08 Tuesday Jan 2019
Posted in Ted Talk
For those of you who are authors in my readership, enjoy this Ted Talk by Amy Tan, who describes her process of finding the story in her books and the processes she goes through to flesh it out. This was a really interesting one for me. I hope it is for you as well.
Until next time…
Dave
27 Thursday Sep 2018
Posted in Bonus Content
If you’ve been following my blog, particularly Thinking Thursdays, you’ll see an entry of West Wing in my entertainment section. I’ve watched this series all the way through about 9 times. I’m watching it again. I was thinking about this the other night, wondering why I like the show so much.
As I sit here writing, with West Wing playing in the background it came to me. I experienced one of those life experiences a few years back. My marriage was failing, my finances were collapsing, my work was unfulfilling, and it felt like I was watching myself walk off of a cliff and couldn’t stop it. It was a really tough time.
Guess what show I was watching to get some escape from my troubles? You guessed it–West Wing. I watch it today because the acting, the characters, the writing are phenomenal. I still tear up during different episodes and “feel” the stress the characters do in other episodes. West Wing was my comfort during a time that I didn’t think there was an end to my pain. It seemed at the time that everything I cared for was going away.
Then, it all changed. A solution presented itself in December of 2016. Initially, the solution seemed insane. I think this is what happens sometimes when we are at our “rope’s end”. We get really creative. We search our souls for anything–I mean anything–for relief. Then, out of nowhere, a solution arrives.
That solution, although imperfect, was liberation. It was a way that came my way when I was in the darkest period of my life. This proved to me that there is always an option, there is always a door, there is always a way out.
There is a very wise man that mentions that our greatest learning is during those periods in our life when we think that all is lost (paraphrased). This is one of the most simple and true statements of wisdom I have ever read.
This is one of the major reasons I decided to share the quotes I do on my blog. Quotes are the wisdom from the ages. They are sometimes offered by our contemporaries. At other times they are drawn from the times of the ancients.
I really enjoy sharing my thoughts with you. I enjoy passing on the things that affect me and awaken the dormant things inside that can only be reached by these quotes.
It is my wish that these words reach people. It is my wish that these words help others. This is my wish for you, my readers.
I’ll see you later today.
Until next time…
Dave
19 Thursday Apr 2018
Posted in Quotes
“Don’t find fault, find a remedy” – Henry Ford
It is so easy to nitpick a solution to a problem or a process. It is so easy to complain about other people or something we don’t like. It is so easy to be a complainer.
But, like anything easy, it comes with some huge disadvantages. The first is the inability to see anything positive in a situation. Complaining compels us to look for the bad situation, the bad solution, the bad person, the bad in everything. Who complains when things are going good right?
The second major problem with complaining is the constant reference to the activity, item, action, or person we complain about. This complaining, particularly if we have no solution, escalates our complaining to a level that brings about a feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, and feeling bad about ourselves (Winch, 2012).
We rarely complain to the people that can solve the problem is the third disadvantage. When we lack a solution to a problem we are complaining about we tend to vent to our friends or relatives—people who cannot solve the problem. Why? Because we want someone to validate our emotions. This does bring temporary relief, but does it solve the problem? No. So we move to the next phone call or meeting over coffee and continue to relive our problem over and over and over.
Like Ford’s quote suggests, there is a solution. Complain to people who can do something about your problem or issue. If you don’t like a process or program in your company, approach the person who set the process or program. If you don’t like the way you are treated by someone, tell them. If you don’t like the service you are getting at a restaurant, request to speak to a manager.
Suggestion: Have a solution. If you don’t like a program or process, design a different one that will benefit the organization—then sell it! If you don’t like how someone treats you, pull them aside and tell them how you would like to be treated. If you aren’t getting the service you like, request to speak to a manager and explain what your expectations are when visiting their restaurant.
Will these solutions be effective? Not all the time. However, it is much more efficient to solve a problem and present it, rather than coming up with an easy complaint and talking with people who cannot solve your problem. If your solution doesn’t work, you can work with your manager and perhaps come up with a better solution than you came up with. You can approach HR in your company to help a person who is mistreating you see the light. You can avoid a restaurant in the future that didn’t meet your expectations.
Personally, I do not like the feelings associated with helplessness. I believe there is always a solution to a problem. Complaining is ok occasionally. Habitual complaining is unhealthy and an absolute waste of time. For more information, see the article referenced below. It is a good read if you are looking to improve your outlook on life and want to learn to complain effectively.
Until next time…
Dave
Reference
Winch, G. (2012). Does complaining damage our mental health? How the way we complain impacts our mental health. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201201/does-complaining-damage-our-mental-health
31 Tuesday Jan 2017
Posted in Quotes
Tags
God, Golden Wisdom, problem, problem-solving, Question, Solutions
“Be alert during the day for clues about your problem from other people. The Holy Spirit works through them too. So be aware and listen.” – Harold Klemp – The Spiritual Life
Problems, challenges, issues, we all have them. Some of them we create, while others are put in our laps by others. How do you solve your problems? Many search the Internet. Others confide in their friends and loved ones and ask for advice. Others avoid the problem altogether hoping it will just go away.
I have come to the realization of a few pieces of wisdom I’ve gained over the last 50 or so years of my life.
Problems don’t go away
Yeah, I’m one of those folks who procrastinate. When a problem comes my way, my first solution is to just ignore it. This obviously is not a good way to solve one’s problems. Problems always stick around. Once I learned this, I begin to brainstorm how to solve it. Once I’ve brainstormed, I put together a plan and create discrete action steps to begin working on.
Everything is in its rightful place in the worlds of God
God is perfect. If God was anything but perfect, our Universe would collapse on itself. Subsequently, we have to assume that an architecture, laws or principals exist to avoid this, even if we don’t have the full picture. Assuming this, the “problem” we see as a problem really isn’t a problem at all but a misunderstanding of this architecture.
God never gives us a problem we cannot solve
One of my beliefs is that this reality we exist in is a classroom. It is a classroom for our true self to learn and become better equipped to serve God. Subsequently, the lessons God gives us are for our betterment.
God will give you the answer if you ask
We do the best we can on our own by brainstorming the problem, putting together a plan to solve the problem and begin the work of moving through our plan step-by-step. We can also ask questions.
Problems or lessons are hard because we are charting new territory. We are doing something we have not done before. The reason we label these things as problems are because we don’t know the answer. Think about this for a moment.
If you are hit with a problem and you’ve solved that problem in the past, it isn’t a problem, is it? We already know how to deal with it and we do. The only way for God to stretch us is to present us with problems or lessons we have not dealt with before. The act of solving the problem is where the learning is.
Let’s say we’re stuck. We are hit with a problem and we have no idea where to begin to solve it. This is where asking a God a question can help. Simply ask a question like: What is the solution to this problem that will be good for me and for the good of the whole? Then keep your eyes, ears, and mind open for the answer. Sometimes the answer will come intuitively. You’ll just get an idea and it gets you moving. Other times the answer will come when you are reading a book, magazine, or an article online. You may be watching television, listening to the radio, or overhear someone in a coffee shop speaking about something related to your problem. Heck, you may even see your answer on a billboard.
For me, it comes in a variety of ways, sometimes in a combination of things. The key is to keep an open mind and be aware of anything that comes to provide you with an answer to your question. Now, there’s one more thing you’ll need to do. If you get an answer, you need to verify or confirm it.
Confirming something is all about the doing. Let’s say you get an idea that leads you along a certain path to solving your problem. As you are moving in this direction, you solve the problem. This is the confirmation you need. In another case, you may be moving in a direction from one of your gained insights only to find that you are moving in the wrong direction. This verifies that the solution you received was a little off. Then you ask the question again and continue moving along until you’ve solved your issue. In some paths, these insights are labeled the “Golden Wisdom”. In others, they would be a revelation, an “ah-ha” moment, or a paradigm shift.
Try this out the next time you have a problem you just can’t seem to get traction on. Do your best on your own, but when you’re stuck, ask the question. You’ll be surprised at what you receive.
Until next time…
