Monday, October 30, 2006

A Tough Teacher!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 30, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"People fail forward to success."
~ Mary Kay Ash

FALLING FORWARD!
It's been observed that although experience can be the best teacher, you get it by taking the exam before you've actually taken the course!

Quite expectedly, many of us don't perform well initially when attempting something new. While there is such a thing as a "natural talent" in just about any field of endeavor, it's probably safe to assume that most people working (or playing) at anything, from the practice of law to the game of tennis, have a long road behind them paved with what they considered (at the time) to be failures.

Every experience we have, however, should be a learning process. And our so-called "failures" are in fact the "experiences" from which we learn the most. Early on in life, the way we gain our sense of balance is from falling down when we first attempt to walk. Every fall, every "failure," eventually led to success.

It's a rare individual who does well in his or her first attempt at anything. Despite Yoda's philosophy in the Star Wars saga that "there is no try; there is only do," most of us ending up "doing" after repeated attempts at "trying." Eventually, we "do" manage to succeed.

So perhaps what Yoda was saying, after all, is that when we finally achieve our goals, it's only the end result that matters - because everything we previously considered failure simply becomes part of the process of success. Then we have indeed "failed forward!"

posted by The Office Grapevine at 11:15 AM 0 comments  

Monday, October 23, 2006

Angels and Devils!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 23, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"God is in the details."
~ Mies van der Rohe, architect

"The devil is in the details."
~ Unattributed

WHAT GIVES?
People often characterize themselves as either "big picture" or as "detail oriented." Truth be told, we need to be a little of both.


Accounting for the details often brings images of sweating over the small stuff. If we've got a good view of the big picture, why fret the details? Whether in an architectural rendering, or for a dinner party, or in a contract, details definitely help transform an idea into a full-blown reality. Just as important, the very thought that goes into those details gives us the opportunity to be creative in our actions. Our attention to "the little things" shows our craft with tools, our skill with clients, or our ability with language.

Some confuse detail with flash, but the simplest building can still illustrate its detailing in how well it is constructed and how gracefully it uses space. A good manager understands how environment, scheduling, praise and celebration can increase morale and productivity.

By not letting the little things slip by us, we are able to gain a much deeper understanding of another person, a job at hand, and even ourselves. Such attention to detail is beneficial to everyone involved, and that's the point.

Forget those details and that's when the devil appears! The Big Picture is an absolute necessity, yes. You've got to be able to visualize your goals. Just don't forget to plan for and paint in not only the necessary details, but also those that that reflect your personality through their beauty, art, and skill. If you can just work it through, you'll find that sometimes your devils are really angels in disguise!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 8:15 AM 0 comments  

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Faith From The Vaults!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 16, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"No matter where you go, there you are."
~ Unknown

DON'T RUN!
Ever felt crippled by fear? Perhaps you dread that unwanted phone call, that knock on the door, or the return of pain. What makes it worse is your imagination. Your mind conjures up all sorts of imaginary shadows on the wall or things that go bump in the night.

Remember when you were just a kid? You saw those shadows on the wall and cried out in fear. Your mom or dad came in, turned on the light, and "Voila!" - no more shadows on the wall. Simply by exposing your fear to light you learned to overcome your fear.

Now you're an adult and your fears are different and more complex, yet most are still conjured up by your imagination. Fear of the unknown holds you in its grip. Where is the light that used to save you?

The light is still there - with one difference. Now, as the adult that you are, you must be the one to turn on the light. It is up to you to expose the fear for what it usually is - a figment of your imagination. Fear is most easily overcome through exposure. Take time to examine your fears, determine their origin, and overcome their crippling effect on you.

If you suffer from a health problem, get a diagnosis and begin a treatment plan. If creditors are calling, face them, and then determine how you allowed yourself into the present situation. If sales are down, adjust your approach.

It takes faith on your part to know you have the power to overcome your fears. Hence another quote: "Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there."

(Originally published August 26, 2002)

posted by The Office Grapevine at 11:26 PM 0 comments  

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Pumping Irony!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 9, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"There are two kinds of people in the world.
Those who divide the world into two kinds of people, and those who don't."
~ Gloria Steinem

OPPOSITES DETRACT!
Don't you just love the irony behind today's quote? Steinem implies that simply separating people into two categories is too simplistic, but at the same time, she uses that very same technique to convey her meaning!

Learning what something is by defining what it is not has been an age-long practice in education. It's hard to understand light without knowing darkness. How could we appreciate quiet without suffering through loud and constant noise?

While dichotomies or contradictions help us in our understanding, it's very dangerous to define everything we experience in this way, that it's simply one way or the other. Is every declaration either true or false? If so, what do you make of the next two sentences?

The following statement is true. The preceding statement is false!

Okay, all philosophical joking aside, it's easier to categorize the world into "is" and "is not," but we also realize that there are "shades of grey" between the black and the white. If we always expect people to act in just one of two ways, we're in for some nasty surprises.

This world cannot be divided into two kinds of people, no matter how simply you look at it. Can we say that if you make war, you must hate peace? Or that if you love peace, you must not make war? This isn't politicizing (a very popular term among the media these days). It's a simple observation that we all have within us the capacity for understanding and appreciating not both sides of a situation, but ALL sides.

By avoiding generalizations that reduce everything said or done into good or bad, we open ourselves up to varieties of interpretation that allow us to make truly educated decisions. Sure, it's more complicated and challenging that way, but it keeps us from morphing into the very stereotypes we're trying to avoid. Vive la difference!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 10:08 AM 0 comments  

Monday, October 02, 2006

Rollercoasters Should Be Fun!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 2, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"One might say that it consists of the belief that there is an unseen order,
and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto."
~ William James (from "The Varieties of Religious Experience")

FRANKLY, MY DEAR . . .

While James refers to religious beliefs and experience in particular, his insight applies pretty much "across the board" to life in general. While some things are more obvious (we don't, for example, mow our lawns while it's raining), we often overlook other ways in which we act contrarily to The Natural Order and, more importantly, to events in our lives.

While absolute and unquestioning acceptance of everything that happens to us on a day to day basis is certainly not the answer to inner peace, consider how many of us waste enormous amounts of time either bemoaning and rehashing unpleasant experiences or missed opportunities, or worrying about things that we're not able to control.

To be happy and content is, after all, really a conscious decision. Think about the unhappy people you know and the odds are that they spend a great deal of their time failing to adapt to events and conditions. They range from feeling that their weekend has been ruined because of bad weather to feeling depressed about not receiving a promotion or missing a sale.

As with the tides, there is a natural ebb and flow to our lives. Some days will be wonderful, when everything seems to be going our way. Others will be filled with experiences that remove all joy from the day, wasting significant portions of our lives.

We can either choose to permit such days to overcome us, or we can decide to reconcile ourselves to that "unseen order," and come to terms with our disappointments. Remember the mantra of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day." In the meantime, "harmoniously adjust" - and find happiness and advantage in this day.

posted by The Office Grapevine at 9:23 AM 0 comments