Rule 9 Keep the River Clean and You’ll Always Have Water
The Power of Contribution and Compensation.
The power of contribution, says for every contribution you make to the river, you will receive an equal or greater compensation. I've seen many people give with the expectation they will receive great compensation. But, that kind of giving is manipulation.
True giving is a gift of love. It is giving to help with no expectation of return.
My grandmother always taught me to leave the beach a little cleaner than I found it. Now, I can clean up the litter along the bank, but I can't keep a paper mill from dumping its poisons in the river. The only way I can do that is to work with others to pass clean water legislation and make sure the legislation is enforced.
The "drilled baby drill" people don't care about the consequences of drilling. As long as they have cheap gas in their tank, they either don't look to the future, or they don't care what kind of mess they leave to our kids. The irony of this is we can't drill our way out of the problem. By drilling, we may be able to give ourselves enough time to develop alternate kinds of fuel. But oil is finite and we have gotten all the easy oil.
The free, unregulated market only works when the buyer and the seller bargain on an equal footing. If we buy cheap products from China, our local businesses can't compete without exporting our jobs overseas. This whole financial meltdown is a result of banks being able to sell their mortgages so they can take the risks of those mortgages off their books. When they're not responsible for the quality of their mortgage, their motivation is to sell mortgages. They don't have to worry about whether or not the buyer can afford the mortgage. When interest rates began adjusting upward, people started default.
The law of contribution and compensation hit them with a vengeance. They planned on living in the house for a year and a day, selling the house for a half million dollar profit and paying a 15% capital gains on the money they made. When the housing bubble burst, a lot of people got caught in a financial squeeze. They defaulted on their mortgage. When people saw their financial companies reporting, billion-dollar losses. The value of those companies plummeted, and investors converted their stock to cash.
Credit dried up, the stock market crashed, and we haven't seen the bottom yet. The problem was created by low interest rates, by skyrocketing housing costs, and by lack of federal oversight of the financial institutions. CEOs of these companies are still being compensated with millions of dollars a year. They haven't been fired and the federal government is using $750 billion of our money to try to keep these stock market manipulators from going bankrupt.
The law of contribution and compensation doesn't work when the only contribution is selling fraudulent stocks to unsuspecting investors and the compensation for doing that is a multimillion dollar reward. White-collar criminals shouldn't be rewarded; they should be jailed.
The bottom line on contribution and compensation is we give what we get, and we get what we give. Give hate and get hate back. Give love and love will come back to you.
"Turn the other cheek" does not mean you want to accept a beating. It does mean that you control your own boat and choose your own course. Recognize the difference between manipulation and true giving. Give yourself to make sure the river is clean, and you'll always be able to drink.
From “A River Worth Riding”, by Lynn Marie Sager, www.navigatinglife.org
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Decisions
My daughter has a problem. She is caught in a financial whirlpool.
She was teaching at a community college, but, like so many state and local government organizations, her school had to cut programs in order to balance their budget. My daughter didn't have tenure, so she was one of those who was thrown out of the boat.
She was raised in Hawaii, and she wants to come home. But, she has established a life and friends on the mainland. Coming home will involve building a new boat. That's never an easy thing to do. She has lived independently for 30 years, and giving up that independence to live with her parents is not the best of situations. On the other hand, it looks like she has a choice of living on the streets or coming home and living with us until she is able to put her financial boat in order.
Her ambition is to make a living helping other people to live a better life. She has developed a great website which provides some ideas about navigating life. She has also developed a really fun way of helping parents become involved in their children's education. Because her business is based on a website, she can continue to build that business regardless of where she lives.
She and I both believe that it's better to be the captain of your own ship then crew on someone else's. Coming home will give her time to build her business and will remove some of the pressure of trying to make a living.
I stood on the bank of the Fraser River and watched the whirlpools of Hell's gate. Those whirlpools would develop into a monstrous swirl, and then lose strength and pop up in a different part of the river. People on the river have a choice between a very difficult land portage and taking their chances on the river. It is possible to avoid the whirlpools, but doing so depends more on luck than skill.
I have been telling my daughter to read her own book. She has been teaching people how to navigate life. Now she has to apply what she's been teaching to her own life. Converting what you teach, or have been taught, into meaningful action is never easy. Sometimes you need a navigator who can guide you through the rapids. Just remember that it's the captain who is responsible for the ship. The navigator can only suggest a course.
Climb to a high point where you can see the river, determine the course you have to take to get through the rapids, then shove off bravely in the rapids. Procrastination will leave you sitting on the bank and getting nowhere. You might even be sitting on quicksand.
She was teaching at a community college, but, like so many state and local government organizations, her school had to cut programs in order to balance their budget. My daughter didn't have tenure, so she was one of those who was thrown out of the boat.
She was raised in Hawaii, and she wants to come home. But, she has established a life and friends on the mainland. Coming home will involve building a new boat. That's never an easy thing to do. She has lived independently for 30 years, and giving up that independence to live with her parents is not the best of situations. On the other hand, it looks like she has a choice of living on the streets or coming home and living with us until she is able to put her financial boat in order.
Her ambition is to make a living helping other people to live a better life. She has developed a great website which provides some ideas about navigating life. She has also developed a really fun way of helping parents become involved in their children's education. Because her business is based on a website, she can continue to build that business regardless of where she lives.
She and I both believe that it's better to be the captain of your own ship then crew on someone else's. Coming home will give her time to build her business and will remove some of the pressure of trying to make a living.
I stood on the bank of the Fraser River and watched the whirlpools of Hell's gate. Those whirlpools would develop into a monstrous swirl, and then lose strength and pop up in a different part of the river. People on the river have a choice between a very difficult land portage and taking their chances on the river. It is possible to avoid the whirlpools, but doing so depends more on luck than skill.
I have been telling my daughter to read her own book. She has been teaching people how to navigate life. Now she has to apply what she's been teaching to her own life. Converting what you teach, or have been taught, into meaningful action is never easy. Sometimes you need a navigator who can guide you through the rapids. Just remember that it's the captain who is responsible for the ship. The navigator can only suggest a course.
Climb to a high point where you can see the river, determine the course you have to take to get through the rapids, then shove off bravely in the rapids. Procrastination will leave you sitting on the bank and getting nowhere. You might even be sitting on quicksand.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Rule 8: The Power of Responsibility
The river will always be wet. So, stop complaining and learn to pack a towel.
We've all seen people floating down the river on their soapboxes. Modern technology has allowed us to crowd more and more soapboxes onto the river. The Internet is filled with soapboxes. Television and the Internet are filled with political distortions and outright lies.
Even our president has been caught in so many lies that most people no longer listen to him. The biggest lie of all is the idea that we have a war on terror; that we have to fight them in Iraq in order to keep them from coming to the United States. Consider that 9/11 was carried out by less than two dozen people, and you'll understand that the only thing they can protect us from terrorists is excellent intelligence and very coordinated police work. Even then, a small determined group can strike whenever and wherever they choose.
There is very little we can do to influence world events. The only thing we really can do is to go with the flow of events we cannot control and make sure we take responsibility for our own lives.
The fiscal meltdown is carrying us over the falls. Some of us will landed in the plunge pool, comes the surface and fight our way through the rapids to calmer water. Some of us are going to land on the rocks and be wiped out.
For over a year, I've been sure that we were floating closer and closer to the waterfall. I've been telling my friends they needed to be invested in gold and treasury bonds. They needed to be sure that their assets were protected. Successful investors ride the waves and pull out before the waves break on the shore.
I went to a political meeting the other night. One of the candidates was railing against the Republicans who he said had led us into this mess. He complained he had lost enough money in the past two days that he could have bought a luxury BMW. At least he would have had the car. He wouldn't be able to buy gas for it, but he would have it.
I certainly sympathize with all those people who are about to lose their homes and whose 401(k) has lost three quarters of its value. I am taking a tax class. I heard my instructors discussing whether or not they should pull their retirement funds out of their company. Of course, it's always good to be diversified, but they are already too late. They needed to take action a year ago, when any close observer of the stock market could see that we're in trouble.
So, the bottom line is, how can we control our life in these turbulent times. The river gives us 3 choices:
One. The current is beyond our control. Don’t worry about what you cannot control.
Two. We can influence the river; we can damn it, we can dredge it or we can build dikes. But what can we do that in real life? Choose your captain carefully.
Three. Our choice is to keep complaining, or paddle like mad to get through as best we can. We choose the boat and handle paddles. We can control where, on the river, we choose to paddle.
In this current financial mess, you can choose a captain to manage your money, or you can be your own captain and control how your funds are invested.
Just understand that if you choose a captain to manage your funds, choose a captain who has your interests in mind rather than his own. A financial planner, whose income is based on the commissions he gets for the productsh the financial planner, whose income is based on the commission she gets for the products sells you, is motivated to sell you products that gives him the best income rather than products that give you the best return.
Personally, I need a navigator, not a captain. I take responsibility for my own life. My navigator will provide guidance and teach me what to look for, but I'll make my own financial decisions.
For an investor, stops are vital. They are the anchor that keeps you from going over the falls. No one should have ridden over this waterfall. If you set your stops, you would have gotten out at the top of the falls and not at the bottom.
I take responsibility for my own life. If I chose a captain who took your the falls, I was responsible for that choice. The best thing I can do is to do can do is to become your own captain.
We've all seen people floating down the river on their soapboxes. Modern technology has allowed us to crowd more and more soapboxes onto the river. The Internet is filled with soapboxes. Television and the Internet are filled with political distortions and outright lies.
Even our president has been caught in so many lies that most people no longer listen to him. The biggest lie of all is the idea that we have a war on terror; that we have to fight them in Iraq in order to keep them from coming to the United States. Consider that 9/11 was carried out by less than two dozen people, and you'll understand that the only thing they can protect us from terrorists is excellent intelligence and very coordinated police work. Even then, a small determined group can strike whenever and wherever they choose.
There is very little we can do to influence world events. The only thing we really can do is to go with the flow of events we cannot control and make sure we take responsibility for our own lives.
The fiscal meltdown is carrying us over the falls. Some of us will landed in the plunge pool, comes the surface and fight our way through the rapids to calmer water. Some of us are going to land on the rocks and be wiped out.
For over a year, I've been sure that we were floating closer and closer to the waterfall. I've been telling my friends they needed to be invested in gold and treasury bonds. They needed to be sure that their assets were protected. Successful investors ride the waves and pull out before the waves break on the shore.
I went to a political meeting the other night. One of the candidates was railing against the Republicans who he said had led us into this mess. He complained he had lost enough money in the past two days that he could have bought a luxury BMW. At least he would have had the car. He wouldn't be able to buy gas for it, but he would have it.
I certainly sympathize with all those people who are about to lose their homes and whose 401(k) has lost three quarters of its value. I am taking a tax class. I heard my instructors discussing whether or not they should pull their retirement funds out of their company. Of course, it's always good to be diversified, but they are already too late. They needed to take action a year ago, when any close observer of the stock market could see that we're in trouble.
So, the bottom line is, how can we control our life in these turbulent times. The river gives us 3 choices:
One. The current is beyond our control. Don’t worry about what you cannot control.
Two. We can influence the river; we can damn it, we can dredge it or we can build dikes. But what can we do that in real life? Choose your captain carefully.
Three. Our choice is to keep complaining, or paddle like mad to get through as best we can. We choose the boat and handle paddles. We can control where, on the river, we choose to paddle.
In this current financial mess, you can choose a captain to manage your money, or you can be your own captain and control how your funds are invested.
Just understand that if you choose a captain to manage your funds, choose a captain who has your interests in mind rather than his own. A financial planner, whose income is based on the commissions he gets for the productsh the financial planner, whose income is based on the commission she gets for the products sells you, is motivated to sell you products that gives him the best income rather than products that give you the best return.
Personally, I need a navigator, not a captain. I take responsibility for my own life. My navigator will provide guidance and teach me what to look for, but I'll make my own financial decisions.
For an investor, stops are vital. They are the anchor that keeps you from going over the falls. No one should have ridden over this waterfall. If you set your stops, you would have gotten out at the top of the falls and not at the bottom.
I take responsibility for my own life. If I chose a captain who took your the falls, I was responsible for that choice. The best thing I can do is to do can do is to become your own captain.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Rule 6 There is no such thing as a vacuum.
Have you ever thought that a pitcher is never empty? As you pour the milk out, air pours in. The same is true of riding your River of Life. The size of your boat is determined by the 24 hours in a day. What you load in that boat is up to you.
If you load your boat with sand, you're loading it with busy work and will not be able to load the big things that are important to you. If you load the big things first, you can then add sand to fill up the spaces. Just don't overload your boat. You'll end up swamping. They call it burn out
So how do you budget your time? Here are some suggestions.
You need to know where you want to go. And, understand that it takes time to reach port.
Keep an eye on the horizon. Make sure you're headed in the right direction and plan your course. Don't forget to consider all your resources including, time and money, property and energy, relationships and health.
Once you've looked at the big picture, focus on the small stuff. Understand each small steps you have to take to reach port. Understand that the currents are always changing. Take advantage of the currents, but when you are carried of course be ready to make the corrections you need to reach your port.
Understand you can't control the tides. Don't worry about the things you can't control. Just concentrate on steering a course that will keep you off the rocks.
Indecision can swamp your boat. If you are riding a big wave, you're going to have to paddle with finesse and intuition in order to avoid a wipeout.
Cheap boats cost too much, and easy journeys are seldom worth while. You have to be prepared. That's why education is so important. I believe, the G.I. Bill, that sent so many world war two veterans to school, fueled the prosperity of this country for 30 years. It was the best investment this country has ever made in his people.
A routine visit to the dry dock is vital to your success. Take care of your health and continue to learn.
Without a deadline, you may never leave port When you know your goal you have to set your course. The objectives you set will guide you navigation. Objectives need to be small, measurable steps that have a deadline. When you set measurable objectives you will know you are on track to your goal. If you have to make a course correction, measurable objectives will prevent you from going far off track.
Balance your boat. Protect your health. Take time for your family and other things that are important to you. The neglected crew usually jump ship. Do family things together, and protect and nurture your friends.
Take time for the scenic route. If you stick to the freeway, you're going to miss a lot. Take time to enjoy the beauty along the river.
Finally, the captain sets the course. You have to be captain of your own fate. Know the things that are important to you and understand your values. If your values are in conflict with those of your boss, you need to make a course adjustment. Even better, when you are the captain, you can do what you want when you want and concentrate on those things you value.
A goal is what you want to accomplish. The objectives you set guide you to the goal. To be effective and objective has to be something you can accomplish in a relatively short time; it has to be measurable, and it must have a deadline. When you have an objective that is both measurable and set to a deadline, you will know if you're on course.
In nature, and in your life, there is no such thing as a vacuum. Sand, the small stuff, will always fill your life. Make sure you load the big stuff, the stuff that will lead you to your goal, before he lets the sand dominate your life.
From the book Navigating Life by Lynn Sager
Have you ever thought that a pitcher is never empty? As you pour the milk out, air pours in. The same is true of riding your River of Life. The size of your boat is determined by the 24 hours in a day. What you load in that boat is up to you.
If you load your boat with sand, you're loading it with busy work and will not be able to load the big things that are important to you. If you load the big things first, you can then add sand to fill up the spaces. Just don't overload your boat. You'll end up swamping. They call it burn out
So how do you budget your time? Here are some suggestions.
You need to know where you want to go. And, understand that it takes time to reach port.
Keep an eye on the horizon. Make sure you're headed in the right direction and plan your course. Don't forget to consider all your resources including, time and money, property and energy, relationships and health.
Once you've looked at the big picture, focus on the small stuff. Understand each small steps you have to take to reach port. Understand that the currents are always changing. Take advantage of the currents, but when you are carried of course be ready to make the corrections you need to reach your port.
Understand you can't control the tides. Don't worry about the things you can't control. Just concentrate on steering a course that will keep you off the rocks.
Indecision can swamp your boat. If you are riding a big wave, you're going to have to paddle with finesse and intuition in order to avoid a wipeout.
Cheap boats cost too much, and easy journeys are seldom worth while. You have to be prepared. That's why education is so important. I believe, the G.I. Bill, that sent so many world war two veterans to school, fueled the prosperity of this country for 30 years. It was the best investment this country has ever made in his people.
A routine visit to the dry dock is vital to your success. Take care of your health and continue to learn.
Without a deadline, you may never leave port When you know your goal you have to set your course. The objectives you set will guide you navigation. Objectives need to be small, measurable steps that have a deadline. When you set measurable objectives you will know you are on track to your goal. If you have to make a course correction, measurable objectives will prevent you from going far off track.
Balance your boat. Protect your health. Take time for your family and other things that are important to you. The neglected crew usually jump ship. Do family things together, and protect and nurture your friends.
Take time for the scenic route. If you stick to the freeway, you're going to miss a lot. Take time to enjoy the beauty along the river.
Finally, the captain sets the course. You have to be captain of your own fate. Know the things that are important to you and understand your values. If your values are in conflict with those of your boss, you need to make a course adjustment. Even better, when you are the captain, you can do what you want when you want and concentrate on those things you value.
A goal is what you want to accomplish. The objectives you set guide you to the goal. To be effective and objective has to be something you can accomplish in a relatively short time; it has to be measurable, and it must have a deadline. When you have an objective that is both measurable and set to a deadline, you will know if you're on course.
In nature, and in your life, there is no such thing as a vacuum. Sand, the small stuff, will always fill your life. Make sure you load the big stuff, the stuff that will lead you to your goal, before he lets the sand dominate your life.
From the book Navigating Life by Lynn Sager
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The World's Longest Timeline Unveiled
Recently Historybusters unveiled the World's Longest Timeline in an effort to provide kids and their parents with some visual historical perspective. After all, we hear historians toss around the names of various historical eras all the time, but they mean nothing until we can put them into context. The Timeline does just that. Here are some pictures of the event...
We will be posting video on U-Tube and as soon as its ready we will post a link to it here...
We will be posting video on U-Tube and as soon as its ready we will post a link to it here...
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Rule 5 – Don’t complain about the wind; adjust your sails
Rule 5 – Don’t complain about the wind; adjust your sails
The only difference between being 20 and being 78, is that I no longer make twenty-year plans.
Riding the river of life, you must always check your course and make adjustments. At 78, I recognize that much closer to the mouth of that river; hopefully, the rest of the ride will be placid and smooth.
The only way I can be sure of that is to pull up to the bank and check out the river ahead to the best of my ability. The government policies of printing money to pay debt will drive inflation and interest rates. This is not the time to have an adjustable rate second mortgage. An economic slowdown caused by the freeze up in the financial market will make it tough for everyone. With a fixed income this means my river ahead is still full rapids.
I recognized the need to make $5-$10,000 a year more than I'm currently making. More will allow me to pay down my debt. I've set my course to help people understand what we must do to pass on a viable environment to our children. My tool is video. My products are environmental documentaries. Unfortunately this goal is both expensive and not necessarily financially rewarding.
The most reliable way I can make extra money is by taking a second job. The problem with that captains set their own course, and I'm neither good at taking orders or in working for other people's goals. You might say I'm a mutineer.
Business people are reluctant to hire someone approaching 80. So, I have to find someone who doesn't discriminate against age, who allows me to help others and has the potential to provide the income I need. I'm not physically able to work construction. I'd even have problems working on my feet for eight hours. For me, tax preparation seems to be the best route. The business is not dependent on the state of the economy. Everyone has to pay taxes. I can work hard for 3 1/2 months and reach my financial goals. The rest of the year. I'll be able to pursue my own course.
The course you plot will depend on three aspects of your brain. The right side is your explorer. The explorer manages your creativity and your ability to dream. But your explorer gets nothing down. It's your navigator, who sets the course toward your goals. Your navigator is the logical left side of your brain. Your navigator looks at where you want to go and figures out how to get there
The third part of your brain is the workhorse. You've all heard of the workaholic. The workhorse gets things done. If the workhorse moves forward on the steps they navigator has created, you will know that you're moving forward toward your goals.
To accomplish anything worthwhile, you have to get the explorer, the navigator and the workhorse all working together. Unless they do, your boat will be stuck in an eddy going around in circles. They call it busy work.
There are tools you can use to pull the three aspects of your brain together.
One is strategic thinking. It's the process of plotting your course backwards from your goal. Once you have the major steps you need to take to accomplish your goal, you then set small measurable objectives, which will help keep you on course.
A Harvard business school survey of their MBA graduates found that 27% of their MBA graduates were living on assistance. These people didn't budget their money or set any goals. 60% were living paycheck to paycheck. They found that these people did budget their finances, but had set no strategic goals. 10% reported they were comfortable, all of these people also reported they had a general, five-year financial and life plan. Only 3% reported that they were independently wealthy and happy with their lives. The study discovered that all these people developed written lists of their long-term goals and action plans for achieving those goals. They all develop a strategy for success and a way to monitor their progress.
My grandmother used to quote Robert Burns, “The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft algae”. When you plans go wrong, pull up to the bank and figure out how you have to readjust you course. You never fail until you quit trying.
Brainstorming is the explorer's second tool. Brainstorming is where a group of people get together to throw out ideas. These ideas are never ridiculed or rejected during the brainstorming process. After all ideas have been suggested, it's time for careful deliberation to determine which ideas are best and most practical.
Another form of brainstorming is to work on something as fast as possible. It forces the creative side of your brain to work. A writer is told to write without stopping. When the chapter or article is complete, it will be time to go back and use your navigating side of the brain to edit and revise.
The third tool is visualization. We've all seen an athlete pause before executing a difficult maneuver. He is visualizing every aspect of what he is about to do.
For the navigator to plan her course, you need an accurate map. The more you know, the better your map will be. That's why education is so important.
You need a steady rudder. That is your determination and drive. Trim your sail to catch the wind. Your sail is your passion, your joy and your vocation.
Most important is your moral compass. Your compass is your conscience. Your compass is based on your values. If you value honesty and loyalty, you won't lie and you won't cheat. You will be loyal to your wife and pass your values on to your kids.
You need a solid anchor in a storm to avoid being washed up on the rocks. Your anchor is the value to place on yourself. It gives you your ability to make difficult decisions and to know you're on the right course even when others disapprove. It allows you to stand up for what you believe, despite any criticism.
Your friends are a great influence on your life. If you choose a mate who is abusive and domineering, your anchor will slip and you are in a world of trouble. If you choose friends who are positive, they will help you achieve. They will be a loyal crew. You can call on when you need help.
How do you make this all work? Write down a personal declaration of you who you are, what you value and what you intend to accomplish with your life. Yes it must be written. When you write down your personal declaration, you are more committed to it and you can come back to review it whenever you need to make an important decision. If the course you set is inconsistent with your values, you either need to revise your values or more probably reset your course.
The bottom line is, if you don't care where you're going any course will get you there. If you want a meaningful life, understand your goals, set your course and put your workhorse to work.
The only difference between being 20 and being 78, is that I no longer make twenty-year plans.
Riding the river of life, you must always check your course and make adjustments. At 78, I recognize that much closer to the mouth of that river; hopefully, the rest of the ride will be placid and smooth.
The only way I can be sure of that is to pull up to the bank and check out the river ahead to the best of my ability. The government policies of printing money to pay debt will drive inflation and interest rates. This is not the time to have an adjustable rate second mortgage. An economic slowdown caused by the freeze up in the financial market will make it tough for everyone. With a fixed income this means my river ahead is still full rapids.
I recognized the need to make $5-$10,000 a year more than I'm currently making. More will allow me to pay down my debt. I've set my course to help people understand what we must do to pass on a viable environment to our children. My tool is video. My products are environmental documentaries. Unfortunately this goal is both expensive and not necessarily financially rewarding.
The most reliable way I can make extra money is by taking a second job. The problem with that captains set their own course, and I'm neither good at taking orders or in working for other people's goals. You might say I'm a mutineer.
Business people are reluctant to hire someone approaching 80. So, I have to find someone who doesn't discriminate against age, who allows me to help others and has the potential to provide the income I need. I'm not physically able to work construction. I'd even have problems working on my feet for eight hours. For me, tax preparation seems to be the best route. The business is not dependent on the state of the economy. Everyone has to pay taxes. I can work hard for 3 1/2 months and reach my financial goals. The rest of the year. I'll be able to pursue my own course.
The course you plot will depend on three aspects of your brain. The right side is your explorer. The explorer manages your creativity and your ability to dream. But your explorer gets nothing down. It's your navigator, who sets the course toward your goals. Your navigator is the logical left side of your brain. Your navigator looks at where you want to go and figures out how to get there
The third part of your brain is the workhorse. You've all heard of the workaholic. The workhorse gets things done. If the workhorse moves forward on the steps they navigator has created, you will know that you're moving forward toward your goals.
To accomplish anything worthwhile, you have to get the explorer, the navigator and the workhorse all working together. Unless they do, your boat will be stuck in an eddy going around in circles. They call it busy work.
There are tools you can use to pull the three aspects of your brain together.
One is strategic thinking. It's the process of plotting your course backwards from your goal. Once you have the major steps you need to take to accomplish your goal, you then set small measurable objectives, which will help keep you on course.
A Harvard business school survey of their MBA graduates found that 27% of their MBA graduates were living on assistance. These people didn't budget their money or set any goals. 60% were living paycheck to paycheck. They found that these people did budget their finances, but had set no strategic goals. 10% reported they were comfortable, all of these people also reported they had a general, five-year financial and life plan. Only 3% reported that they were independently wealthy and happy with their lives. The study discovered that all these people developed written lists of their long-term goals and action plans for achieving those goals. They all develop a strategy for success and a way to monitor their progress.
My grandmother used to quote Robert Burns, “The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft algae”. When you plans go wrong, pull up to the bank and figure out how you have to readjust you course. You never fail until you quit trying.
Brainstorming is the explorer's second tool. Brainstorming is where a group of people get together to throw out ideas. These ideas are never ridiculed or rejected during the brainstorming process. After all ideas have been suggested, it's time for careful deliberation to determine which ideas are best and most practical.
Another form of brainstorming is to work on something as fast as possible. It forces the creative side of your brain to work. A writer is told to write without stopping. When the chapter or article is complete, it will be time to go back and use your navigating side of the brain to edit and revise.
The third tool is visualization. We've all seen an athlete pause before executing a difficult maneuver. He is visualizing every aspect of what he is about to do.
For the navigator to plan her course, you need an accurate map. The more you know, the better your map will be. That's why education is so important.
You need a steady rudder. That is your determination and drive. Trim your sail to catch the wind. Your sail is your passion, your joy and your vocation.
Most important is your moral compass. Your compass is your conscience. Your compass is based on your values. If you value honesty and loyalty, you won't lie and you won't cheat. You will be loyal to your wife and pass your values on to your kids.
You need a solid anchor in a storm to avoid being washed up on the rocks. Your anchor is the value to place on yourself. It gives you your ability to make difficult decisions and to know you're on the right course even when others disapprove. It allows you to stand up for what you believe, despite any criticism.
Your friends are a great influence on your life. If you choose a mate who is abusive and domineering, your anchor will slip and you are in a world of trouble. If you choose friends who are positive, they will help you achieve. They will be a loyal crew. You can call on when you need help.
How do you make this all work? Write down a personal declaration of you who you are, what you value and what you intend to accomplish with your life. Yes it must be written. When you write down your personal declaration, you are more committed to it and you can come back to review it whenever you need to make an important decision. If the course you set is inconsistent with your values, you either need to revise your values or more probably reset your course.
The bottom line is, if you don't care where you're going any course will get you there. If you want a meaningful life, understand your goals, set your course and put your workhorse to work.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Mind your tiller or meet the rocks
You can control your boat, but you can't control the river. You may be a able to influence other boats on the river, but if you try to force another boat to do what you want you may both end up getting swamped.
The power of the indirect effort says, we cannot change the river; we can only change ourselves. But, the moment we plot a course, we gain control of the river.
You can't rise above the river, but you can use its currents to your advantage. Have you ever noticed that violence begets violence? In martial arts were taught to use the energy of the attacker to defeat the attack.
If someone criticizes you, do you fight back? Is better to evaluate the criticism and apply a course correction where it helps you guide your boat. If your boat is fine, don't fix what isn't broken. Most criticism will be well intended, but it probably won't be helpful. So forget about what people think and set your own course.
There's a flipside of that of course. You can shout at the other boats on the river, but unless they want your advice they will ignore you. Don't offer advice unless you are asked for it and even then, be careful.
We get what we want from the river, indirectly. It's called leadership. Set a good example, understand where you want to go and people who believe in you will follow. Just remember, the course you set will depend on the course set by others you admire. If an experienced water man successfully negotiates the rapids, you'd be wise to follow the course already set.
Unconditional love, can be the most important thing in our lives. That doesn't mean we'll give an alcoholic drink just because he wants it. It does mean, we will offer our support for his efforts to control his boat on the river. When people begin to trust the river and their own skills to master it, they may look for the roughest white-water they can find and enjoy the thrill of being able to master the torrents. Just be sure you don't underestimate the river or over estimate your skills. When a kayaker gets flipped, the most important skill he has is the ability to right himself. Consider failure a learning experience, know how to recover then make sure you are ready for the river's next challenge.
Stop worrying about things you can't control on the river. The river is not meant to be controlled; it's meant to be ridden. So sit back, and enjoy your ride.
The power of the indirect effort says, we cannot change the river; we can only change ourselves. But, the moment we plot a course, we gain control of the river.
You can't rise above the river, but you can use its currents to your advantage. Have you ever noticed that violence begets violence? In martial arts were taught to use the energy of the attacker to defeat the attack.
If someone criticizes you, do you fight back? Is better to evaluate the criticism and apply a course correction where it helps you guide your boat. If your boat is fine, don't fix what isn't broken. Most criticism will be well intended, but it probably won't be helpful. So forget about what people think and set your own course.
There's a flipside of that of course. You can shout at the other boats on the river, but unless they want your advice they will ignore you. Don't offer advice unless you are asked for it and even then, be careful.
We get what we want from the river, indirectly. It's called leadership. Set a good example, understand where you want to go and people who believe in you will follow. Just remember, the course you set will depend on the course set by others you admire. If an experienced water man successfully negotiates the rapids, you'd be wise to follow the course already set.
Unconditional love, can be the most important thing in our lives. That doesn't mean we'll give an alcoholic drink just because he wants it. It does mean, we will offer our support for his efforts to control his boat on the river. When people begin to trust the river and their own skills to master it, they may look for the roughest white-water they can find and enjoy the thrill of being able to master the torrents. Just be sure you don't underestimate the river or over estimate your skills. When a kayaker gets flipped, the most important skill he has is the ability to right himself. Consider failure a learning experience, know how to recover then make sure you are ready for the river's next challenge.
Stop worrying about things you can't control on the river. The river is not meant to be controlled; it's meant to be ridden. So sit back, and enjoy your ride.
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