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Short Cuts
“Genius is one percent inspiration and 99% perspiration.” – Thomas A. Edison Both humble and profound, Edison’s quote contains a daunting universal truth about what it takes for a person to be remarkable. There are no short cuts to greatness. The poet or musician first internalizes the rules of their craft in order to artfully break them. Professional athletes work tirelessly to build the endurance and muscle memory that allow them to perform effortlessly under extreme conditions. Scientists painstakingly repeat experiments to prove their hypotheses. Yet in the face of countless examples, there appears a corollary to Edison’s truth…or maybe it’s just human nature. We look for short cuts. Why? For one thing, sometimes it works. Sort of. That’s why there are…
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Forgiveness
In an age of an eye for an eye, holding grudge or exacting revenge can feel like a right–maybe even a duty. You hurt me, and I will show you… Whether on the national stage or across the kitchen table, this same thinking can exist. Some time ago I learned to ask myself this question, when does losing my temper ever make things better? When faced with a betrayal, feeling threatened or maybe just incredibly frustrated…when my instincts tell me to lash out, I remember the question. When does losing my temper ever make things better? The answer is never. On occasion, it is helpful for me to play the tape all the way…
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Choosers
Turkey and football on Thursday, early bird sales on Friday, supporting small businesses on Saturday. This is a weekend that is full of shared experiences. Or is it? Are the activities described universal? Or are they simply an easy way to categorize how some people choose to spend their time on Thanksgiving weekend? A tradition denotes an experience that is repeated. Oftentimes the implication is that the experience is also shared by many. However, in a world with billions of people and thousands of cultures, projecting a one-size-fits-most tradition is arguably absurd. Looking at the other 360 odd days of the year, traditions don’t exist only on holidays. Our daily lives are filled rituals. With their frequency, they become invisible–like the water in…
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Azimuth Degree
Azimuth – the arc of the horizon measured clockwise from the north point in navigation to the point where a vertical circle through a given heavenly body intersects the horizon. Said another way, the azimuth is the measure of your distance in degrees from true north. To calculate the azimuth degree, you need only two variables. First, you must identify your true north. In this analogy, it assumes the role of your destination. Second, you must know where you are–your point of departure. This sounds easy enough, right? Knowing the distance between where you are and where you want to be is requisite when planning for any excursion. Whether you’re trying to move a project forward,…
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Respond or React?
On the eve of a holiday that brings people together in various delicious and obligatory situations, I’ve been thinking about the difference between responding and reacting. Regardless of the degree to which our present company is beloved, the holidays can be a bit of an emotional mine field. Our expectations are proportional to the size of the turkey or number of chairs around the table. Out of our routine and off of our schedules, we can revert to toddlerhood quickly. We’re not sure what we need, but we know it doesn’t involve eating another random cranberry salad or playing a 4-hour game of Monopoly with a banker that should be under federal investigation.…
