Category: Musings

Ponderings, reflections, thoughts, and other observations.

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Communication

Communication is a key to finding what can be unlocked by an idea. Learning how to make the key is almost as important as knowing what lock it fits. Once you have opened a mind to the potential of an idea you are much more able to present it in an understandable fashion.

Consider your audience before you begin. They are the mold you use to make your key. It is much easier open the door to understanding when you hold the key to unlock it in your hand. Once they are open to accepting an idea, you can easily lead them down a path of knowledge and understanding as you are now able to present the information in a manner they are willing to understand.

Communication is not the conveying of an idea; it is the action of creating an atmosphere of interest in the idea.

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Stand Up

Sometimes you simply have to stand up and get noticed; take the lead by setting a positive example; and, always strive for improvement.

Recognition goes a long way in gaining support for a goal or idea. Gather together positively influenced support for your plan and others will see there are benefits to its completion.

Deliver on your schedule and meet the known, and sometimes unexpected, results with proof positive the methods you use are the most correct going forward.

Once you have proven your worth and shown you are capable, continue to make gains by improving on what got you to there in the first place. Resting on your laurels does not make for better, it just leaves everything the same as it was before.

Stand up, take the lead, and improve.

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Give

Reach out before the hand of need is extended to look back and see the outstretched hands of support.

There is no need to wait for someone to ask for help before offering it. Sometimes its just a simple gesture or small kindness but that is often all it takes to give a person the encouragement to continue. If you give of yourself freely, you may be rewarded in kind. If you find yourself in need, look to those you have helped before and see them in turn reaching out to give you aid.

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Mallory-Everest Ideas

I have often used Hillary-Everest as a term for describing an idea that may or may not have any redeeming quality or usefulness. After a bit of research, I have found I mistakenly coined the term based on George Mallory‘s famous quote:

Because it’s there.

… although this quote by Sir Edmund Hillary would still support my term:

Nobody climbs mountains for scientific reasons. Science is used to raise money for the expeditions, but you really climb for the hell of it.

I use Hillary-Everest to describe ideas that are more proof of concept than a requirement and I may still use it out of habit; but, it seems a Mallory-Everest idea may be just as, or possibly more, descriptive.

Which would you use?

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Everything Has a Price

Everything has a price. Perhaps it can be equated in terms of currency but in most cases the real trade-off or cost is measured in time.

Who can help me now?
What day will it be ready?
Where is it?
When can I have it?
Why is this so difficult?

You may pay for premium services and get help immediately in some cases. If you want to receive something sooner you can go get it yourself. You may need to travel to a place you do not want to go to, but you will achieve your goals sooner if you do. Almost everything gets easier with knowledge and practice … and time.

Of course you can simply throw money at a problem and maybe it will go away, but it will still take time, even if only a moment, to replace those funds.

Everything has a price, it’s just a matter of time.

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Inspirational Stress Relief

Sometimes the best intentions are overridden by better intentions. I am not one to practice “retail therapy” but my wife can present a convincing argument when she wants to. I set my work schedule aside to spend some quality time with my wife … and spend some money, too.

It was a very long week and stress levels were building so we, or better said she, decided to get ourselves ready and after some additional online research we headed out to get her a Wacom Intuos 4 tablet to be used in her new theme creation venture. We’ve been looking at these tablets for a while and the large model seemed the best fit.

I also registered a couple of new domain names that may be used for these ideas:

My wife also insisted I get a new monitor as I have not been overly happy with the one I’ve had for some time now. It required too many video setting adjustments when I am truly a proponent of the plug-n-play models of hardware. We looked at a few models and chose the NEC MultiSync EA231WMi Even though I was not happy with my Acer AL2016W, I did add it as a second monitor for my desktop PC.

I may not have accomplished as much work as I wanted to get done yesterday and I admit to being a willing participant; but, we did accomplish something of great value: inspirational stress relief via retail therapy.

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Speak Plainly

Antagonisms and sarcastic remarks are often the instigators of misunderstandings and misconstrued ideas. The acknowledgment of these quips can lead to their further misinterpretation and possible validation whereas ignoring them may refute the points trying to be made, neither of which may ultimately add benefit to the argument.

Speak plainly and to the issue at hand; simple language is a more effective communication device than meandering diatribes or implied meanings.

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Meet You in the Middle

We can agree to disagree … No! That’s simply avoidance, nothing more. It’s not a resolution by any means. It’s simply an acknowledgment of one’s inability, or lack of desire, to find a compromise for the issue at hand.

Be it a debate, an argument, or a heated exchange; one of the easiest methods of reaching a peaceful conclusion is the willingness to find a middle ground. In some cases the middle may be heavily skewed to one side but every party involved will gain a certain satisfaction if they have received even a modicum of a concession to their point.

Finding your middle ground and being able to share it will always gain you ground in the end.

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Sunday Morning

Just like writing every day, sometimes it takes more than a creative spark to generate the impetus to finish a project.

Today’s inspiration is a mix of 70’s music from Paul McCartney, Dr. Hook, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, ELO and others.

You just have to keep in mind that sometimes it is simply best to just get on with it. Do not over-think the whole affair just put your shoulder to the grind stone and push through it.

Of course there always seem to be what appear to be pre-requisite interruptions to deal with, but even those can add to the inspirational energy of the moment. It’s just a matter of capturing those thoughts and ideas.

Gain what you can from your environs and remember your creativity may not always manifest itself in plain sight but will sometimes be derived from the mundane and sublime … like drinking a coffee Sunday morning in the laundromat.

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Changes

If you want to make changes for the good then positive actions, words and deeds alike, will speak louder than any grumbling or grousing could ever accomplish. Put your heart into it and really make an effort; you will likely be pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Today’s musing was inspired by the following:

Nothing is easier than fault-finding. No talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, is required to set up in the grumbling business; but those who are moved by a genuine desire to do good have little time for murmuring or complaint.
Robert West