“Success is achieved by development of our strengths, not by elimination of our weakness”. Marilyn Vos Savant
It is very difficult to decide whether I agree with this statement. I do believe however that it is more important to know your weaknesses than your strengths. If you realise your weaknesses you minimize the opportunity for people to optimize on those weaknesses. The most important thing is to be able manage your weaknesses. By admitting and acknowledging your weaknesses you are identifying them.
A person’s weakness is not something that can always be fixed or eliminated, but it can be managed. By emphasizing you strengths you are minimizing the threat of your weaknesses.
Your strengths is something that already differentiates you from the pack, it makes you different and in some cases even better that other. It can become a weakness when these strengths are ego-driven and you think you are invincible. My greatest strength is my passion and drive, but this has also been my greatest weakness in many occasions. This passion and drive is perceived as arrogance and ignorance by some.
"To excel means to reach beyond the best you have ever given because doing so matters to you personally, for its own sake. It means to run your own race—as an individual, team, or organization. To excel is to know your greatest strengths and passions, and to emphasize them while honestly admitting and managing your weaknesses." Robert Cooper
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Feelings FOLLOW Behaviour
Does it?Should it?
When one thinks about this statement, it just does not sound right.Can you control your behaviour? Can you control your feelings?
You can control your behaviour, but you cannot control your feelings, you can only suppress it.I both agree and do not agree with this statement. When you do behave in a certain manner, your behaviour has some consequences and you have feelings about those consequences. Helping an old lady across the street makes one feel proud, hitting someone in the face in the midst of a catfight makes leads to the feeling of shame.(for those of us with a conscience anyway!)
That behaviour was triggered by some emotion or feeling. Those feelings or emotions made you act or behave in a certain manner. Before you helped the old lady across the street you felt concerned and sorry for her. Before you hit the girl you felt angry and enraged and wanted to scratch her eyes out.
This leads me to believe that a more accurate statement would be: Feelings/emotions leads to behavoir/actions which are again followed by feelings/emotions.
"If feelings follow behaviour, they cannot be the causes of behaviour, since causes must precede their effects." James D.Laird
When one thinks about this statement, it just does not sound right.Can you control your behaviour? Can you control your feelings?
You can control your behaviour, but you cannot control your feelings, you can only suppress it.I both agree and do not agree with this statement. When you do behave in a certain manner, your behaviour has some consequences and you have feelings about those consequences. Helping an old lady across the street makes one feel proud, hitting someone in the face in the midst of a catfight makes leads to the feeling of shame.(for those of us with a conscience anyway!)
That behaviour was triggered by some emotion or feeling. Those feelings or emotions made you act or behave in a certain manner. Before you helped the old lady across the street you felt concerned and sorry for her. Before you hit the girl you felt angry and enraged and wanted to scratch her eyes out.
This leads me to believe that a more accurate statement would be: Feelings/emotions leads to behavoir/actions which are again followed by feelings/emotions.
"If feelings follow behaviour, they cannot be the causes of behaviour, since causes must precede their effects." James D.Laird
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
It is better to PRACTICE a LITTLE than TALK a LOT
YES, YES and again YES. It is a known FACT, by everyone and anyone who has a little bit of intelligence or half a brain that ACTIONS definitely speak louder than words!
This statement is a Zen Proverb that belongs to Muso Kokushi, a Japanese Zen Master, Calligrapher and Poet. This Zen master dreamt that he was told to protect a portrait of Dumara Daishi and thereafter knew that Zen was his destiny. He proceeded to study Zen at a temple. After which he proceeded to become famous.
This life story of Muso Kokushi “speaks” of the statement he makes. He did not talk too much about his dream of becoming this Zen Master, but he went out and did it!
Kokushi’s statement is relevant to various aspects of daily life. It can also be tied in with numerous other sayings and idioms which all come down to the same thing: DO MORE AND SAY LESS!
People so often say things, usually to impress others and prove you are better than them. But
90% of the time, these words cannot be backed by your actions. If you want people to believe what you say (your words) you should “speak” with your actions.
What is the use of saying that smoking is unhealthy and leads to an early, slow and painful death, but then these marketers smoke up to thirty (or even 40??!!) cigarettes per day. How is this message then supposed to be taken serious by the various audiences???
Practice what you preach, this is the only way what you do and say will be respected and trusted.
This statement is a Zen Proverb that belongs to Muso Kokushi, a Japanese Zen Master, Calligrapher and Poet. This Zen master dreamt that he was told to protect a portrait of Dumara Daishi and thereafter knew that Zen was his destiny. He proceeded to study Zen at a temple. After which he proceeded to become famous.
This life story of Muso Kokushi “speaks” of the statement he makes. He did not talk too much about his dream of becoming this Zen Master, but he went out and did it!
Kokushi’s statement is relevant to various aspects of daily life. It can also be tied in with numerous other sayings and idioms which all come down to the same thing: DO MORE AND SAY LESS!
People so often say things, usually to impress others and prove you are better than them. But
90% of the time, these words cannot be backed by your actions. If you want people to believe what you say (your words) you should “speak” with your actions.
What is the use of saying that smoking is unhealthy and leads to an early, slow and painful death, but then these marketers smoke up to thirty (or even 40??!!) cigarettes per day. How is this message then supposed to be taken serious by the various audiences???
Practice what you preach, this is the only way what you do and say will be respected and trusted.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
It is a poor idea to lie to yourself
"False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil." Socrates
Lying is something you do by choice. You think about what you want to say and then act on it. It is a conscious decision made. Thus it is controllable and utterly WRONG!
Well, some white lies may be justified! When your sister is pregnant and she asks if she looks fat, you cannot reply by saying, “Yes, actually you look like Shrek’s wife Fiona!” You are obligated to tell a little white lie and say,” No, you have never looked so beautiful.” If you refrain from doing so, you may end-up losing your sister indefinitely and be cut from any duties as aunt of the unborn baby!
However lying to yourself is a very different story. What is your favourite lie about yourself? Is it that you are a fun-loving human being and the truth is that you hate life and would rather commit suicide? The reality of it is that lying ALWAYS backfires.
By lying to yourself, you are trying to justify something which is wrong or not true. You never learn to deal with the truth and certain issues efficiently and you obtain a mental state of “there is nothing wrong with lying.” It is like being an alcoholic. The first step to recovery is admitting that you are one, and then taking various measures to recover. Lying will only set you back, and escalate into something more serious.
By adopting such a state of mind, you may also feel comfortable lying to others. All trust in you will be lost. With no trust, you can have no relationships. And like Abraham Lincoln said: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”
Lying is something you do by choice. You think about what you want to say and then act on it. It is a conscious decision made. Thus it is controllable and utterly WRONG!
Well, some white lies may be justified! When your sister is pregnant and she asks if she looks fat, you cannot reply by saying, “Yes, actually you look like Shrek’s wife Fiona!” You are obligated to tell a little white lie and say,” No, you have never looked so beautiful.” If you refrain from doing so, you may end-up losing your sister indefinitely and be cut from any duties as aunt of the unborn baby!
However lying to yourself is a very different story. What is your favourite lie about yourself? Is it that you are a fun-loving human being and the truth is that you hate life and would rather commit suicide? The reality of it is that lying ALWAYS backfires.
By lying to yourself, you are trying to justify something which is wrong or not true. You never learn to deal with the truth and certain issues efficiently and you obtain a mental state of “there is nothing wrong with lying.” It is like being an alcoholic. The first step to recovery is admitting that you are one, and then taking various measures to recover. Lying will only set you back, and escalate into something more serious.
By adopting such a state of mind, you may also feel comfortable lying to others. All trust in you will be lost. With no trust, you can have no relationships. And like Abraham Lincoln said: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”
Not ALL who wander are lost
According to the dictionary a wanderer is defined as; “To proceed in an irregular course.”
The statement suggests that some wanderers are in fact lost...but to me to wander means to search. To be lost suggest that you will not be found. But, in life wanderers who search do find their destination in life.
People search all their lives for their little niche in society. The place where they fit, a place where they feel comfortable and where they can be themselves .It is part of human nature to be uncertain in some aspects of life. You date a skater-boy only to find that you actually prefer a jock, you eat steak only to find you are a vegetarian, you participate in sports only to find that you are only interested in poetry. Ultimately you find your destination.
The wandering stage of one’s life is not always a pleasant stage. You may be teased for dressing like Madonna (you thought you looked like her and thought people would find you interesting) .You may be ridiculed for singing in the school choir (you are a boy who want to impress the girls, and they all seem to like the singing sensation of the Backstreet Boys) This is a stage of uncertainty, a stage of unknown.
This wandering eventually brings you to your destination, the place where you want to be...a place where you are allowed to be YOU and accepted for it.
The statement suggests that some wanderers are in fact lost...but to me to wander means to search. To be lost suggest that you will not be found. But, in life wanderers who search do find their destination in life.
People search all their lives for their little niche in society. The place where they fit, a place where they feel comfortable and where they can be themselves .It is part of human nature to be uncertain in some aspects of life. You date a skater-boy only to find that you actually prefer a jock, you eat steak only to find you are a vegetarian, you participate in sports only to find that you are only interested in poetry. Ultimately you find your destination.
The wandering stage of one’s life is not always a pleasant stage. You may be teased for dressing like Madonna (you thought you looked like her and thought people would find you interesting) .You may be ridiculed for singing in the school choir (you are a boy who want to impress the girls, and they all seem to like the singing sensation of the Backstreet Boys) This is a stage of uncertainty, a stage of unknown.
This wandering eventually brings you to your destination, the place where you want to be...a place where you are allowed to be YOU and accepted for it.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
How do you step from the top of a 100-foot pole?
HOW DO YOU?????I suppose very, very carefully and with extreme caution.
For a superhero this would be a very easy task.
Spiderman would...simply shoot out a web and swing from this pole to another
Superman would...point his arm upward and fly
Batman would....spread his bat-wings and fly
Captain America would... simply belt out “because I am Captain America” (and he would be on the ground)
Inspector Guru would...just extent his guru-leg and walk on
Wolverine would...jump and fall the living daylights out of him, but will heal in about 30 seconds
The HULK would... get angry, turn green, become the size of the Big Ben and the 100-foot pole would seem like a 1-foot pole
Silver Surfer would...never be in this position because he is always off surfing somewhere
Magneto would...attract a large magnetic figure, step onto it and from there proceed to the ground
Ironman would...beat the pole into the ground
Storm would...create a flood of some sort and swim to safety
Catwomen would...jump because cats always land on their feet
Wonderwoman would....jump, fly, walk or whatever (she is wonderwoman and can do anything)
To be very realistic I would...simply SLIDE (yes like a fireman) and NOT step from the top of a 100-foot pole, unless I am trying to commit suicide off course!
For a superhero this would be a very easy task.
Spiderman would...simply shoot out a web and swing from this pole to another
Superman would...point his arm upward and fly
Batman would....spread his bat-wings and fly
Captain America would... simply belt out “because I am Captain America” (and he would be on the ground)
Inspector Guru would...just extent his guru-leg and walk on
Wolverine would...jump and fall the living daylights out of him, but will heal in about 30 seconds
The HULK would... get angry, turn green, become the size of the Big Ben and the 100-foot pole would seem like a 1-foot pole
Silver Surfer would...never be in this position because he is always off surfing somewhere
Magneto would...attract a large magnetic figure, step onto it and from there proceed to the ground
Ironman would...beat the pole into the ground
Storm would...create a flood of some sort and swim to safety
Catwomen would...jump because cats always land on their feet
Wonderwoman would....jump, fly, walk or whatever (she is wonderwoman and can do anything)
To be very realistic I would...simply SLIDE (yes like a fireman) and NOT step from the top of a 100-foot pole, unless I am trying to commit suicide off course!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
You ARE what you DO
“You are what you DO, so why not DO the exceptional.” This slogan is splashed across the SANTAM building in Durbanville, and gets one thinking.
What we do defines our being. It is scary to know that all my accomplishments and failures defines my being....I want to be perceived as extraordinary.
If I lied to my mother about breaking her new vase, does that make me a liar?
If I took my brothers chocolate out of his drawer, does that make me a thief?
If I did not tell my sister she looked fat when she was pregnant, does that make me untrustworthy?
If I feel hatred towards rapists, does that make me a hater?
The things I do out of anger, frustration, fear, anguish and heartache forms part of this ‘being’ .But is it fair to be judged and defined in accordance with these acts. These actions are mostly irrational reactions to something negative that occurs. These are actions I would not want to be defined as. On the other hand, there is no such thing as a perfect human being, this is a concept with which I myself sometimes struggle. Because:
I want to be perceived as good
I want to be perceived as extraordinary
I want to be perceived as honest
I want to be perceived as trustworthy
I want to be perceived as loyal
I want to be perceived as loving
I want to be perceived as hardworking
I want to be perceived as a energetic
I want to be defined as a friend
I want to be defined as a Christian
I WANT TO BE EXTROARDINARY!!!!
And yet, my actions do not always portray these characteristics. Does this mean I am NOT extraordinary???
What we do defines our being. It is scary to know that all my accomplishments and failures defines my being....I want to be perceived as extraordinary.
If I lied to my mother about breaking her new vase, does that make me a liar?
If I took my brothers chocolate out of his drawer, does that make me a thief?
If I did not tell my sister she looked fat when she was pregnant, does that make me untrustworthy?
If I feel hatred towards rapists, does that make me a hater?
The things I do out of anger, frustration, fear, anguish and heartache forms part of this ‘being’ .But is it fair to be judged and defined in accordance with these acts. These actions are mostly irrational reactions to something negative that occurs. These are actions I would not want to be defined as. On the other hand, there is no such thing as a perfect human being, this is a concept with which I myself sometimes struggle. Because:
I want to be perceived as good
I want to be perceived as extraordinary
I want to be perceived as honest
I want to be perceived as trustworthy
I want to be perceived as loyal
I want to be perceived as loving
I want to be perceived as hardworking
I want to be perceived as a energetic
I want to be defined as a friend
I want to be defined as a Christian
I WANT TO BE EXTROARDINARY!!!!
And yet, my actions do not always portray these characteristics. Does this mean I am NOT extraordinary???
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