Butterfly Effect (or it doesn't have to be big to be significant)

"Seriously, Dr Schnitzer, what I did is no big deal....it was simply the right, just thing to do."

I received an unexpected email today from a person whom I have never met (M.M.).

It turns out that this person had, unbeknownst to me, taken a stand for my success. I was touched, moved and inspired and I acknowledged the individual, enthusiastically.

It turns out that the result to me is a $50 US Savings Bond for my daughter.

But for the world, we have an individual who lives an "unreasonable" life! How wonderful for the world! M.M. didn't need a "reason" to be a stand for me. There was no incentive. Nothing in it for personal gain. Being a stand for people is just who M.M. is.

From Michael Oliver:

"What's in it for me?" is the internal dialogue of the the ego! Focusing on your ego has a tendency to prevent you from getting what you want. Asking the question, "How can I help?" is the dialogue of the spirit. Focusing and taking action on your spirit will bring you the abundance you desire.

I am very happy to have encountered M.M. When I got the reply to my acknowledgment, that I posted at the top, I answered back, "Significant things don't have to be big."

Then I started to think about The Butterfly Effect and how a few, properly placed, random acts of kindness might change the world... What will be the effect of M.M.'s brief encounter with me (and now, you)?

Who's been good to you? Who have you been good to? Who are you "being"?

MSS
Who I am is Inspiration and Freedom

Non-linear thinking

Economics, Politics and Law... then Merit.

Last night, I attended the annual medical staff meeting for one of the medical staffs I belong to. I did it to remain in the game of conversation with no agenda. I had no idea how well it would be attended nor did I have any idea about who would be there or what was on the agenda (I did know it was at a nice restaurant!)

What is less and less surprising to me is how rewarding my interactions are when I enter them with a commitment to integrity, generosity and responsibility.

The keynote speaker was Mr. Joe Dunn. As an attorney and former State Senator, he has a special insight into government as a community. Every regular reader of my Blog understands my commitment to understanding community as the means to effect large things (a la Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Nancy Brinker, etc).

What he said was initially surprising but then it became crystal clear... New possibilities and then choices don't occur as favorable opportunities until AFTER economic and political considerations are met (assuming it's legal). ONLY THEN is merit considered.

He used an amazing example of how it came to be that large farms in the central (California) valley now provide shade and water for the field workers... if you think it was based on the merits of preventing the 20 deaths per year, you'd be considering merit only...and you'd be wrong. How did elephants come to play a role in securing shade and water for field workers in the central valley in California? Chalk it up to non-linear thinking and greasing the skids with economics and politics before merit came to play.

This is an important lesson (metaphor?) for the importance of considering different points-of-view when creating possibilities and calls-to-action.

My business and personal relationships will benefit from this awareness. How about yours?

MSS

A Recipe as a Mataphor for Conversation

I heard a chef describing a recipe on the radio yesterday.

He described the conversation between each individual ingredient and the conversation the individual ingredients and the whole mixture had with the cook.

Considering each ingredient individually, the mixture might not have been appealing but the tasters raved over the end result!

I've been thinking about this for 2 days: What a beautiful conversation a recipe can be... coming from nothing (no expectations on the part of the ingredients) and interacting with integrity, responsibility and generosity.

I've been practicing communicating like this myself and the results are remarkable. The conversations are very interesting and take unexpected turns and the result is, more often than not, delicious.

Would you like to try it? How about a taste?

MSS

Integrity and Peer Pressure

"If it be right and honest..."


From Meditations the Fifth Book by Marcus Aurelius:

III. Think thyself fit and worthy to speak, or to do anything that is according to nature, and let not the reproach, or report of some that may ensue upon it, ever deter thee. If it be right and honest to be spoken or done, undervalue not thyself so much, as to be discouraged from it. As for them, they have their own rational over-ruling part, and their own proper inclination: which thou must not stand and look about to take notice of, but go on straight, whither both thine own particular, and the common nature do lead thee; and the way of both these, is but one.

One way to consider "reasonable" is that way of justifying doing (or not doing) some action despite the knowledge of the effect on one's integrity. Compliance with peer pressure results in a trend toward mediocrity (if "everybody" is doing it, it can't be far from the mean (average), right?).

Being the father of daughters, I see the effect of peer pressure on them and I am committed to "being" a stand for them to be in integrity and to pursue what is right and honest and be "unreasonable". This requires that I model the behaviors I espouse.

It ain't crowded on the leading edge but I'm in good company. Will you join me?

It's comforting to be in the company of an Emperor...

How does this land on you?

MSS

Personal Development

I frequently recommend Jonathon Livingston Seagull, a Story, by Richard Bach. I re-read it frequently and each time, I see myself as a different "gull" and I see the people in my life.

I decided to look up Jonathon Livingston Seagull in Wikipedia and one thing led to another and I found myself reading about Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

Wikipedia describes the work as follows:

Meditations (Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν, Ta eis heauton, literally "thoughts/writings addressed to himself") is the title of a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in "highly-educated" Koine Greek[1] as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement.

Marcus Aurelius' work Meditations, written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered as a literary monument to a government of service and duty and has been praised for its "exquisite accent and its infinite tenderness."

This occurs to me as yet another example of the master appearing when the student is ready.

Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor from 161 to 180) wrote his thoughts about 19 centuries ago and Richard Bach wrote his about 4 decades ago.

How many lives were transformed and otherwise impacted by these great thinkers? Were they considered great by their peers at the time? Will you join me in a committment to personal development and an inquiry into what we don't know that we don't know?

I am going to look into (and write about this). I hope you will join in a conversation.

MSS

There's nothing too wonderful to be true...

"There's nothing too wonderful to be true..."

This line occurs in a wonderful song in a wonderful musical, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" which I had the great pleasure to see tonight.

If you've seen it, you'll smile when you remember it, if you haven't seen it, you may not want to read the rest of this entry...

The play is very funny and I enjoyed every minute of it, and as I drove home, I was struck by how sweet the quote is and how unrealistic many people think it is.

In fact, it seems most people believe they have to be lucky or dishonest to have the things they consider "too wonderful".

That being the case, I see many very talented people settling rather than apply action consistent and necessary to have the things they think are too wonderful to be true.

I've been told that my dreams are "pipe dreams."

I say, "Nothing is too wonderful to be true" and I'll get it without luck or dishonesty but with the right kind of effort consistent with the end-point I visualize.

How about you?

MSS

Inspiration and Motivation

“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery quotes (French Pilot, Writer and Author of 'The Little Prince', 1900-1944)


As you come to know me, you will see, and hopefully appreciate and share my love for metaphors and cliches. The 100 year-old quote above is timeless and never more appropriate than now.

Great things are accomplished by great communities. An individual can build a raft but a team with a vision can build a ship. I chose the ship. Which will you be on?

"Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity."

Aristotle (ancient Greek philosopher, scientist and physician, 384 BC - 322 BC)

I have 16 years of formal education after high school:

College (B.S.E.E.) 3 years
Grad School (M.S.E.E.) 2 years
Med School (M.D.) 4 years
Internship, Residency and Fellowship 7 years

I was 34 years old when I got my first (non-education-related) job.

I think I am way too over educated...or am I?

In fact, my experience is precisely what Aristotle said ~2,300 years ago! How did he know?

My experience is that my education has served me well, fed my family, and allowed me to be of service to my community, in all economic environments. However, it can also be a reason for complacency and resistance to pursue greater things, the acquisition of which, will require I exit my comfort zone.

I have decided to resist complacency and challenge the confines of my comfort zone.

I will do today what others will not do, so I can do tomorrow, what others cannot do.

What about you?

"All coaching is, is taking a player where he can't take himself"

Bill McCartney, American Football Coach and President of Promise Keepers, b.1940

I have a great coach.

I never really intended to say that because I never thought I'd have a coach (after high school sports, anyway). Let alone the fact that I'm not an athlete and she's not coaching me in athletics!

I've had plenty of teachers and professors along the way and even some curriculum advisors but now, I have a coach.

Here's what I think about the situation: If I'm not perfect, than I'm bound to make an error. That error will either be an error of caution or an error of carelessness... and I may not see it coming.

I can count on my coach to help monitor my progress (forward or backward) and warn me of errors and I know she'll do this because she learns from her vigilance. I like to think we each grow by being there for the other.

I am willing to "give up" any macho resistance to coaching thereby creating a clearing for the possibility of progress beyond what I could do by myself.

Tiger Woods has a coach. Tony Romo has a coach. Dinara Safina has a coach... and so do I.

What about you?

Goal vs. Strategy

For the longest time (45 years, in fact), I confused my goals with my strategies.

For some reason, I thought my goal was to become a neurosurgeon. The prerequisites and the requisite skill set came relatively easily to me and I accomplished it! Imagine my surprise, when I discovered I was very good at the skill set and still not completely fulfilled!

I bet you easily can, in fact. We call this something like "...the grass is always greener..."

Familiar?

I maintain that this is the probable, almost certain future, when we select a strategy and call it a goal. It's like getting on an airplane because you like to fly and then being disappointed when you arrive at the destination... you must determine where you want to land so you can pick the correct flight!

Now, I say a goal is financial-freedom and calendar-freedom and I select my strategies to achieve those endpoints (network marketing professional, investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and neurosurgeon).

Rather than wish for the especially "green grass", I am learning and doing what the "greenest grass" owners do. No complaining, regrets or excuses. Just action.

What do YOU think?

Mark
Who I am is Inspiration and Freedom