What if there was no blue?

Blue spruce? Why not?

That is certainly what it looks like. Light blue against the darker green makes for a nice contrast.




This bring to mind an interesting tidbit from the recent show on "Colors" from the RadioLab Podcast: Homer didn't know 'blue'.

Yes, Homer. The one who wrote the Illiad and The Odyssey. Used thousands of words to write both works but did not use the word 'blue'. And he is not the only one who didn't. Was he colorblind? No, it was more likely that while the rainbow spectrum of colors hasn't really changed, our explanation of the colors has. At some point in time, we did not know 'blue' as 'blue'. Then someone gave it a name - 'blue' and from then on we know and talk about 'blue'.

When I coached high school track athletes to be high jumpers, visualization was a key concept. If they could not see themselves jumping over the bar, they couldn't do it. If they could imagine it, what it would feel like to fly and fall on the other side, watching the bar... they could do it.

So we know now that the imagination is critical. If you can't think of it, it won't happen. It is also critical to have a word for it. If you can't talk about it, no one will know.

Before the word for 'blue' what was it?

Before the word for your future accomplishment, what is it?

sitting

Sitting can be a great exercise

in observation

thinking



where would you sit?



Inspired by Robert Fulghum (yes, take the time to follow the link, you'll be glad you did!)

get outside the box

“Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” Albert Einstein

and

“Ignorant people aren’t stupid but merely uninformed; a marvelous advantage when you need a perspective from ‘outside the box.’ When you consult specialists within your industry, you’re talking to the builders of the box, the guardians of the box, the faithful defenders of THE BOX. So when specialists fail to provide the innovative thinking you need, ask the opinions of intelligent people who have no experience in your industry.” Roy H Williams

The meeting of the Franklin Financial Planning Committee on Weds June 22 was a frustrating one. Had I been a member, I'd have considered leaving. As I was reporting on what transpired, I felt I needed to stay. I did not report all that was said that night. There was no need to. There was nothing new there.

The chairman laid out the ground rules for idea generation, not unlike the brainstorming rules that I had just posted. The rules didn't last long. They were abused immediately and consistently. Even after patience admonishment by the chairman, the diatribes continued. The resulting list of ideas was a whopping two.

Not good progress. Maybe it was there frustration that overspilled the table. Maybe they will come around and begin to approach the problem with cooler heads.

I do believe there is always hope.

Aside from hope, there also needs to be action. Time is just passing on by.

Tim Milburn recently tweeted:

Got a problem? You can a) avoid it, b) ignore it, c) run from it, d) or solve it. Only the last one takes care of the problem.

I want to focus on trying to solve the problem. Getting outside the box will be a start!

Sanders says "feed your mind good stuff!"

Tim Sanders, Love is the Killer App, and Saving the World at Work gets to the power of thinking in this brief video clip.

Well worth the just over the minute it will take to listen to it

The Power Of Thinking For Leaders from Tim Sanders on Vimeo.

Now what good things are you going to feed your mind with today?

job search notes: start thinking big

From Michael Port's "The Think Big Manifesto":

"Thinking big will produce a society that prizes people of values, not people who have net value; that elects people of principles, not people with cronies who have the most principal in their bank accounts; that seeks truth, not trite, media-generated baby food to distract us from the realities of our world; that considers that each and every one of us has the potential to think big about ourselves."

You can visit Michael's website at http://www.thinkbigrevolution.com/

If you are looking for work, or know someone who is looking, have them take the next step to think big by registering for LaidOff Camp Attleboro/Providence at http://locattleboroprovidence.eventbrite.com/

For more about the Laidoff Camp check out the website here:
http://laidoffcampprovidence.blogspot.com/

job search notes: "As ye sow, so shall ye reap"

You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.

So only plant good & great seeds in your mind… and if some poison ones have slipped into the soil… yank em out and be sure to get the roots!

Read the full posting over at Kirk Weisler's Thought 4 the Day (T4D).

Consider subscribing to his almost daily email if you like this message and could use more of them. They do not always have a religious bent but they are thought provoking.

This is just as important a message for the job search as anything else you hear. Be positive and the positiveness will come through.

job search notes: Believe in the impossible

Kevin Kelly, a thought leader, had an intriguing talk at TED in December 2007. One of the interesting insights he starts with is that the web is less than 5,000 days old (at least as of this time in 2007).

He says "We have to get better in believing the impossible".

Spend about 20 minutes to view this:




How does this connect to your job search?

If you think of yourself in a positive light, full of qualifications, eager to solve problems, provide value, busy networking to make the right connection to a suitable company, you will successfully land your next big opportunity!

What you think becomes real.
Yes, the impossible does become real.
Look at what the free internet has done in a few days!

"To share is to gain"

Positive Thinking Day - 9/13/08

In the spirit of positive thinking day, I also want to congratulate Connie and Joe Proulx for 56 years married on this day. Now, if that isn't a statement for positive thinking, what is?

Congratulations!