Wk2: Blog Entry 1: The Art of Possibility

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Possibility-Transforming-Professional-Personal/dp/0142001104#reader_0142001104

I had a little trouble with the reading this week. Not because it was dry mind you, quite the contrary, it was one of the more insightful and captivating readings I have read recently. I found it very difficult to not “highlight ” the majority of the book, which is usually the telltale signs of engaging reading for me!

I screen shot many sections that spoke to personal situations, observations and truths, but found myself connected the most to the first quote I highlighted

It spoke of 2 marketing scouts in Africa researching expansion of the business and where one complains of no shoes being worn, the other celebrates this as a untapped market for selling shoes.

The 4 chapters of this book I read produced so many more nuggets, but this one stayed with me because it constantly rang in my head as other stories and examples were showcased through out the book. 

The point I received from this, and subsequent examples is that the viewpoint that you bring, adopt, or cultivate in or despite of the environment, people or circumstances that naturally come about will have great bearing on the reactions to them and how you internalize.

For example, when the Monks at the monastery all thought that the Messiah was among them, they started treating themselves and each other with higher esteem on the off chance that they might be in daily interaction with him.

The concept I got from this is when already operating under the assumption of the best-case scenario, people will be great and we should create an atmosphere and opportunity for them to step into that role.  Even in the less than 100% probability of success, like the case of the woman on the beach throwing starfish back in the sea that have been beached: saving a few doesn’t seem to make a difference in looking at the grand scheme, but it does to the ones that you do save

coffee, commercialism, computers, and commentary

12:noon 11/12/10

ATTENTION: PC police…. this post is stereotype laced…Just thought I’d warn you…that is all!


The Walden books of Barnes and Nobles…………

I am waiting to have my Mac looked at and since I am an hour early, I find myself once again drawn to the siren song of the book store…not the intellectual haven one might find in San Marco, in some cozy, slightly mildew scented nook with a old gray haired caretaker who looks like he might smell like hemp (I am not intellectual NOR hip enough for that store)…

No, my stop is that yuppie heaven/java bean bastion of commercialism addicting Voracious reader everywhere…(Drum roll Please……………) Barnes and Noble!!!

I admit it; I am a media junkie.  Over the last couple of years I have found myself drawn to the nearest B&N or Walden Books, or Borders ,Mac Store, Best Buy, Comp USA, Circuit City or the like whenever I am nearby.  Today, it's B&N based solely on vicinity. It’s one of the few places I can loiter, thumb through books I will not purchase, make my self comfy on the furniture AND expect a yummy super small, caffeine laced quadruple toffee mocha something supreme (with soy) .Though I benefit, I still marvel at their commitment to customer service to the point of allowing us to freeload.

One might think by the post above that I am somehow anti-bookstore…. quite the contrary…my frequency of visit is a testament to my love of the Media “all you can eat”. Though I must admit I used to come in to look through comic books (excuse me, graphic Novels!) then I started thumbing through computer software learn-its, then I moved to autobiographies then I got to the point where I could come in, have an amaretto or a Venti something, sit in the Grandpa’s chair and skim the afternoon away on something with words in it.

Who knew after all this college studies focused on images, color and computer, that I still had a little bit of a love affair with words…(and a tall coffee of course)