Monday, June 25, 2007

Learning to Fly!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
“Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but
the bumblebee doesn't know that, so it goes on flying anyway.”
~ Mary Kay Ash

FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE!

Virtually every success is built not upon a foundation of talent or genius, but rather on the notion of persistence and hard work. The idea that achievement comes easily is, for the most part, a myth.

Consider NASA’s modern bumblebee: the space shuttle. Aerodynamically, it flies about as well as a brick. Yet, it fit a design need and re-wrote space exploration history. As a re-usable vehicle, the shuttle always made heroic space flight look, well, easy. However, without the persistence of dedicated engineers, hardware manufacturers, software programmers, mission controllers and astronauts, the shuttle would be just another badly designed flop.

After past catastrophes, the administrators at NASA are now phasing out the shuttle. While the first launch occurred April 12, 1981 and lasted only 36 hours, the shuttle today visits the manned space station regularly and still carries payloads into space. It has carried experiments that have impacted medicine, physics, chemistry and agriculture.

Its 26-year history has been one of tenacity, even in the face of tragedy. The program persisted, and we know our world and ourselves the better for it. The shuttle has become a symbol of strength and achievement.

Those who do manage to experience success without much effort face a different realization: they’re not pushing themselves hard enough. Remember the shuttle program and look for the greater challenge of how you could change the world, or at least your little slice of it.

Labels: , , , ,

posted by The Office Grapevine at 8:14 AM 0 comments  

Monday, June 18, 2007

Light

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."
~ Father James Keller (1900-1977)

GOT A LIGHT?
We all love a compliment. Your manager might say, "I noticed that your last sale was handled very smoothly. Thanks for offering our customers such excellent service!" Your wife or husband may tell you, "I'm so proud of the way you encourage our children!" Your grown child returns home for a visit and says, "Thanks for making it possible for me to get my degree!" Those are "feel good" times, aren't they?

If you live a more or less normal day-to-day sort of life, compliments are always welcome, but aren't absolutely critical to your sense of well-being. You don't have to get them to make it through the day. If you are fortunate enough to enjoy high self-esteem, why not consider becoming a "candle" to others?

There are many around us each day, both children and adults, who suffer from mild to extreme "compliment" deficiencies. They may have never been told that they are good, or attractive, or intelligent. As children, they may have never experienced the exhilaration of getting a base hit, or making an "A" on a test, or receiving an "Honorable Mention" in art class. As adults, they may have lost a job, a spouse, or their health. In short, many around us have never even had their "candle" lighted once.

You can become the greatest philanthropist of all time without giving away a dime. All it takes to make a life-changing difference in someone's life is to share the light from your candle. Each day, look for opportunities to encourage, compliment, or offer your knowledge to those who are "candle deprived." Think back to when you were a child. Was there some special person who took that time with you - someone you've never forgotten?

Sharing your candle by lighting many others can warm both hearts and souls. Make a difference - starting today!

(Originally published October 13, 2003)

Labels: , , ,

posted by The Office Grapevine at 11:41 AM 0 comments  

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Forget About It!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"My goal is not to be happy. My goal is to have a full, satisfying life."
~ Pierce Howard, author of "The Owner's Manual for the Brain"

GO WITH THE FLOW!
Ice cream or cake? A new car or a trip to Europe? Take a new job or stay put? All of our choices are rooted in the desire to become happy, but there's always the possibility that our choices could be wrong.

Maybe that's because happiness is more of a personality trait than a goal to set oneself. Consider that last year Americans spent $750 million on self-help books and $1 billion on motivational speakers. All that money invested, but what has been the return?

Money does not buy happiness, except for those lacking the basics. Once you've got what you really need, you'll never really get everything that you want. The trick is altering your approach to what you want. Imagining possible futures of happily-ever-afters or endless gloom won't get you anywhere. Neither joy nor despair last forever, and there's no one answer to encourage or prevent one or the other.

So where does that leave us if winning the lottery doesn't guarantee bliss? Instead of happiness, we could aim for what Pierce Howard calls "flow." Find an everyday joy, like cooking, reading, painting, whatever. When that activity engrosses you to the point where you forget where you are or what time it is, then you're in the flow.

When you're in the flow, you actually stop worrying about being happy. Remember that happiness is not a goal - it's a personality trait. Making happiness your goal may only encourage frustration. True happiness flourishes with family and other close relationships, which are not always perfect, but do lead to what Howard calls a "full, satisfying life."

So forget about lottery tickets and instead pick up a book, a brush, a telephone. Reach out or reach in, and seize the day. Become a happy person by forgetting about becoming happy!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 12:46 AM 0 comments  

A Renewable Canvas

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Oh, this is the joy of the rose: That it blows, And goes."
~ Willa Cather

DO SANDCASTLES NEED BLUEPRINTS?

It seems these days that we live in a culture that puts much more emphasis on product rather than process. There lies a danger in losing sight of how we do something as we focus solely on our goal. Whether at work, at school, or at play, we are more and more becoming defined by what we do, instead of who we are.

A recently received gift serves as a perfect illustration of the importance of process over product. It's called a Buddha Board, sometimes also advertised as a Zen Board, and it brings back memories of the old-fashioned Etch-A-Sketch. You paint on the board with a brush and water, and in a few minutes, your creation gently fades away, leaving the canvas blank again.

On the one hand, you can paint with no limitation, for there can be no expectation and no judgment once the "product" is complete and then vanishes from existence. A displeasing or unsatisfactory creation is of no consequence, because it's gone almost as quickly as it was created, and the "process" can begin again.

On the other hand, the Buddha Board teaches complete detachment from the "product," because once you've created a brilliant brush stroke or a deeply moving and beautiful image, it likewise fades away into nothingness, again leaving a blank canvas where only moments ago a lovely expression was displayed.

What a perfect metaphor for the impermanent and changing nature of life! How important it is to live in the moment - to "be here now" - and worry less about the final destination than the journey that carries us there.

Go ahead, envision your goal and carry yourself towards it with the most grace and skill that you can muster. Should you reach your target, then your journey must simply begin anew. And if you have not yet reached your target, then you are lucky enough to continue enjoying your journey, your education, and your development. Bon voyage!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 12:36 AM 0 comments