Change

 Are you open minded? I mean really open minded. Are you seriously open to learning another viewpoint? Or, are you steadfast in your opinion and always ready to defend your existing viewpoint? Consider this…

- The single most effective habit is the willingness to change your own mind. 

I would like to focus on a key word in that statement, “willingness”. If we start out unwilling to change, it does not matter what we learn. Changing your mind is a powerful concept. 

Be willing to change your own mind! 

Wisdom

 

The MMM has often addressed wisdom and our ongoing pursuit of it. Wisdom is a permanent fixture on my prayer list.  I have also written about how impatient we are as humans.  Impatience and wisdom don’t go well together.  Consider the following which addresses both points…

 

Wisdom is not proven by argument or debate.  Wisdom is proven over time.  Some people adamantly proclaim that their opinion is best.  Regardless of how convincingly these people defend their viewpoint, time is the best judge of their wisdom.  The result of a practice proves its validity, not how loudly it is promoted. ¹

 

Be wary of those who seek to have their own wisdom acknowledged before it can be proven over time.  Remember to be patient with your own understanding of wisdom. 

 

Have a blessed week.

 

1 – Taken from: Experiencing God Day-By-Day, Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

Perception is reality

 

Good Monday morning, or is it Tuesday?  Or maybe a Tuesday that seems like Monday? 

 

Often perception is reality and for that reason today may feel like Monday all day.  In reality it is not. It is the Monday of this work week for us, and I hope your Memorial Day holiday was fabulous.

 

Perceptions becoming reality can be hard to understand especially if you are a black and white factual personality. It is important to remember that how people perceive situations and perceive other people often forms the realities of how they think.  If you deal with people, and we all do, you will always be dealing with their individual perceptions. Oftentimes, it does not matter what you think or what the facts may be.  People have their own perspective, that does not make them wrong, just unique in their viewpoint.

 

Have a great day...(Monday or Tuesday or whatever day you perceive it to be)

The Lost Art of Listening

If you have been around the MMM for very long, you know my passion for listening. It is likely the most discussed topic in this blog. Stephen Covey talks about how we only listen for the sake of being heard.  We really don’t listen at all, because we are too busy planning what we are going to say next.  Listening is a lost art.  It requires effort.  Unfortunately, we do not have the time or temperament to put in the effort these days.

Addressing the political and racial divides facing this country requires work.  We must take the time to understand one another, to listen to varying viewpoints and different opinions. Listening requires understanding, it does not mean we have to change our opinion. It feels like we are afraid that if we take the time to listen, and truly understand, that we will be forced to change our mind about something.  Understanding does not require agreement, but it does require listening.

It is too easy to hide behind the keyboard on social media or hop on the latest wave of hysteria without taking the time to listen and learn. Listening is a powerful tool.  It makes you a better person, it helps you broaden your perspective. More importantly is the feeling it gives to the one speaking.  There is nothing more powerful you can do than to listen genuinely and intently to another human.  We all want to be heard.  Take some time to be the one doing the listening, not just the one talking. 

God gave us two ears and one mouth.  We should use them in that ratio.  Listen….

Life

Heard a great speaker last week at a VEL Institute event.  If you have not heard of VEL, check them out.  Their stated mission is…  “Bringing Veterans, Entrepreneurs and Leaders together to create positive community action and foster valuable relationships.” 

The speaker was Dr. Todd Dewett.  What an energetic and thought provoking guy he is.  One focus of his talk was the challenge of breaking out of our routines and pre-disposed viewpoints.  I came away feeling like I probably needed to re-examine some things in my life that I have come to accept as normal.  He also addressed the power of positivity.  We have all heard this before, but he came at it from a different direction, the negativity.  Here are a couple of quotes from Dr. Todd Dewett for you to ponder this week…

“A life worth living is worth examining and taking risks on.”

“Understand the sticky power of negativity.  It sticks way easier and way longer than positivity.”

            Dr. Todd Dewett

Are you always right?

Is your way the only “right way”?  Do you often think that you know the best, if not the only, way to do something?  Sometimes our egos allow us to think that we are always right.  Maybe it is when we are young, fresh with a degree in hand, and we just know that we can conquer the world.  Maybe it is when we are older and have years of experience and just know that we have already conquered the world.  Well maybe we are just wrong! 

If you believe you always know the right answer or have the right solution you are wrong.  There are a lot of ways to solve problems, create answers, produce results and settle arguments.  There is not just one way, and one person does not always know the right way.  If you tend to think you are always right or find yourself intolerant of others ideas and perspectives, you may need to step back and reconsider.  You may need to consider other viewpoints.  You should listen more open mindedly.  You should actually seek counsel instead of dictate solutions.  You should think about the meaning of the old adage…“There is more than one way to skin a cat.” 

Seldom is there just one right way to do anything.  Even when there is, one person never always knows that answer.  Your way is not the only right way.