A Look into "My Mentor - Epiphanies of the Utterly Obvious"

Here is a quick look into my next book!

Introduction

As we stood at the edge of a perfectly mirror-like lake, so close, in fact that even a ripple would have made our feet wet. He reached down, picked up a small stone and broke the silence with a contemplative whisper, “Even a rock this small can change the nature of this large lake!” With that, he threw it as far as his arm could muster. It, amazingly, flew quite a distance and broke the perfectly flat surface, with a splash. So disruptive was the small impact that, for a moment I thought I heard the sound of glass shattering!

My mentor placed his hand on my shoulder and in a commanding tone that I seldom heard, “Watch the waterline with me…we have something to learn.”

What seemed like minutes passed and suddenly the tiny ripples from the stone’s interruption of the glass-like surface appeared at our feet. “See what I mean?” he asked.

I watched as the static edge of water quivered ever so slightly and then resume its perfectly motionless state. “It changed for a moment as the ripples met and encountered the shore, but it went back to what it wanted…didn’t it? “I replied.

He smiled, shook his head and in almost a taunting manner responded, “That is only partly true…the ripples are only the result of the initial event has led to a permanent change in the lake!”

“What permanent change?” I asked in a disbelieving tone.

“After the rock entered the water, it did not dissolve. It was added to the lake. It increased the overall volume of content of the lake! If you were observant enough, you would have noticed that the level of the lake rose ever so slightly! The water was lifted because I did something. It is that we are not sensitive enough to realize that we truly made a difference!”  We are desensitized to our real impact on the world around us and this blindness has many negative implications.

Without saying a word my eyes caught his and asked, “Can you please tell me more?”

He graciously and humbly continued, “We delude ourselves into believing that everything that we do and say has to have a huge impact. The fact of the matter is that everything that we say or do either adds or subtracts from the world. It may make a splash as we intended, but it is what happens after the ripples are gone that really matters!  One stone made the difference that was required, yet we continue to throw stones until we see the level rise with our own eyes.  The problem is that too many stones are a problem by themselves.”

It was at that moment in my life that I realized that I had learned more from my mentor in our brief encounters than our formal sessions! It was in our brief interactions, like that time or as we walked to our cars after work or passed each other in the hallway, that he would throw a few words (stones) at me (usually a sentence or two), hoping they would shatter the surface and ponder them at their true depth.

He hoped that I would be ultimately uplifted and grow as a result of the exercises and experiences.

These axioms were not flippant phrases or clichés. They were crafted and released only after years of experience, observation, testing and thought. These were his pearls. He meted them out as his most precious treasure. Luckily I listened to the whisper as we stood by the lake.  I almost missed this gift!

Adages! Aphorisms! They are words of wisdom that are the result of an amazing intellectual-distillation process. Being universal in nature, these gems do not require time or location to be meaningful. They transcend all of that! These epiphanies are little arrows of truth and insight. Most, if not all of the important and life-changing ones hit their intended target and stuck. Each had a tiny and almost unnoticeable affect, yet over time I knew that they had become part of my nature.

In an attempt to ensure that his “effort in insight” was not wasted, I started a new notebook. This was when I started carrying two notebooks! One book was for me and the other, more precious book was used to record his “Epiphanies of the Utterly Obvious!”

He would often remind me that “The greatest truths hide in plain sight. “That is how the notebook got its title. Flashes of great insights (epiphanies), hiding in plain sight (the utterly obvious).The “epiphany exercise” was not reserved to a “him to me” venue. Over a short period of time, it became a competition to see who could find a truth and create a “knock your socks-off” quip. We became each other’s best and worse critic! We would judge the value of each of these by our responses to them. If we exclaimed, “Oh man, why didn’t I see that?” that epiphany was a winner and was given a place in the record book!

That first notebook and the many others that followed were not only permanent records of the insights, but also a scoreboard that along with my other journals are among the few treasures that I have cherished and lugged with through my life’s journey. Unlike the journals, they do not record the time, place and situation. There is no need to! Instead, they are records of observation and insights, facts that apply almost universally. They contain the adage and when necessary, a brief explanation. Most of them however did not have to be explained.

“They are meant to be applied…” he once said as I wrote, “…which means that they have to be interpreted by the hearer and directly used in their context, not one biased by our explanation.”

As it was with that stone that my mentor tossed into the lake, his epiphanies made temporary ripples in my life and at the same time, I was permanently uplifted ever so slightly, but so little that I didn’t realize it.  As the number of epiphanies grew, it became apparent to me that I was better for the experience.  The shoreline of my life had risen to a point that I could see a real difference!

“True wisdom should never be hoarded…but shared with those who possess the ability to understand and apply them!” he advised, “It is not our right to judge who is capable or incapable, so share them as often and with as many people as possible.  Let them be the judge of the value.”

As I stand at the edge of this proverbial “tranquil lake” of life, loosely clutching a handful of epiphanies, the urge to throw them is unbearable. I long to see the tiny ripples reflected in the eyes of the listeners, knowing that even if they do not immediately realize or feel it, they were lifted ever so slightly by the impact and inclusion of them, in their lives.  

“Be patient and do not become discouraged…someday they'll notice how high they have been raised!”

“Even a stone as small as this can change the nature of a very large lake…”

Our first Epiphany of the Utterly Obvious!

Chapter 1 – Setting the stage

My mentor emphasized that EVERY interaction between individuals should carry meaning and value.  It was that belief that spurred epiphanies of the utterly obvious.  Rather than an impersonal and meaningless greeting in a hallway, he (and later I) shared with each other, what we believed was a new insight of value.  Given that…let’s walk past each other and not waste time with stories.  Let’s jump right into a series of epiphanies of the utterly obvious that sets the stage for the rest of this book.

Our first epiphany…

History is our greatest teacher and will relentlessly repeat its lessons until we grasp…what it intends to for us to learn…

Our second epiphany…

The most valuable trait that a person can possess is called “common” as in “common sense”…

Our third epiphany…

Wisdom is as endangered as is the passenger pigeon…OH YEAH!  The passenger pigeon is extinct…

Like me, these three epiphanies, when considered in both, individually and in combination, generate some interesting thoughts.  The thought that comes to me is...

Information is king…or is it?

One of the inevitable “facts of life” with the widespread use of the internet, the 21^st century has truly become the “information age.”  The easy access to information provides many advantages to individuals and to our society, but with those benefits there is a cost.  We are often inundated with “Too Much Information” (TMI)!  Valuable information is often buried in a mountain of worthless trivia, to the point that TMI has become a commonplace abbreviation in conversations.  Other times, we simply do not want to know certain “tidbits!”

I do not have to belabor this point, the 21^st century’s offering of easy access to information is a liability.  We simply get too much information, it becomes expected, and a commodity and we underplay its overall value.  We lose!  The loss is the result of a narrow and somewhat arrogant view related to the value of information.  Information (or knowledge) is only part of the real “value equation.”  This may sound a bit cryptic. 

“Information is only one component of the entire recipe…”  

Let’s shift gears and digress for just a moment and gain a deeper understanding of the “I” part of TMI, information.  Traditionally, information is regarded as the accurate understanding of “Cause and Effect.”  In other words; “if this…then this” is the information equation. 

This is the essence of scientific method and what man has relentlessly pursued for centuries.  Information is not completed understanding, but the first step of the understanding process.  It holds within itself the potential of action, but must be put into context for it to be valuable.  Information may not be king, but it holds within itself the “royal bloodline!” 

Based on the prior thoughts, information is a critical component, yet without application, it has no value. Information is a description of a cause and the related effect.  It is a discovery or insight (information) providing an understanding of what to do to get the desired effect.  If one does not act upon the information, nothing happens.  Moreover, without a complete understanding of other “effects” related or directly linked to a specific “cause,” there may be other effects, some adverse and others positive.  There also may be other “effects” associated of connected to the desired effect (Any effect can itself be another “cause in an infinite chain), creating other “effects.”  We can conclude that action based upon myopic information may have a “net effect” with a considerable negative cost.  This can be likened to taking a drug to combat pattern baldness, which grows hair, but causes pancreatic cancer in every instance.  It did what it was designed to do, but at a huge cost to the patient,    

The oft missing component from the effective use of information is what I have labeled as “impact.”  If cause/effect is understood completely, it carries beyond the “narrow” and finite view, which is only focused on the desired effect.  For it to have value, it must be significantly understood with a broadened “global” view that not only includes all of the intended effects, but also the unintended consequences or effects (negative and positive) which were related to the initial cause initiated or the effects related to the desired effect, causing other effects (negative and positive).  It is an understanding of and the ability to forecast the “costs” or “impacts” related to the information possessed (cause and effects) that leads to real value.  This value is recognized as wisdom.  

It is easy to confuse Information with wisdom and as a result many believe that simply possessing an ocean of information with the ability to make effective change is wisdom.  When acted upon, information can create change, but is it valuable?  Not unless it has a net positive valuable impact.  Those who possess that information are considered “wise” or at bare minimum ones with “common sense.”   

    

Wisdom generally comes through experience.  It is not the exclusive right of the aged!  Wisdom can be shared and handed down from generation to generation.  Because of the availability of information and the misclassification, we have lost much of the traditional transfer of wisdom.  Although the transfer of wisdom is weak at best…we (who continue to relentlessly share our thoughts) are on the right track.  Like “Mother Nature” we have to persist and repeat ourselves until the lessons are learned.

Information is important.  Insight and wisdom are to be preferred.  When obtained, the real value becomes obvious.

Let’s not stop here and pursue our thoughts even deeper.

The prior thoughts addressed the “Information” part of TMI.  Shifting gears, yet again, we find that the “Too Much” part TMI is just as destructive to what mankind is “designed” to do.  “Too Much” information makes all of it unintelligible!  TMI is simply noise!  The 21^st century will in all likelihood go down as the period in our history filled with noise and distraction!  

This label will come back to haunt us unless we grasp the true beauty and elegance of simplicity. 

“Truth hides in plain sight…” 

Ignoring or filtering the noise and extracting the simple truths that anxiously wait to be discovered will carry a premium to the few that grasp this talent. 

What talent?

  

Let’s look at the simple discipline.

First is the recognition that Information is the understanding of “Cause/Effect”.

Second is that most “Cause/Effect” relationships are cloaked by noise of frivolous pieces of data.

Third is that it is necessary to filter the noise to get to the truths.

Fourth is that “wisdom” goes beyond “Cause/Effect” to “Cause/Effect/Impact”.

 Fifth and finally is that from the very beginning truth is simple and elegant.  Those who can see it must create short and meaningful ways to convey it to those who don’t or can’t.  Real genius is not found within complex explanations…but in the elegance of simplistic explanations of most complex and pressing challenges…AND THEN VALUE IS ADDED WHEN WE ACT ON IT!

Albert Einstein was able to explain much of the universe with 5 characters!  E = MC2.  It can’t get much simpler than that!  As I pondered his equation, it hit me that he did not create the laws of the universe, but simply found them and explained them in an elegant and simple way that was easily understandable!  They were hiding in plain sight, waiting to be found.  His equation remains, to this day, an elegant epiphany of the utterly obvious!

Let’s travel back in time…to the dawn of man…”a simpler but precarious time” when the future of the species hung on one’s ability to learn the essentials of survival.  After a harrowing day of eking out a living and escaping imminent dangers, the wise (oftentimes lucky) elders gathered around a fire and shared their stories and the rest of the tribe sat in the shadows and intently listened to the wisdom and applied that insight to their own lives.  The human species survived because the living learned from the tales told of the less fortunate and were able not to repeat their errors.  History will repeat itself until we learn!  In their case a failing grade in the school of life was fatal!  Our ancestors “learned and lived” and not the opposite as we often (and wrongly) quote.  They would listen to everything and glean out the important, yet hidden messages, realizing that they were a matter of life or death.  

Epiphanies of the utterly obvious evade widespread discovery by hiding in plain sight.  They also are often rejected by most because their perception is calloused by their own experience and biases (internal and external noise).  When found the flash of insight is often amazing.  Many have had the “eureka” moment, the epiphany of the utterly obvious.

What is an epiphany of the utterly obvious? 

It is a simple truth that, when grasped, changes the world of the “grasper!”  As we delve a bit deeper into understanding this type of epiphany, it is not a simple restatement of a truth that everyone knows. It is an observation of reality that everyone knew but was unable to state in elegance or apply easily.  In other words…epiphanies of the utterly obvious are potentially life changing quips.  They are truth found and distilled into as few words as possible to the extent that they are understood by all those who stop long enough to savor the beauty of the combination.  Wisdom is rare, but it is not yet extinct.  It is just not as easily shared as it was in the past.  It is hidden by the noise of the 21^st century.  Let’s cut through that noise and find some together.

My How Maslow has Changed!"

A History channel moment...



In the 1930s and 40s...a psychologist named Abraham Maslow worked diligently to understand the what made people do what they do...

He discovered that there is a difference between "wants" and "needs"

His work could be represented in a simple pyramidal model that has been called Maslow's Hierarchy of needs.

It was widely accepted because it fit the attitudes and values of the culture of the time...and it applied throughout most of the 20th century...

Chicken or Egg situation...

Earlier in the 20th century the American public idolized a man named Andrew Carnegie...

Few American do not know who he was...

He was once the richest man in America...

What differentiated him from most of the other rich Americans is that he spent most of the latter days of his life giving back a large portion of his riches...

While on his deathbed he was asked what advice he could give to the world...

His response...

1 - Spend the first third of your life learning as much as you can...
2 - Spend the second third of your life earning as much as you can with what you have learned...
3 - Spend the last third of your life returning what you have earned with what you have learned...making it possible for others to achieve more than what you have...

The pinnacle aspiration was charity...or "self-actualization"...the top of Maslow's hierarchy!

The public quickly grasped this concept...and many aspired (in word and deed) toward the same

A question arises...

Was this truly the aspiration of the public....and Maslow's hierarchy a representation of this aspiration?...or...

Did Maslow's hierarchy simply follow "Carnegie's axioms" and influence the public?

Psychological Puppets

I vividly recall just about every course that I sat in...where Maslow's Hierarchy was presented...

When the professor or facilitator asked "where are you?"

The participants would answer..."self-actualization"

As I sat there...I knew that many if not all of the participants where not at the pinnacle of existence...

Why?

They were here to learn...

They were not in the last third of their life...

They were still working!

Were these people deceived or simply trying to deceive those around them?

Simple human behavior...

The shape of the hierarchy itself may have influenced the answers...

As one looks at the triangular shape...our eyes move to the top...

It is deeply embedded in most aspiring people to look to the top...and then strive to obtain what is at the top...

In the minds of this type of person...it is an admission of weakness or failure to admit to less...

Hmmmmmm!

Everyone has heard it...so why continue teaching it?

Although Maslow's hierarchy has not fallen out of favor...

It has lost its edge...

It is not taught as extensively as it once was...

In a "tongue in cheek" fashion...

I wonder if it would help society to have mandatory Maslow's hierarchy of needs courses...

From preschool throughout high school...

Where the students would "swear an oath" to self-actualization...

or at minimum...try to convince their classmates that they are self-actualizing!

If repeated often enough...a majority will begin to believe it and act like it!

I could not see anything detrimental in having a society that aspires for charity and achievement of one's full potential!

and...

...sees anything less than that as an embarrassment and degrading!

Shifting Gears!

 Is Maslow falling into historical trivia because we no longer teach it...or it losing it's favor because it no longer represents society...?

This is also an interesting question to ponder...

I believe that education,,,what is taught...shapes our society...

When we accept something as important...and we teach it...that becomes a part of how we think and act...

Maslow's hierarchy simply organized and diagrammed society's belief and behavior structure of a large part of society...

The hierarchy was quite complimentary and directive!  People aspired to be among the few at the top...like Andrew Carnegie!

Now we teach it as a historical piece of information...

Seldom do I hear..."I am self-actualizing!"

Society has changed!

Could be because we now longer teach the hierarchy ass a basic concept...

Could be that society has changed and "we" no longer see it as applicable!

What is important is that society has changed!

What has changed?

Look around and few people if any truly seek self-actualization...and a totally selfless charity oriented life...

Instead a majority of our society appears to be seeking self-gratification...

Learn
Earn
BURN...it all on me!

It is sad!

I suggest that we pull the old hierarchy out...dust it off and begin living it!

Right after we memorize "Andrew's Axiom!"

We need to move from Selfishness to Selflessness...

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!

Humans' Role in Nature's Drama...

I recently watched a television show that focused on our solar system.

I have always had (at least since an early age) an interest in astronomy...especially planetary astronomy. 

This broadcast had amazing photography of all of the planets...and I still look at the pictures and feel the excitement and amazement that I felt the first time I saw Jupiter, its "red spot" and its moons and the "rings of Saturn."

Enough of my reminiscing!

This show was more than pictures...it discussed many different theories related to the birth of our solar system, its history and anticipated "life span." 

One portion of the show caught my attention in particular.  It was about the birth of the planet.  One of the latest theories contends that the planets "accreted."  That means that over a period of time, they started out as atoms, that accumulated into dust, that accumulated into rocks, that accumulated into asteroid-sized objects, that finally accumulated into planet-sized objects.

That seemed to make sense...until I thought about nature...

Nature doesn't accrete!  It's general tendency is to erode!

Nature seeks its lowest level...

In nature...big things become smaller...not the other way around!

If accretion was true...the asteroid belt would be turning into a planet...

I am seeing this!  Are you?

Ashes to Ashes...Dust to Dust!

Big Deal!  Right?

I really do not care how the earth came into being...

But this theory got me thinking (I don't know how or why) about the role and relation that Human Beings have in nature!

Nature is about cycles of building that lead to decomposition...

Physically humans are part of that cycle...and as hard as we try...we can not break free from it!

Think about it...

The Egyptians sought eternal existence...through mummification...

Ponce de Leon - Tried in vain to find the "Fountain of Eternal Youth"

A vast majority of the world's population is concerned with spiritual "eternal life."

Many of our info-mercials sell exercise and health programs, make-up, plastic surgery, and so on...in an attempt to stop the inevitable attacks of nature...

Despite our gallant efforts...we all succumb to nature and return to dust!

That is as individuals...but what about us as a species?

So where do "we" actually stand?

It is interesting...but it wasn't deep introspection of thought that lead me to this...but the info-mercials that brought on this epiphany!

We (human beings) are here to stand against nature!

It is deeply instilled in us to create things that grow...things that last!

It has been and remains an important part of every culture...

Without belaboring the point...humans are here to stand against erosion...and decomposition...

It is in our nature to..."Rage...Rage...against the night...and not go gently into that good night..."

We are here in direct conflict with nature!

Should we fight a battle that we'll ultimately lose?

Regardless of your religious position...from scientific to fanatic...our global and individual role/position is unique!

To put it in the most generic form...(that can be read more universally)...Nature put man on this earth as (at minimum) an experiment...or to play a leadership and control role...that prior to his/her dawn did not exist.

The role?

To take command and control of the natural order of things!

Natural order?

To go from something...flourish...and then subside into oblivion!

To break to cycles...and leave ever improving legacies!

Things upon which future generations can built to higher and better levels of existence...

Look at our history...we have gone from caves to skyscrapers!

From walking upright...to space travel...

and on and on!

To make a positive difference in the world...or at least the part that matters...the part that each was given responsibility for...

Is this a battle that we (as a species) will lose?

I do not believe so...

What to do?  WHAT TO DO?

To figure out our role in this cosmic drama...let's look at Nature...the world around us...

It may be easier to figure out our purpose by seeing what we are standing against and defining our role from the "negative of a negative" aspect!

Nature lacks morals or ethics...

It is what it is!

It does not reward good...or punish bad!

It destroys huge parts of its inhabitants without even a second thought...

It allows extinctions

Need I go on?

Nature is cruel (by our standards)...Nature doesn't see it that way...because it has no standards...

Nature lacks caring (although we may see it...it is fleeting)

Nature ultimately decomposes EVERYTHING into the most basic of elements leaving absolutely no trace of its past...IT COULD CARE LESS!

Clarity of Purpose

It is much easier for me to see what we should be doing...now that I see what we are here "not to do!"

The opposite of love is not hate...it is indifference!

Nature is indifferent...we as human being have the ability to exercise our calling and stand against indifference by caring and love!

This above all things is an important characteristic of human-ness!  Yet many do not exercise this obligation!

Why not hate?

Next...Nature decomposes...it destroys what it has built...

Hate is an emotion that leads to destructive behaviors...

Any behavior that destroys or erodes is natural...whether driven by a negative emotion or simply through indifference!

Love and caring in the proper perspective builds...and is strictly a human characteristic!

I could belabor the point...but will refrain from doing so...

As humans...we are designed to build and keep building...

To leave foundations upon which future generations can springboard to even higher levels...

Yet we fall prey to nature and simply act "naturally"

Shame on us!

This is not only about lasting monuments and ethical governments...

This is also about a mean and nasty word...a bullying behavior...

Any behavior that is less than uplifting...is degrading and eroding...

"Non-building" behaviors are admissions of that individual being less (lower) than human...

Harsh but true!

We through apathy and avoidance...allow these individuals to remain an accepted and often lauded part of our human society...when we should be re-mediating them...

They are not only "lower classed" they are shirking their responsibility as humans!

They need to see that they are hurting our species (society) on a whole...

It is not that hard to be nice...

It is not that hard to act human...

To build...rather than tear down...

To switch from "what's in it for me?" to "how can I help you?"

It would be totally delightful to walk around a shopping mall and overhear happy conversations rather than the cutting and obnoxious talk that I hear!

Think of a world filled with "please" and heartfelt "thank you's" or "excuse me"...or "after you!"

Just common (actually uncommon) courtesies!

How hard is it to simply be what we are called to be?

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!

Is "Tolerance" the Kiss of Death?

"Come on...you can do better than that!"

That was a phrase that we grew up with...

Many psychologists would say that statements like this are counter-productive...even damaging!

I disagree in part with that belief!

If success is the destination...then...criticism is part of the journey!

Like everything worthwhile in life...if success is what one truly desires...then ciriticism is one of the costs of obtaining it...

Our Whimpy Society

We have spent too much of our lives "sugar coating" mediocrity...

"...we dont want to hurt fragile psyches!"

Don't misunderstand me...criticism is not all good...it is a double-edged sword...

So....

There is a point where I agree with the psychologists that call criticism damaging...

If the criticism stands alone...like the opening sentence...and it puts the responsibility, for improvement, totally upon the criticized...this can and, more often than not, be damaging...especially when the criticized is trying the best that they know how...

However the tables can be easily turned!

I suggest the following criteria for criticism...AND...

...if tis criteria is not met...

...one should NOT criticize!

In other words...KEEP YOUR CRITICISM TO YOURSELF!

Criteria for Productive and Beneficial Criticism

It is this simple...

1.  The criticism must identify the specific behavior and its detrimental impact...
2.  The criticism MUST include a reasonable and achieveable suggestion for improvement...
3.  The "criticizer" MUST sincerely volunteer to substantially assist the "criticized" in achieving the recommended improvement!

An individual has no right to criticize unless they put some skin in the game!

"We are in this together" has to be the driving force in the world of criticism...

"Just say'in" doesn't cut it!

That popular phrase is simply dumping responsibility on the individual and is nothing more than a selfish statement!

Let it be known that noone has a right to an opinion without a vested interest and a contribution to the improvement...

We have become a "whimpy" society...simultaneously tolerant and intolerant...

That is a good thing...

But operationally we have a problem...

The problem is that we have them switched!

HUH? 

We are tolerant of the things we should abhor...

AND...

Intolerant of those things that do not matter!

The good thing...is that this can easily be fixed with discipline and consistency!

When we tolerate because we are too busy or tired...it is a bad thing!

When our tolerance is springs from understanding...it is a good thing!

It is a bad thing...when we tolerate because we are lazy or apathetic or calloused!

It is a good thing...when it builds and unites...rather than destroys!

The "Do unto others" thing really holds true here!

The strange thing that most of our society knows the "Do unto others" thing...and they still have nasty mouths and attitudes?

I have to wonder if these individuals are really asking to be treated like that in their treatment of others...

I sure hope not...

Because if that is true...our world is more messed up than we think!

MORE ON CRITICISM...

The "Do unto others" is true in criticism of others...but did you realize that this also holds true in our criticism of "self?"

STOP Being Your Own Worst Critic!

Let's mess with the "Do unto others" saying...

"Do unto yourself as you would have others do unto you!"

Self-criticism is just as damaging as that coming from another...especially when it doesn't follow my suggested criteria for productive criticism...

In somewhat of a "tongue-in-cheek" fashion...When the person who you are closest to criticizes you (you criticizing yourself) without a plan for improvement AND a commitment to improving...it achieves little but pointing out the failure and emphasizing the weakness that the self possesses!

It is self-deprecating!

Use the criteria on yourself...if not...stop self criticism!

Enough said!

On Being Judgemental...

The old warning...

"...judge not...lest you yourself will be judged..."  is so true!

We have no right to judge another for their actions...good or bad!

We can only state whether or not we would do that ourselves!

Judgement of others extends not only to criticism (the negative side) but also to the positive side!

Although compliments of others are good behaviors...we must be careful about the use of them...

Moderation is the key...and the criteria for positive criticism still holds true!

Criticism is important...but from whom?

We can not survive and thrive without criticism or judgement...

Someone has to be able to judge/criticize our actions...

Who?

Us...on ourselves!

We must be the judge of our own behaviors...

...the only person that you have a right to judge is yourself...

You have a right to feel good when you do something good!

Pat yourself on the back!

But remember...you do not have the right to hurt yourself!

Any more than others have the right to hurt you...or...no more than you have the right to hurt another person!

Judgement and criticism loses its ability to cause damage when it is put in the light of the obtainable improvement...and assistance to obtaining the standard that drove the original criticism...

Our society would be "so much the better" if we became less tolerant of mediocrity...more critical of it...stepping up to make better things happen!

I am not a proponent of tolerance...if it is a battle worth fighting for...

If it doesn't matter...don't worry about it!

If it does matter...make it happen with a loving passion!

I could go on...but it is the weekend...

Have a restful one!

I know where you head is going...

"OK Phil...interesting weekend update...but I know that you can do better than that!"

I can with your suggestions and assistance!

If you are willing...

Otherwise...

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!

What Have WE become?

Good Question:  WHAT HAVE WE BECOME?

It has been estimated that (since the dawn of man) approximately 100 Billion people have lived and died to get us where we are!  Every individual who has lived and died has had some influence on our current situation...

...some good...

...some bad...

...some helped keep us at status quo!

One of my "Epiphanies of the utterly obvious" is that we often (and wrongly) believe that "It is what it is..."

The fact of the matter is..."It is our fault for it being what it is!"

Some of us fail to realize the contribution that we make to our society's present and future...

We are...(each one of us)...a genetically unique variation on the "human theme."

We carry with us the entire history of the past...

Good and bad!

The "good" should be carried forward...

The "bad" should become a memory (AND LESSON) of what should not be repeated!

Another of my "Epiphanies" is that...

"History is our greatest teacher...and it will repeat itself until we learn the lessons that it intends to teach us!"

Since my last post (which has been a while)...I have been contemplating the plight of human-kind...

...as if it will make a difference...

Rather than curse the stupidity of this world...I realized that, at least, I can be in it but not of it...

I do not have to fall prey to apathy and conforming to a death spiral...

I can change the world...or at least the part that matters...my world (as small as it may be!)...

A History Channel Moment!

After deep and intense debate, our "Founding Fathers" identified those "unalienable rights" of those who are members (citizens) of the fledgling country called "The United States of America"

These rights were documented in and guaranteed by the US Constitution...the are "...Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..."

They also recognized that these rights came with a cost!

Members (citizens) were guaranteed the rights as long as what they pursued DID NOT infringe on the right of another to pursue their rights!

DUH!

Their intent related to "unalienable rights" was that it was conditional...

At the time of the writing...the emphasis was on the latter portion of their intent (i.e. "did not infringe on the rights of another") rather than "what one pursued"

Many argued that it would simply be a matter of time and the American society would selfishly replace "unalienable rights" with "individual rights"  and confuse "freedom of NOT infringing on others' rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" with the "freedom of exercising their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"

Sadly...I may have to admit that they were right and that the prophesied time has come!

Our nation still stands on the Founding Fathers' principals...

What saddens me is that the degradation is apparent in the behaviors of its members (citizens) on the most basic and primal levels...

Lessons Carried from the Past

My grade school education took place during some turbulent times in American history...(as I reflect on it...isn't every time turbulent?)

The Viet Nam war...

...The rise of the "Do your own thing generation"...

...Womens' Rights...

...The Cold-War...

...Civil Rights...

...Assassinations...

...Counter-culture movements...

...the Space Race...

AND ON AND ON...

It was a time of societal revolution...

...and we (my generation) watched and learned as things "were a chang'in"...

I was blessed...in that my teachers (who were of the "establishment") did their very best to ensure that we were not tainted of biased by their opinions...

They challenged us to strive for excellence...

I vividly recall a discussion early on, in my education, a teacher's advice...

"...one's weaknesses or ignorance does not give them the right to drag the rest of society down..."

"...It is that person's responsibility to strive to do the best they can..."

"Society is not obligated to accommodate for individuals who selfishly demand..."

"...Accommodation is not a right...but CHARITY"

"...It is our obligation as a citizens to contribute to society..."

Although an opinion...It shaped me and my awareness of the world around me and my obligations!

It confirmed to me that "membership" (citizenship) has its privileges...but it also has its costs!

When did we lose that?

OH...HOW THAT HAS CHANGED!

In driver's education, we were taught that our inability to anticipate was not cause to endanger other drivers...

If you were in a wrong lane...it was not license to "cut lanes"

A person's "STUPID" did not condone irresponsible driving behavior...

Customer Service areas were significantly different...

If people talked to others like they do not in "customer service" areas...they would have been charged with disorderly conduct and fined!

Don't people of today realize that they "trash talk" and disrespectful behavior infringes on the rights of another to pursue "life, liberty and their pursuit of happiness"?

I often observe seemingly "constitutionally ignorant" (please excuse my opinion...it is used to emphasize my point) people trash others...talk disrespectful and ruin others' days!

Their behaviors are contrary to the US Constitution!  That by definition is a felony!

I would love, nothing more, to see someone that was trashing a "minimum wage" Wal-Mart, customer service representative charged with a felony...lose their rights as an American citizen...

That is harsh!

But American citizenship...like membership...has a price!

One of those costs of citizenship is the respect of others' rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!"

DO NOT CONFUSE LIBERTY AND FREEDOM

It took me a long time to recognize what our Founding Fathers inherently knew from the beginning...

...That is there is a difference between "Liberty" and "Freedom"...

Freedom is the license to do whatever one pleases...regardless of impact to others...

Liberty is the ability to do what you  desire without undue influence or coercion!

Freedom is inwardly or selfishly focused, while Liberty is outwardly (or other) focused... 

If we focus on ensuring others Liberties...we will be free...

WHERE IS THIS GOING?

We have "Rights!"

"Rights" guaranteed by the Constitution...

"Rights" to be contributing citizens of this society...

We do not have the "Right" to be a "drain" on our society!

I am just a "nasty" person is not an excuse...

I am just an "air-head" or stupid is not an excuse...

I am not perfect is not an excuse...

...for what?

...an excuse to infringe on the rights of another or others!

The next time you feel obligated to "voice your opinion" or you hear someone doing that...

Ask...is this infringing on the other's right to their "pursuit of happiness?"

You or that person is in the process of giving up your right to citizenship!

What have we become?

I want to ensure that the 100 billion people who have lived and died have not done so in vain!

We are quickly becoming a society of thankless individuals...

...who do not recognize the impact that they have on the "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" of others...

Time to stop...listen to History...and learn from it!

Membership (citizenship)...does have its cost!

ENOUGH SAID!

Pura Vida!



   

    

   

 

What made America Great...and is needed today!

Good Morning!

I have been thinking about what it will take to return our country to the greatness that it once enjoyed.  This is the challenge that our representatives (presidential candidates, Senators and the like) will face in the next few years.

It is THE most critical issue and it can not be laced with political rhetoric any longer...it demands the right action...

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One of my "Epiphanies of the Utter Obvious" is... 

"...History is a loving teacher...and she'll patiently repeat herself...until we learn the lessons that she wants us to learn!"

Albert Einstein is given credit for a quote that goes somewhat like this...

"Insanity is doing things the same old way and expecting different results..."

The political challenge is much deeper than addressing the nature of our economy...

It is all about what our society has become...

...SPOILED...

Our majority has been lead to believe that they are entitled to more than they have earned...

That there is a bigger return for the price that they have paid...

The fact is that every expected return has a cost!

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History is trying to teach us a lesson...RIGHT?

I think that it is to "learn from our mistakes and leverage (repeat those things that led to ) our successes..."

This begs the question...

Why do we constantly think that we have to invent something new?

"...nothing is new under the sun..."

What was is and will be...until we learn the lesson that "History" is trying to teach us!

The problems and challenges are the same...the antidotes are the same too!

Yet we remain arrogant and stubborn!

How long will we allow our egos to drive our problems solving strategy?

I think that it would be much easier if someone would just say..."let's just go with what we are good at!"

What do I mean?

Let's dig a bit deeper!

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Deeply embedded in every challenge is the answer!

These issues need to be addressed with logic and facts...it has to be solved with "the past" keenly in mind...this is a world completely controlled by cause and effect...

Don't think that you can break the immutable laws of nature!

Every effect has a cause...

Every achievement has a cost!

The higher the aspiration...the higher the cost!

If there is an attempt to repeat what was attempted in the past and it was a failure...and we expect different results from doing the same thing...

...you know what we should think about that!

If there is an attempt to repeat that which has worked in the past...and we expect the same results...

I would call that common sense!

It is that simple!

Let me repeat...

"...Nothing is new under the sun..."

Failed attempts were precipitated by flawed logic...and will fail in the future!

Successful attempts were the result of calculated and correlated Cause &Effect...

...now that I have laid a foundation...

Let's get down to the facts

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America was built by a few people...it was occupied by many who helped...not vice versa!

The upper class was and is the upper class because they earned it...somehow...

The middle class was and is the middle class because it is where they choose to be...

Yes there are many who aspire to rise but do not want to pay the price...

There are a few that want to rise...who use that desire to rise...and do so...

But those who do are a minority!

They do not need to be punished for their aspirations...but rewarded...

Cause and Effect!

Behavioral Psychologists tell us that rewards are a good motivator...

Reward those who succeed and they'll continue to strive...

Punish them and they'll quit!

I would...wouldn't you?

The rich are rich...

They chose to be that way and worked for it...

The middle is the middle...

They chose to be that way and worked hard enough to get it...

There is no "glass ceiling"

It is a deception of self...a jaded excuse for stopping...

It is admitting that they were not willing to pay the price for what they wanted!

It is entitlement...so sad!

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But you may argue that it was the needy who made America great...

Let's seriously consider...

Who built America?

When I think about it...it is a short list...

Cornelius Vanderbuilt, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, J. P. Morgan, John D, Rockefeller...

That was then...

There are a "New Few" now...

Yes these men rose from obscurity and followed their dream...

They desired to be rich...

They were afforded that opportunity...by our government...

They provided jobs and built industry...

They are among the few who aspired to have the following inscriptions on their headstones...

"I wish I spent more time at the office..."

All of the others lives (the middle class, et al) were made possible by the few who aspired for wealth and greatness...and put that desire ahead of all of their other priorities...

How many would truly give up their free time and family for the sake of wealth?

Who would dedicate their entire life to serve a business or an industry...

It is the relentless few who made America great!

It is not the middle class...

The middle class was made possible by the rich few...

Let's not deceive ourselves...

We are not entitled to wealth or opportunity without a cost...

The cost is HIGH...the sacrifices are HUGE...

So high in fact that many will not attempt because they are not willing to sacrifice their other priorities...

We have to make it worthwhile for the few who were and are willing...to make America great and reap a reward for doing so...

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This is the crux of our society...

Distributing wealth and opportunity does not work...

Not long ago there were 12-14 countries operating under this system...

Now there are 4...that are faltering at best...

Why did they fail?

Their governments went bankrupt...they lost support and enthusiasm...

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What is history trying to teach us?

We are surviving because of what we were...we emphasized free enterprise...

What history shows is that industry is built by people of high aspirations...and focused vision...

It is those "few" who employ the majority...

Is is "the few" who built the land of opportunity...

It is "the few" who had jobs waiting for the shiploads of immigrants that landed on our shores!

Alfredo Pareto learned that many years ago...and it holds true today...it is the 80/20 rule!

In my experience...I have seen few, if any, of the middle class employ people in numbers of sufficient numbers to effect our economy...

It is "the few" who made America the "land of opportunity..."

The "bell curve" shows us that these type of people are rare and "not normal"

...they are people of the "tails" and not people who among the majority...

Although we would love to believe that we are capable of the performance of "the few"...let's not deceive ourselves...

The majority are in the majority because they can not or do not want to do the things that are necessary to build economy changing businesses...the kind of businesses that employs a nation...the kind of businesses that make it possible for others to rise...the kind of business that makes it possible for America to invite the under-privileged with open arms...

Although I am often angered by the fact that it appears that "the rich" get all of the breaks...it is actually a reward for "what they have done and do for our society..."

It is an incentive to do more of what they have done...

The fact of the matter is...you want those tax breaks...work hard and get rich!

I do not know of a tax law that gives a specific individual or company (by name) a tax break...

When you achieve a certain level of success...you get the breaks!

You want those breaks...go and get them...

Sacrifice...PAY THE PRICE...

Earn them!

Some may argue that "enough is enough" and it is time to give the breaks to the "lesser people"...

We can do that...it doesn't hurt the rich...those who have acquired all they need to live opulent lives...

If we begin to punish them for their efforts...they'll just pull in their investments...live off what they have...stop growing...or move to another country...

That leaves us without a growing economy...

All of that "BIG TALK ABOUT EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION" may sound like a great thing to do...but it simply buys votes that are offset with excuses in the future when the promises can not be fulfilled...

I also believe that there should be rewards directly related to the cost or investment...made by the people who paid the price...regardless of current status...

Those who pay a bigger price should get a bigger return...

I could rant on this topic for volumes...

Let's close this thought with a quote from a VERY famous Democrat President...an individual who made that party proud...

"...ask not what the country can do for you...ask what you can do for your country..."

It is not time for to attack the "New Few"

It is time to realize that we are NOT entitled to anything that we have not earned...

EVERYONE HAS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO THE TAX BREAKS...

It is time to "man-up" and sacrifice our self-deceptions and excuses for failure...and admit that we have what we worked for...

Another "Epiphany of the Utterly Obvious" is...

That many people fear that all they have is what they are going to get for what they have given...the fact is...they are right!"

You want more...WORK HARDER...

Stop asking the country to do more for you and ask what you can do for our country!

Enough Said!





 

What Really Divides Us From Success

Good Morning...

At the end of each week...I stop and assess my journey...

I look back at where the week started...(my point of departure)...

and then I look down...(my current position)...

and I look outward...(to my destination)...

These 3 data points give me a pretty good idea of my progress...DUH!

Yet I often wonder if my assessment is accurate...or perhaps my optimism or pessimism has tainted my perception...

Is my progress REAL?

This is the foundational question that often leads to "Is this all worth it?"

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The Basics of Any Journey...

If the journey to success was as simple as traveling from point of departure to a destination...

...Success would be simple...and...

...This weekly assessment would be simple...

In actuality, I find it to be one of the hardest activities within my routine...

Why?

Because it is not only an assessment of progress...but one of value...it is me taking personal stock of my decisions and the value of each...it is me being critical of myself...it is about me being personally honest with myself...

I have observed...that it is easier for people to be more honest with others than they are with themselves!

That is a weird thing...but I am beginning to see it more true that not!

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Success is an Elusive Goal!

If success were as simple a defining it...and assessing what was needed to get there...anyone who desired success would obtain it...yet...

Few achieve the success they desire!

Why?

There are as many reasons or excuses...as there are people in this world!

The answer actually lies in the previous statement...

EXCUSES!

Excuses are simply explanations for delays...failures...or quitting!

When an individual encounters a delay or a failure...they excuse it!

A successful endeavor generally contains no excuses!

When we add (or allow) excuses into our life's equation...we have opened the door...and invited FAILURE in!

I know that you are thinking...

We need understanding or explanations or answers to the question "Why did this happen?"

Understanding and excuses are not the same!

The difference between the two is subtle...but critical!

That difference can be explained in a single sentence...

An excuse carries with it the demand or expectation for forgiveness...

What?

An excuse looks for comfort...and a confirmation that "It's OK!"

It is an expectation of oneself and others to "EXCUSE" and accept the failure...

Truly successful people seek to understand the cause/effect equations...but they make NO EXCUSES for them!

Success is elusive because many (perhaps a majority of people) allow excuses into their life's equation...

Still others fail to seek true understanding for each of life's events...

In the end...it is simply that they have treated life improperly...and allowed subtle but destructive elements to travel with them on their journey!

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This Makes No Sense!

Many may think that what I am presenting is simply a matter of definitions...

Excuses are often used to explain situations...they are a surrogate for understanding...

WRONG!

Excuses include an emotional expectation ("A Free Pass")...and...

...Simple understanding doesn't...

Nature does not care!

Nature does not include emotion...

It is unrealistic to insert emotion into our journey toward success and expect it to drive us forward...

Emotion (in the form of an excuse) is wasted energy...and oftentimes,,,has a negative affect our our efforts!

Am I advocating "Excuse-Free" existence?

Yes and No!

We need to minimize the use of excuses and replace them with understanding...

Just like "Excuses" carry emotional expectations with them...True understanding also carries a subtle element...

A change in behavior!

When one understands something...it results in either a focus of activity or a ceasing of an activity!

Seek understanding...

Does this make sense?

I do agree that this is a matter of definition...

It is the understanding of those subtleties that makes all of the difference...

What is important is agreement and action!

Think about this...It is not personal, political or religious views and beliefs that cause divisions between and us...it is a matter of definition and a clarity of understanding...

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Back On Path

Life has a macabre way of using curves and "twists and turns" to straighten our path!

The truly successful people use those "twists" to gain understanding with the express purpose of avoiding them in the future!

Life will continue to throw the same things at us until we understand the real lesson it intends to teach us!

That is why we say..."History repeats itself!"

It does!

Because we make excuses and not efforts to understand and adjust!!!

As you assess your daily journey...take time to gain understanding...

...Look at where you are...

Say to yourself...

Yesterday...I was there...

Today...I am here...AND...

That is because of "X"

Some "Xs" are good and need to be repeated...

Other "Xs" are bad and need to be avoided!

In its simplest form...success on any level is a matter of understanding of today and the appropriate action tomorrow...

Yes it is a matter of definition...

It is those definitions that provide us with understanding...

Now it is a matter of doing the things that will make tomorrow better...

Pura Vida!