Opening Insights: New Experiences
While in the process of experiencing something, at what point do we exclaim: Eureka! I’ve got it! Is it when you hear or see a concept or idea that’s important to you? Is it when you learn something you didn’t know before? Perhaps it’s when you get past a previously impassable obstacle blocking your way to success. One thing is for certain, if we aren’t open to having new experiences and learning from them we may never cry: Eureka!
Informational Insights: Anger
One of the most powerful forces in the mind is anger. The word has negative connotations. Someone who is angry is not to be trifled with, probably because they’re considered to be irrational. That’s one strategy in boxing, if you play the long game. Get your opponent angry and they will make a stupid move, then blammo! their defenses are down and the “one punch” may be delivered.
There are any number of reasons to get angry, but only 16 reasons to stay angry. A big problem with being in a state of anger is that it limits our vision. A friend of mine describes how his anger will cause him to consciously throw away insight. Anger prevents a sense of compassion, which is the foundation for patience. Without patience, how can anyone learn anything? Living in a state of anger is no way to reach that Eureka! moment.
20/80 Rule
Only 20% of our quality of life (QOL) is dependent on what happens to us. The remaining 80% is measured by how we deal with what happens to us. In other words, to have a fulfilling life we must choose to take charge of it. I can choose to let emotions from the past dictate how I will react to certain experiences, or I can take charge of the experience. That 80% that I’m in-charge of is what matters to me, I shouldn’t sweat the stuff that’s out of my hands anyway.
What happens when we don’t take charge of our QOL? We go right back to anger. See above. When we have a picture in our heads of what something should be, or how we should be treated, or any other expectation, then discrepancies can make us angry. As a result we can be a bully or be resisting. The most common form is resistance. We want control of our lives to get what we want and we demonstrate our control by resisting.
Anger and resistance will make even the most stalwart supporter unwilling/unable to follow instructions. When emotions get control of our thinking we make stupid decisions and QOL continues its downward spiral.
Keep vs. Toss
To measure the effectiveness of the messenger is to examine what was learned, what was kept, what was useful, and what wasn’t useful. Be warned, the burden is not on the messenger alone, it takes at least two to share. An insidious obstacle to Eureka! is to throw away, or fail to keep, new lessons and insight. When our teachers, leaders, guides and heroes share their insights and wisdom we may either remain slack-jawed, drooling-in-awe, or be feverishly capturing the moment for further examination.
Often we don’t have all the information, and often we make decisions or form beliefs, but we’re not capable of doing so in a mature way. Those past decisions can come up and affect our lives even decades later. Don’t let potentially high-value insight and wisdom pass you by. Grab a pencil and a notebook and capture the message.
Follow Instructions
Clean your room. Probably one of the easiest instructions to heed, but all too often not followed. How come so many appear to be unable to follow the simplest of instructions? Believe me, it’s not due to the complexity of the charge handed down.
A sense of “I’m not in control” may prompt those in an adolescent state of mind to simply choose not to do what is directed. An adolescent may not even realize they are choosing to forgo an opportunity to gain value through experience and accomplishment. Once their emotions take charge adult decisions are all but impossible to make. Then we toss, rather than keep insights. We allow the 80% to be emotionally charged and inconsistent. Anger is the ruler at that point. Eureka! never comes.
Share Your Wisdom
Whenever we acquire new wisdom we should write about it. (See: Keep vs Toss) That’s how we really absorb the wisdom we gained. That’s also how we share the message with others. Be careful, it’s easy to become the message in times of pontification.
Standing above your gracious audience, with the sun radiating at your back, and the breeze gently teasing your hair, grants poise and dignity to the bearer of great knowledge. Speak! The recipients will be in awe of your magnificence. Or they’ll think that you are a jackass and will only pretend to listen for politeness sake. If you really want to share your wisdom and insight, don’t make it about you, write a blog or an article.
Writing a blog moves away from someone being the messenger and/or message. When the information is not “owned” by someone then it isn’t as arguable. By sharing the insight gained we gain the opportunity to gain the interest of others and create the environment for a potential seeker wisdom to seek even more through an exchange.
Also, by writing blogs we develop our Expression I.Q. which increases our effectiveness in communicating with others. Now we’re really getting closer to a Eureka! moment.
Values vs. Beliefs
My mentor didn’t grow up with values. He stayed away from home to avoid the beatings. That type of thinking followed him into his adult life. That thinking was foundational. Changing it wasn’t easy. He was raised by behaviors, not values. It took a long time to go back, wipe away the learned behaviors and rediscover what was there to gain. Replacing behaviors with values transforms our human experience.
Only when we are honest with ourselves is truth and reality within our grasp. Only then are we able to position ourselves to do something about the reality we experience. Selflessness is the ability to see the truth. Purity of intent, to do something about the truth. Reality, to see the truth and accept the results. Acceptance is what I have to give to the world, not what I need to receive from the world. Principles, models, experiences, then acknowledgement create new beliefs.
When my mentor could finally accept his reality he learned that he didn’t know how to fix it. Hopelessness is not helplessness, it just means we are willing to find another way. In most cases the splinter comes out the opposite of how it went in. Meaning we subtract the learned un-truths to make room for the truth.
Making a List of Stuff I Don’t Know
The realization of what we don’t know is so important, but most people never get to the point where they can make a list of the things they don’t know. Most people won’t and can’t make a list of the things they aren’t aware of. When we know something it doesn’t leave much space for exploration or discovery. I already know how to tie my shoes, why should I try to learn a different way?
“Mental personal entrepreneurship” is a perception taken by those who never settle on what they know. Those are the perceptions of people whose careers grow. That is how innovation is done! When we can be aware of the things we aren’t aware of, without letting it crush us, it’s the foundation of building and integrating the 8 intelligences. It’s not just about what you can see, it’s beginning to become familiar with that part of you that doesn’t see.
That’s how we develop a 6th sense and accept it. Trust God, clean house, help others.
To be willing to be open to the stuff we don’t know is to connect with an inner voice. That voice teaches us who we really are. That’s the voice we must learn to trust. It’s a direct line to spiritual creativity.
My mentor related his story of 30 years ago, when he came to know there was a list of things he didn’t know that he didn’t know. He wanted to become aware of what he wasn’t aware of. Then he learned to communicate what those things were, and as he learned to communicate them he began to understand them. Then the people around him began to ask questions that he hadn’t thought of, and those questions deepened his understanding. So as they collaborated and talked about these things that he was aware of but didn’t understand clarity came, and he put it into a form to share it with others. So he was but a messenger of a voice inside of him.
Possibilities for Consideration: Are We There Yet?
Well, not exactly. In the process of seeking Eureka! we never arrive at a final destination. Constant discovery, learning, experiencing and improvement is the path. Accept the past. Take charge of your experiences. Record your discoveries. Be willing to listen to alternate perspective. Share your insight. Don’t become the message. Adopt values and let go of beliefs. Finally, be willing to let go of things you know, because they just might not be true.
Take a moment and examine…
- As you reviewed the material above, what stood out to you?
- What is the potential impact, economically and/or socially?
- What action is needed to stop or support this idea?
- You may want to consider whether you:
- want to be aware of,
- should become supportive of,
- would want to be active in this topic?
Add Your Insight: Eureka!
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Being willing is not enough; we must do.
LEONARDO DA VINCI