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| Posted: 26 Apr 2012 08:00 AM PDT
Do you remember the last time someone caught you off guard with some feedback or a message that felt like an attack? How did you respond? If it took you by surprise, you may have momentarily lost your balance, leaning away from the bearer of the message — or toward him (literally or figuratively). Leaning away in an attempt to avoid conflict or to crawl inside your comfort zone, you may have withheld your point of view — or any response for that matter. Leaning forward, you may have thrust your point of view out there in a way that was more like a counter attack than a response. Or perhaps you accommodated and sacrificed your own needs in order to maintain harmony. With any of these responses, you fell away from your center – your true place of power. What does this mean? If you are too attached to your own point of view, you are likely to force it on others and become unyielding to anything that doesn't seem to conform with it. When you are stiff and lean too far forward, you are easily knocked over. On the other hand, if you forget what you know and allow others to dictate what you believe, you will lose your footing and become easily manipulated. But if you can get to a place of curiosity, you can really listen to what someone else is saying. You will be willing to test your assumptions without automatically believing they are absolute. You will be relaxed, agile, and strong. When pushed, you will absorb the shock by allowing yourself to be temporarily moved, and then come back to center – your place of strength. You can integrate what others are saying, broaden your perspective, and allow yourself to grow stronger as a result. From this place of strength you will engage in communication that is far more productive. Most of us will be knocked off balance periodically. We may find ourselves swaying from one direction to the other. But each time it happens, we can practice coming back to center – being willing to let go, relax, listen, and adjust accordingly. Along the way we will learn and grow. We will transform ourselves and set powerful examples for others. And in so doing, we will truly lead. Photo Credit: HKmPUA  |
| Posted: 26 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT
Of course today we're surrounded by information. Every single one of us has access to more information than anyone using the great libraries from the past. Yet, most of us do very little with that knowledge. Sure we collect it. We read blogs. Pay attention to the news. Download podcasts and watch videos. But do we do anything with that knowledge? If we're honest with ourselves, we probably do a lot less with that knowledge than we should. I think this is because it's easier to learn something new, then do something new. As a writer, I feel this almost every time I sit down in front of my computer. The pull of e-mail, news sites, or the latest movie gossip is strong. It's certainly the modern creative worker's siren's call! It's much easier to consume then to produce. Because of this, I now use 3 things to give my knowledge a clear path to action. 1. Evernote. I record as much as I can in Evernote. When I read psychological research, I take my notes in Evernote. When I'm at the store (or post office) and have inspiration for an idea, I pull out my phone and start taking notes. When I read a book on my Kindle I import the notes to Evernote. 2. The Big 3. Last year I read an amazing book called The Accidental Creative: How to be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice. The author, Todd Henry, said that one of the biggest challenges to the creative process is that we get sidetracked by a hundred lesser things. To combat this he writes a weekly list of the "3 big things" that he must creatively deal with. And that's it. He works on those 3 priorities every day a little bit at a time. By focusing on 3 things, his mind is continually searching for ways to apply the information he is learning to solve those 3 creative challenges. 3. Review. Once a week I try to go back through my notes (whether paper notes or Evernote notes). I look for patterns. I try to find new ways to use old information. In short, I spend this time trying to figure out how to move what I know to what I'm doing. Admittedly this is the part of my week I struggle with the most. Knowledge is good. We should be thrilled that we have such easy access to something so valuable. But knowledge without action is useless. So what are you going to do with your knowledge? Image credit: Domesday book  |
| What Does Cost Effective Mean? Posted: 26 Apr 2012 02:00 AM PDT Most individuals and small business owners would probably make much better use of the cost effective solutions concept if only they understood what it really involved.  |
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." ~ Michael McGriffy, MD
The Library of Alexandria might be the best known library in history. It was famous for hundreds of years, and considered the place to study. It also housed around 700,000 scrolls. Eventually, though, it was destroyed in a series of wars and fires. Other libraries have replaced it, and other cities have become focal points of knowledge.| You are subscribed to email updates from Upmarket To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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