Posts Tagged: risk

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30
Aug 10

Looking Ahead

Hi, it’s a great day for a journey.

I was listening to a very interesting interview on the radio this morning.  The person interviewed was talking about his life now compared to where he thought he would be while in high school.

He believes that we tend to see our life as a story that unfolds as we go.  Because we see it as such we routinely project the next chapters and even the ending of the story of our lives.

This came to vivid realization when a teacher in his freshman year had his class write a letter to themselves about their future.  His letter to himself outlined the events of his life.  He was going to fall in love, have kids, get a good job at one of the regional paper mills and live a good life… a life much like his father’s.

Four years later, upon graduation, the teacher sent the letters to the students.  He had noticed that his view of life had broadened and the projected events of four years earlier were forced to the edges of reality.  He had changed and had rewritten his future.

He indicated that we can rewrite what we perceive that will happen if we are willing to allow new learnings and current events to become part of the formula for our future.

Side Note: Yep, the blog entry is a bit philosophical today.  As you know, philosophical stuff can be a bit boring and tedious, but stick with me.

I can assure you that you will either read something that stretches and stirs your thinking or you will be sufficiently prepared for a quick afternoon nap by getting you all bored and relaxed.  Either way you can’t lose.

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The interview went on to explore on a deeper level this amazing ability to rewrite our future.  Humans have the unique ability to grasp the context of their life.  What I mean is that we understand that we were born and some day we die… that there is a start and a finish to our lives.  No other animal has that ability.

This knowledge makes all the difference.  Animals just live from day to day as instinct and circumstances dictate.  But because we possess this understanding, our view of life has fuller dimension and we are pulled beyond a haphazard nature of existence.

We are naturally led to the notion and question of purpose.  It forces us to ask, what am I to do with this fixed period of time that I call my life?  The grasp of this finite reality ignites the flame of infinite possibilities.

“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.“

- Yogi Berra

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As all of us know, we can’t predict the future.  But there are things that increase the odds of what we want out of life.  Unfortunately far too many of us allow the unpredictability of the future to dictate our present.  If not careful, we live in our safe little world letting life just happen.

Sure, we are not guaranteed of the outcome of any positive efforts we make to impact the future.  But I can assure you of this, the future is impacted by what we don’t do.

The absence of positive action eliminates the risk of failure but assures the absence of reward.

- Me

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The future is far too important to coast.  So I think I will camp out on this topic for a while and poke at it from several angles to see what we might learn.

See you Thursday.

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19
Aug 10

Reunion Tale – Retold (continued)

Yep, me again, with my Monday Thursday musings on life.

I have good news (drum roll please).  This should be the last blog that revolves around the topic of my wife’s class reunion (and the crowd goes wild).

So here goes.  As those of you who read the last blog entry know, I began putting a serious capstone on this reunion topic with three learnings that I believe are important to share.  I titled them an Insight, Reflection and a Question.

On Monday I talked about a personal insight.  Today is a reflection and a question.

Reflection

On the second day of the reunion during the main evening gathering I found myself drifting to the edge of the crowd away from the energy vortex of memories, stories and laughter at the center.  I just enjoyed sitting and watching the people.

Pretty soon two refugees from the crowd gravitated to the edge for a needed break.  We sat and talked for a good bit of the evening and these two became central to the learning that I am about to share.

They were members of the class and had remained active friends since high school although one lived in the south and the other in Texas.  Both were delightful and obviously successful.  The fellow from Texas had a particularly interesting and varied life and career.

As we talked they casually reminisced about their high school days.  I told them about my fantasy to break the class up into the three groups of the “IN” crowd, the “EDGE” crowd, and the “OUT” crowd and ask the questions that I listed in Monday’s blog.

They indicated that they would be considered in the “EDGE” crowd.  As the conversation flowed and they reflected on the past they tended to talk about themselves in high school as if it were another life or person… almost in 3rd person.   I asked them, knowing what you know now, how do feel about that kid in high school and what would you want to tell them?

I could see their minds flashback the years (as did mine) and process the implications of the question.  Their responses were fascinating.  (I will share just the essence of their statements because I don’t want to violate an unspoken trust.)  Basically one felt kind of sorry for that kid back then and they both said things like – don’t worry as much, have more confidence, trust yourself, etc.

I answered the question too.  (Ugh, full disclosure again) I said I felt sorry for that kid.  I would tell that kid that he is better than he thinks he is and that he has a lot of talent.  I would tell him that he has extreme value and lots potential.

Side Note: It is amazing how a moment of trust and vulnerability instantly unites strangers into a kindred spirit.

Then this conversation then led me to the Question.

Question

After our individual disclosure my mind for some reason flashed forward twenty years.  And asked them if twenty years from now we looked back on who we are today, what would today’s person need to hear to take them successfully forward to a fuller life?

This question spurred a level of responsibility.  There is nothing we could do about the kid in high school but we have total control over the person today.  Their responses were just as fascinating as before.

Here’s what I say to the Jerry Rushing of today.  Keep on opening yourself to new things;  Don’t worry about what others think;  You have more talent and potential to discover;  Your best days are ahead of you.

The Challenge

Now if you have been hanging out with me you know that I feel obliged to bring you into the learning.  I would like to challenge you.  If  twenty years from now you were looking back to present day, what do you need to say to the person you are today to take you further than where you are?

I just want you to know… there is more for you to do and be than you think.  You are smarter and more talented than you believe.

Thanks for hanging out with me.

See you Monday.

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16
Aug 10

Reunion Tale – Retold

Howdy, good to see you again.

I was reluctant to refer to the reunion again because I didn’t want to ride a good horse into the ground.  But as I reflected on the last two blogs and the reunion I needed to put a serious capstone on the event.

As you know I have had some fun with my wife’s reunion and of course embellished it to my amusement and liking.  But there were several important life insights and learnings that I don’t want to get lost in all the fun.  I believe they are worth sharing and hopefully you find them challenging to you as they were to me.

Typically I am pretty much a free spirit when it comes to the written page.  I just write what pops in my head and sometimes it flows nicely and other times it is a shotgun of ideas fired in hopes that some of the mental buckshot hits a target.

This blog is going to be actually somewhat organized.  There were three things that impacted me during the reunion – thus three points.  (Wow, three points, I know… scary).

I have an insight, a reflection and a question.

An Insight

At the reunion I wanted to get the class in the front of the room and cluster them into three groups based on their high school experience.  I wanted to group them into the “IN” crowd, the “EDGE” crowd, and the “OUT” crowd.

Then I wanted to compare the groups by finding out things like:

  • Who ended up the most successful in business? Marriage? Etc?
  • Who’s most fulfilled?
  • Has your life turned out like you imagined at this point?  Is it better or worse?
  • What would you have done differently, if anything?

True Confessions: Here we go again.  I hate true confessions because it may make me look bad.

The insight was not about my wife’s class but about me.  My mental scenario of grouping the people was not from the standpoint of an academic sociological study of a group of people (which would be interesting) but probably a morbid curiosity to see where people ended up.

In high school I was definitely one who would be grouped in the “OUT” crowd.  In my mind, if my high school classmates were asked where they thought Jerry Rushing would end up in life they would say, “Who?”  The few who did know me would probably say that I would have an ok vanilla life but nothing remarkable.

I think it would surprise most of my classmates that I have had a great life thus far.  It has been anything but vanilla and by the standards of some people… somewhat successful.

Before I get to the insight that impacts us all I feel compelled to make an important clarification.  I am not sharing this grouping scenario and my life as it is today out of arrogance or a “in your face” chide at anyone.  I share it out of thankfulness.

The insight for us all is this.  It doesn’t matter which group you were in at your high school.  It’s irrelevant.  The point I want to make is that at every point in our life we have expectations of the future.  Rarely does reality match our expectations – good or bad.

And the important thing is that…

Where we are doesn’t dictate where we will be.

If things are not going well for you now it doesn’t mean that you are doomed to be there in the future.  You do not have to be trapped by the present.

Conversely, if things are going well it means that we cannot casually expect the good things to be entitled forward.  Good things must be continually cultivated and earned. And even with that… there are no guarantees.

My, my, I had more to write on this topic than expected.  I will need to hit the other two points in the next blog.   No, this was not a ploy to get you to visit again on Thursday.  I don’t play those games.

Just so you know, the reflection and question points are powerful insights to how we best navigate the future.

See you Thursday.

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2
Aug 10

Dirty Hands, Sore Back, Great Reward

Have your work gloves on?  You’re gonna need em’.  As I mentioned in my last blog… time to dig.  We are deepening the well.  (If you have no idea what I am talking about you will need to read the last two blog entries.)

My definition for digging Wells (or mines)

Focused effort to pierce the natural to discover something of value.

Important points of consideration if digging a well:

  • People don’t exert effort without a reason (this could be a blog topic all in itself)
  • There has to be a belief that there is something worth digging for below the surface
  • The greater the value the deeper you’re willing to dig
  • There is no guarantee that you will find anything
  • You never know the difficulty of the dig prior to the start
  • Unlike walls that are intentionally built by humans, with wells you are digging through layers of natural formations

Side Note: There is some pretty good information about walls in my third blog entry “The Wall” which I posted on January 11, 2010.  It’s easy to get to in the monthly archives of blogs in the column on the right.

In actuality I am already digging by writing this blog.  The natural question for me is, why dig?  Basically I’m a pretty lazy fellow.   Why should I exert time and energy on digging deeper?  I don’t have to dig if I don’t want to.

But then the issue of what’s important to me, what I value, begins to wiggle its way into consciousness.  The quiet, gentle yet persistent tap on my heart begins to override my natural laziness and objections.

I mentioned earlier in one of the bullet-points that value drives deeper digging.  There are two things that are important enough to me that drive my willingness to pick up the shovel and dig a little deeper.

First, I don’t want to stay where I am.  It’s good where I am but knowing that there is so much more to life to experience and enjoy if I am willing to take a few risks has become a blinding reality.

Secondly, I don’t want to do “just enough”.  I want what I write to be meaningful, not something that is shallow and impotent.

Now a question for you.  What has been tapping at your heart that you have tried to ignore but the persistence is forcing attention?

Be daring for a moment.  Lean your ear toward the tap, accept the reality of its significance and take the next natural step.  The next simple step will be obvious if you do not over complicate or over think the matter.

It will be fun digging with you.  By the way, I dig diggers.  Groan… pretty sad huh?

Adios until Thursday

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26
Jul 10

A Shallow Well Produces Little Water

Howdy, how are you doin’ today?  For a while I was doing terrific (the operative word is was).  But then it happened.

I was typing away on my blog.  My fingers were dancing across the keyboard barely keeping up with the deluge of thoughts.  Words were frantically flying out of me like at ten year old on a sugar high.

I had written several outstanding paragraphs.  I was feeling really good with myself… until.

Side Note: No, I didn’t accidently delete my writing (which I’ve done before).  I wish it were only that simple.  In fact I intentionally deleted what I wrote.

I hate to admit it but I realized that I was plagiarizing someone… myself.  Yep, the insights I was creating started to sound awfully familiar.  I reviewed some of my earlier blogs and to my chagrin everything I was writing had been posted before.

Wow, this slap to the head stopped me in my tracks.  Talk about loosing momentum.   I sat for a long time kinda dazed wondering if this meant that I was a shallow well with nothing more to offer.

Gee, six months of writing and I’m already tapped out.

Somewhere inside I do believe that I have more to say (the operative word is somewhere).  Ugh!  I think it may mean some hard work.  Don’t get me wrong; writing the blog to date hasn’t been that easy for me.  As I mentioned in my first blog, I am not a writer.  Words have to struggle to the surface for the fingers to type.

The hard work will be in digging the well a little deeper.

“The deeper the well the fresher and purer the water.”

So I have to spend the next couple of days before Thursday’s blog digging.

See you Thursday.

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19
Jul 10

Fun or Fruit

In Thursday’s blog I talked about how easy it is to forget important things in our lives.  I’m not talking about important things with a small ”i” such as brushing your teeth, recycling and absolutely making sure you don’t miss the last episode of Survivor.

Oddly, it’s the little “i” things we don’t tend to forget.  They are part of our daily routine and are tangible in nature.  The big “I” things are more foundational and abstract.  The big “I” stuff are things such as our core values, our philosophy of life, life priorities and relationships.

Side Note: Although abstract in nature these are revealed in very tangible behaviors.  What’s on the inside comes out in the details of our lives.

I talked about having tangible symbols to remind us of the IMPORTANT things in our lives.  Taking care of the big “I” things strengthens us and breaths life into us because these are the roots of our being.

Just as large trees begin to slowly die when the roots are neglected we to begin to wither when our roots are left unattended.  Tending the roots must become part of our routine.  Activities must be built into our schedule to do things that feed and strengthen the roots.

There are two things that endanger the roots.  The first danger is the most heinous, frightening and common.  Neglect.  We destroy ourselves by neglect.  We are the culprits of our own demise.  We do this by the slow erosion and deterioration of our core by neglecting the disciplines of self care.

Side Note: Unfortunately there is another sad reality.  This to me is almost as scary and frankly just as sad as destroying one’s self.  It is the person who only does just enough tending of the ground to keep themselves functioning.  They function but never know the joy of bearing abundant fruit.

Joy is sacrificed on the alter of ease.

The other dangers are the attacks of things from the outside that invade and destroy.  I live in a small community that is known in our area for our magnificent trees.  The community takes pride in their trees and has in place an ongoing disciplined plan that actively nurtures and cares for them.

But we are having tree problems, not for lack of care but because we are under attack.  There is a very small innocent looking worm that is causing unbelievable carnage to Ash trees.  The Emerald Ash Borer has been on a rampage in our area of the country and these magnificent trees are in jeopardy.

This is in essence the same types of challenges we face in our lives.  There are small innocent looking things in this world that are our equivalent to the Emerald Ash Borer.

And the weird thing about it is that what may be something that endangers me may not be the thing that endangers you.  These are little things that penetrate the protective surface because we have allowed them to bore into our life.

I don’t know what your Emerald Ash Bore is but if you have been reading my blog for any length of time you know a couple of mine… worrying what people think and lack of self discipline.

So to be successful on this journey I must constantly nurture and feed my core and to guard against the small critters that want to destroy.

Honestly it takes work…  and I have a choice… to experience the joy of bearing more fruit or take it easy and wither away.

Humm, I choose JOY.

See you Thursday.

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12
Jul 10

Unsatisfied With My Satisfaction

Humm… I bet some of you are wondering about my title.  Me too as a matter of fact.  I am not totally sure what it means but there’s something there that rings true.

That’s what exploring is all about, following your instincts.  I have found for me that it is not good to follow stuff willie nillie.  But if I am open and sensitive, my “TRUTH” sensors are activated when there is something nearby of significance and meaning.

The key is learning to recognize the subtle signals of truth that have the ongoing challenge of piercing the noise of life to get our attention.

There is something about the title statement that is worth poking at.  We may find that there is nothing immediately to be discovered or we may uncover a real jewel hidden in the clutter.

Side Note: When searching for TRUTH no effort is in vain, even if you don’t discover anything at the moment.  I believe more and more that our heart and head collects meaningless stuff… meaningless in and of themselves.

I guess you could call it the plankton of the heart.  The ocean is full of microscopic plankton that seems insignificant in isolation but in essence form the foundation for ocean life.

Over time in our search, the details and clutter of thoughts and information feed larger ideas and concepts.  So let’s take a gulp of plankton and see what happens.

Unsatisfied With My Satisfaction

On the surface if sounds incongruent.  It is sort of like saying that I am unhappy with my happiness.  But exploring requires me to take it a part and examine the elements.

What is, to satisfy?  You can satisfy a hunger, craving, debt, question, requirement, objection, doubt, offense, etc.

Everyone wants to be satisfied and typically want to satisfy those individuals and things around us that need (not want) satisfying.

According to the dictionary it is a verb that means “to fulfill the desires, expectations, needs or demands; give full contentment to:  The hearty meal satisfied his hunger.”

But what is the Truth I need to take from this?  As I poke at this a couple of thoughts come to mind that may have implications for me.

Side Note: The Truths about this topic that jump out for me may not be things for you.  I in no way want to put any of my baggage on you.  I’m sure you have enough of your own.

A couple of points I believe I need to continually keep in mind.

  1. Not every point of dissatisfaction needs (nor should) to be satisfied.
  2. Every good and noble need within my span of control should be satisfied.
  3. Satisfaction, if not challenged, can cause complacency and trap you in a safe cocoon of mediocrity… no venturing beyond into the risky world where you might get bitten.
  4. Satisfaction in your cocoon naturally manifests itself into only doing “just enough” in the lives of those around you.  The tendency to never take things to the next level… Status quo.  You end up doing just enough as a spouse, parent, employee, etc.  You and those around you are bereft from the joy and risks of beyond.

Hopefully I have stirred a bit of dissatisfaction in myself… and you.

See you Thursday.

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8
Jul 10

Uncomfortable with Comfort

Bonjour… as you can see I’m feeling a little international today.  There’s no particular reason, it just popped into my head.  Yes, I know, there is medication to help people that have weird things going on in their heads.  But here’s what I say to that, “Je ne veux pas prendre des médicaments pour les choses qui se passent dans ma tête, j’aime la façon dont je pense maintenant.”

Side Note: If you want to know what I said you can go to this link and get it translated.  Just cut the above statement and paste it at http://translate.google.com

For those who are first time visitors I hope I haven’t weirded you out too much.  I just get caught up in the moment.

For those that are regulars they know that I get side tracked pretty easily and they, for better or for worse, end up being dragged along with me to my “happy place.”

This whole blog thing is a journey for me and I have invited anyone to join me who wants to be challenged to step beyond where they are now and explore the possibilities of things outside of our comfort zone… our safe little world.

Exploration can be dangerous business.  It’s risky to put yourself out there for possible failure, criticism and pressure from others to get back in the box they are use to us being in.

There are lots of people who are intrigued by what’s beyond the walls of comfort.  They will occasionally peek over the fence to get a quick glimpse and then quickly retreat back to comfort.

Yesterday I found something I wrote twelve years ago in a journal.  It fits nicely with what I am talking about today.

Journal Entry – July 7, 1998

Human nature leans toward ease.  Difficulty and unpleasant things are to be avoided.  But ease is a deceiver.  Ease robs us of the grander things available to us.

Those of ease who are unwilling to enter in the realm of endurance and perseverance never experience the sweet fruit of overcoming, the satisfaction of accomplishment and experience the strength of endurance. Ease focuses on the moment and traps the unsuspecting from grander things.

We are not taught the discipline of endurance without the reality of discomfort and the inconvenience of “pushing through.”

Our commitment must be toward those things that rest beyond our sight and touch, and not be lulled by the ease of the immediate.

For me, and probably for you, it took a while before I took these words seriously enough to take the larger, riskier steps outside my safe walls.  But over the years I became more aware of the possibilities and joys that await the explorer.

As I said in an earlier blog, awareness is like hugging a porcupine… the closer you get the more uncomfortable you are.  As someone who didn’t like to fail or look bad I became more uncomfortable with my comfort and unsatisfied with my satisfaction.

So as you can see I am on the trail of exploration and discovery.  It’s not been all fun and games but it sure beats sitting in the confines of my old self.

See you Monday

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17
Jun 10

Too Far To Turn Back

Howdy.  It’s me again… I survived full disclosure from the last blog. 

The only thing that I am concerned about is if any friends of mine who read the blog wondered if I thought they were boring.  Not at all.  It’s my friends who don’t read my blog who are boring.

But opening up about something that makes me look bad isn’t something I typically do.  But I’m on a journey beyond where I am.  I know that it seems odd to some who read this blog… especially people who know me.  Actually, I have a great life, I am very fulfilled and by the standards of many people pretty successful.

How well you are doing isn’t the proper measuring rod.  It is how much are you capable of?  And how much more there is that you are letting slip through your fingers? 

I am determined not to take the easy way.  I have had several people say that they admired the fact that I am writing a blog (especially writing two entries a week).  I am very appreciative and thankful for their kind words.  But if there is something a person is called to do (and I truly believe I am to write this blog) then there can be no other option but do it. 

The compelling quiet whisper that invaded my heart and head is relentless in its firm gentle way.  It is the quiet whisper that is calling me to venture beyond my comfortable world into the risky business of the unknown.

So I continue to press on… and let me say… it has made life much more of an adventure.   The final verses of Robert Frost’s Road Less Traveled are right on.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– 
I took the one less traveled by, 
And that has made all the difference.
…Robert Frost

 

Traveling the path into the unknown and unfamiliar is risky, time consuming and demands investment.  It takes a lot of effort to start and effort to maintain momentum, but the ongoing investment is eventually transformed into passion.

“At some point, turning back is not an option.”

 

When is the last time you tried something for the first time?  Is there something stirring from within that demands attention? 

Hopefully this little blog is challenging you to lean in closely to the voice trying to get your attention.  Life is too short to ignore the “what if”. 

I am sorry if I am sounding a little preachy… I don’t mean to be.  I do want to encourage.  

What is the one small thing that you think you are to do that you’re not doing?  Is there a call you need to make, letter to write, a person you need to forgive, to let go of the failure you hang on too, read that book, go to that church, write that song, or release the rock that you have carried for too long.

For me it was to take that first step beyond the safe wall of self and write this blog.  Thank God I have.

See you Monday

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27
May 10

Runnin’ on Empty

Hi, I feel better today.  But that still doesn’t mean I will have anything meaningful to say.  As most of you know… I just write what pops into my head.

Every now and then something worthwhile tumbles out and it surprises me as much as it does you.  But that is the joy of opening one’s self.  You will never really know what amazing things are inside of you unless you take the risk to open yourself up in a creative process and be willing to empty yourself. 

The reality is, I’m not special.  I am truly an ordinary guy with issues, insecurities, good points and bad points.  The only thing that makes me a bit different is that I am taking a step to open up and empty myself.

I’m trying not to worry about what people think; I just open up my head and heart and allow my life to flow out. 

Humm… empty one’s self.  That is a foreign concept in our society.  It’s counterintuitive.  The human default is to focus on self and make sure your needs and wants are filled.  I am no different than anyone else.  But this blog journey I started in January is different.  It is not a journey for fulfillment, self-realization or higher awareness.  It is genuine journey of liberating exploration.  I am trying to let down my natural defenses and just empty self.

You may be wondering why in the world a person would want to empty themselves and take the risk. 

Basically, I believe that everyone has all kinds of interesting stuff inside.  There are amazing insights, thoughts, facts, and information squirreled away in all the nooks and crannies of our mind.   Usually there is so much stuff packed in our heads and hearts that it seems cluttered and makes no sense most of the time. 

I think our minds are sort of like my house now.  We just moved and the rooms are stacked with all kinds of boxes and the clutter is overwhelming.  I know that there is some good stuff in there somewhere but I have no idea where things are.

I want to challenge you.  I want to stir you to consider the possibility of a new creative outlet… just as a starting point.

The perfectionist inside of you will scream for details and demand perfection.  Don’t worry about that… just start something.  As I said in an earlier blog, “Movement is key not direction.”

I have a friend that has a sign beside his office door that says, “Die Empty”.  That is challenging to me and encouraging at the same time. 

I feel I really don’t have anything of value to offer.  But I am attempting to empty myself.  I am opening the door to the cluttered room and pushing stuff out.  Most likely nothing will ever come of this blog… but what if?  What if someone is challenged to step out and take a risk and they write that song that has been nagging them, or take that class that has held some interest but scared them. 

A pebble thrown in the water makes a small ripple.  My blog is a small stone and I toss it out. 

One more point… and it is the most sobering point of all.  I am not trying to be melodramatic when I say this, but the reality is, anything left inside dies with you… lost forever.  The encouragement to the friend in need, the book that will never be written, the song that will never be birthed by a voice, the canvas that won’t be beautifully covered, the boat unsailed, the letter not written, the touch not given.

And the sad truth is we lose because you kept full… and honestly… you lose too.

I challenge you to open the door and start tossing stuff. 

See you later my risk taking friend.

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