID NOT change...it had been operating under those laws since its creation!

Gravity always warped the universe's fabric...we just didn't see it that way

Light always acts a certain way...we just didn't see it that way

Matter has always acted a certain way...we just didn't see it that way

The way that it was seen was a matter of generally accepted interpretation which dorve the science communitys' perception....

But what the scientists were seeing based upon their assumptions was not real...although everything that they saw was real!

Confusing?

When Einstein was asked about the "laws" he created...he admonished his interviewers with..."I did not make those laws" I only found them! 

He realized that man creates nothing...only finds it!

What we accept as fact often clouds our ability to see the real truth!

Lesson Learned!

Unless things have changed since I went to bed last evening...mankind does not possess the ability to create anything...

In our arrogance we may think that we do...but the fact of the matter is...we only have the ability to discover the hidden gifts and laws with more clarity than our predecessors...

We only have the ability to take what we have found and put them into unique, useful and valuable combinations...

We are simple creatures...that are totally restricted to cause and effect!

We may think ourselves different...but we cannot affect immutable laws...just discover them...

True genius arises when a law (relationship) is discovered and we can apply that knowledge consistently...to a predicted outcome!

This in fact goes beyond genius into a realm that we call "wisdom"...

Although our knowledge grows on a continuous basis...knowledge alone has no value if it narrows or filters our vision...causing to miss seeing the mountain that stands before us!

Newton was good...his explanation served humanity well for 2 centuries...

Einstein was better...his explanation will serve humanity well into the 21st century...

Knowledge is good...but the downside of it is that we often accept is as fact and overlook some brilliant gems...

What we accept as fact often clouds our ability to see the real truth!

Someone is watching you!

Shifting gears...

Have you ever had that feeling that you were being watched?

Do you drive differently when a police officer is behind you or beside you?

Do you act one way when with certain people and differently when with others?

Answering "YES!" to any of those questions is part of the explanation (definition) of consciousness...

What I think is interesting is that we retain the right of consciousness to ourselves...In our narrow view of existence we believe that inanimate objects such as rocks or even simple living organisms lack consciousness...

Given that narrow perception...it follows that...

Atoms do not have consciousness...they are the building blocks of our universe...

...and it follows that sub-atomic particles do not have consciousness either...

Now...Watch this!

Interesting huh?

The electrons acted differently when they were observed!

...not unlike how we acted as teenagers...when our parents were around!

We behave with one set of rules when left to ourselves and entirely different set of laws when watched by our parents!

Heck...many of us act one way in church and entirely different in a bar!

I like this observation because it changed the way that I look at consciousness...thinking that we are the only conscious creature may be totally wrong!

So I have concluded that consciousness is more than perceiving a certain situation and acting relative to those conditions.

Or...

Perhaps the issue is not with the definition of consciousness...but with who or what I think is conscious!

What we accept as fact often clouds our ability to see the real truth!

Does this make sense?

Success and Perspective

What I have learned from all of this has deeply affected how I look at success and my pursuit of it!

First and foremost is that we as humans totally lack "crea-tive" powers...but we are awesome at "rela-tive" powers...

The great strides in our society and science were not "crea-ted"...but discovered and later "rela-ted"

The world is full and many hidden gems...waiting to be discovered...and many things discovered that need proper understanding...

Genius springs from the ability to perceive the world differently so that we can see these jewels that are hidden in plain sight!

Think about it...warped space...gravity...did not suddenly appear when Einstein explained it...he simply found a way to put it into terms that science reluctantly bought into after they saw the value!

Success is not found in getting many people to believe in what you saw...Einstein saw light and gravity differently for decades...he was alone...but succeeded...

...thousands of people claim to have seen Bigfoot...yet it is not proven...

Success is found in the broad range application of what you have found...its impact...what I call true wisdom...

If you seek success...do not try to create something...

"It is what it is!"

Nothing exists that hasn't existed since the beginning...it has always been there...(some astrophysicists will argue with me on the creation of elements heavier that hydrogen and helium...but this is nit-picky at this point).

It is up to us to change the way that we look at the world around us and find the components that will lead to our success...

The foundation of success lies in a different perspective...until it changes...we'll always see things as they are...

What we accept as fact often clouds our ability to see the real truth!

Enough Said...

OK...One more thing...

Pura Vida!

Wake Up Call...

I am creature of habit...

Actually all human beings are...

So...this epiphany is not earth shattering!

A majority of my days begin at 5:30 am...actually at 5:20 because without exception I wake up at that time regardless of the time I retire...to beat my clock's alarm (because I hate it!)

and from 5:30 to 8:00 I have a regular routine that takes me to the point of my leaving for the office...

and then...I park in the same parking place...despite the fact that most of the lot is open...

and I walk through the same door...and say the same things to the people who are in the habit of arriving earlier than I do!

On weekends...when I promise myself, before retiring to bed the night prior, that I will "sleep-in"...

I wake up at 5:20...lay there for a few minutes...and get up!

There is comfort and security in routine...

The one thing that I can depend upon...is that if I follow my routine...I will be capable of providing the results expected by my superiors and dependents...a majority of the time...

I have routines so that I do not let others down...and as I think about it...so that I do not let myself down...

But like everyone else around me...(you included) we may be creatures of habits...but not all of our habits are perfect or work perfectly every time...

This opens a new door!

One of my regular lectures explains that we are defined by our habits...

I'll be REALLY brief...

Our habits are simply those behaviors and actions (reactions) that we repeat often enough that people relate it to us, in a cause/effect fashion.

We are not who we think we are...thoughts are ours and ours alone...they have no substance...

We are not who we say we are...talk is cheap!

We are known and recognized by our actions...by what we do...

Since I am merely the sum total of my habits...my value is a simple math equation...

Value = Beneficial habits - Detrimental habits

Value is defined...not by us...but by those around us!

You may argue that you have habits that are only detrimental to yourself...

I agree...but in the long-run...these will hurt you (kill you) and those around you will be hurt by your death (I hope LOL!) and deem even the most hidden habits detrimental!

Breaking some basic paradigms...(myth-busting!) we have no control over the determination of our value!

That leads to the fact that if we desire to be a contributing (valuable) individual...we have to be pursuing better habit...or does it?

1. If I desire to be of more value...I am afforded many options...
2. I can stay the way I am (in terms of my beneficial habits) and work diligently to reduce the number of detrimental habits
3. I can increase the number of beneficial habits and keep my detrimental ones static
4. I can increase the number of beneficial habits and decrease the number of detrimental ones...

So many choices...and no right way!  How we go about choosing which value increasing strategy is right for us is a matter of preference...

BUT...

This perspective provides some interesting insights...

It clearly defines some obscure terms...

• Addiction = a detrimental habit that an individual refuses to eliminate in their quest for ever-increasing value...

• Control = the strength of the "-" sign in our overall equation.

• Success = any point in time when beneficial habits out weigh the detrimental habits...

Are you seeing what I am seeing?

All this habit talk is boring!

The Effective Process...

I once wrote that the most effective way to eliminate a habit is with another habit...

and...

being finite creatures...of limited capability...

if we focus solely on increasing good habits...the detrimental habits will be displaced!

and over time...

Those things which are of less benefit...will be pushed to the "detrimental" list and we'll work on displacing them...

BUT...What about my purpose and mission?

At any given time...your purpose and mission is defined by the sum total of your beneficial habits...

and...

Your effectiveness is the "Net" of beneficial and detrimental habits...

Many people are on a constant pilgrimage...in search of their purpose in life...

Let's look at this from a different perspective...

If our beneficial habits are constantly changing...what we are doing today...may be considerably different next year!

Our purpose may be to simply be gleaning through our habits and improving their value...or changing them continuously...

A clearly defined purpose or mission may be restrictive...and actually counter-productive...

Doing what matters and of value...OFTEN may be a better defining purpose than what many of the books advise!

Seriously consider this...

There are some great benefits to this perspective...

You are not waiting to blossom or acquire something before you fulfill your purpose...

At any given moment...you can live up to your purpose based upon the value you can contribute...

and so on...

OK...I have belabored this point! 

Why did I call this a "Wake up call?"

It is just that for me!

I realized my life is a 5:20 am awakening...

There are certain things that have to happen (habits) in order for me to be effective...

Getting up earlier in the morning will not serve me any better...

Getting up later has the same impact...

The first and most important habit in my life is to "Wake up!"

From that single habit all else springs...  DUH!

Perhaps what we need to realize is that waking up is not just "a first thing in the morning" habit for me...

but...

An ongoing habit that although conceptually the same...must take on different forms throughout my day and life!

Wake up to...(you can fill in the blank)

And...

...as I think deeper...

I don't wait for the alarm...I wake up before it because...I hate the sound of it!

Now there's a habit I need to reproduce!

Enough said!

Pura Vida!