Scott's Thinking - Page 222 of 236

We Need More Jaime Escalantes

Posted on June 6, 2020

Ordinary people committed to extraordinary results. Passionate, committed change makers with a drive and purpose. We need more Jaime Escalantes.

We need more people willing to work harder to drive monumental change. In addition, everyone should be taught to expect more of those that are capable. That is to say, expect more from those that the change makers could impact.

For those that don’t know Jaime Escalante, he was a Bolivian who taught calculus in East LA from 1974-91. In his first calculus class in 1978, he taught five students. Of those five, two students passed the AP calculus exam. By 1990, his mathematics enrichment programme had more than 400 students in it.

I find this fascinating. The movie, Stand and Deliver, is a tough but uplifting account of his troubles and triumphs. I first saw it in the late 1980’s and thought it was brilliant. Since then, I have thought about it often and it still gives me chills. Discovering that he retired to Cochabamba, where I lived for a spell in the 90’s, makes me feel even closer to his story.

Jaime gave his students a vision, a goal and a plan. He then pushed them along a new trajectory for their lives. It was hard work for everyone but it would give the students an opportunity to dramatically change their lives.

We need more people, teachers and other passionate advocates of change and excellence, to help people stand and deliver.

We need more Jaime Escalantes

Observe Reframe your thoughts

This Is Not A Good Time

Posted on June 5, 2020

“I don’t have time for this.” “This is terrible timing.” “Oh my, this is not a good time for this.” Some of the things we say are so true and yet so funny. Is there ever a brilliant time to have a bad thing happen?

A friend and I were chatting and when he said it, it struck us as funny. Just when is a good time for something unpleasant to happen? If you were going to have a minor disaster, what day and time would you pencil it in? Is this coming Tuesday at 2:55pm good for you?

We felt a little odd just thinking about planning in something negative. It felt wrong. Few people would want to lose their phone, get a flat tyre, or catch a contagious disease at the best of times. So why would less than good times be any different?

If you could plan in a little disaster or challenge to your life, then why not now? If you’re in decent health, with a sound mind and a few paper bills in your pocket, maybe this is a good time. Having something bad happen when you are not at, or near, your best, would be harder.

Sometimes we just need to count our blessings. Even when things stop going well, this could still be a better moment for it than any other.

You’ll never know how much you can handle, until you are required to handle it. You will be fascinated by the way it turns out. It’s often better than we expect.

Gratitude Think About It Time

Fond Memories Of Childhood Are Worth Rekindling

Posted on June 4, 2020

There are so many things to think about, do and keep up with in adult life. That is why fond memories of childhood are worth rekindling.

As we move through life, we see more of the complexities and nuances. There seems to be so much more to do as well. There is work, possibly children, pets, parents and partner. In addition, there is planning for holidays, signing up to activities, organising finances and everyday admin – which sometimes seems ever present.

So reflecting back on those long summer days in childhood is a nice thing. Remembering riding bicycles with friends, swimming together, sleepovers and solo playing can make you feel like you’ve been on holiday.

Was life simpler then or was it just because life is simpler in childhood? Maybe both?

I have many fantastic memories of childhood. Growing up on a farm often meant being creative. Today I was remembering building complex forts, tunnels and secret rooms with hay bales up in the hayloft. They were fun to build and brilliant to play in.

Fond memories of childhood are worth rekindling. What are some of your fondest memories? Can you pull out some forgotten but brilliant moments from the archive? Take 10 minutes and try to remember the names of your friends and the exciting adventures you had.

Enjoy!

Action Reframe your thoughts

Build People Up Whenever You Can

Posted on June 3, 2020

Doesn’t it make sense to build people up whenever you can? There are so many instances where people go negative, generalise and put people down. It really seems unnecessary, unproductive and unkind.

We have a loose rule in our house that you can only build people up. Negative banter is discouraged and is called out with a reminder to build up.

This idea builds on a concept I grew up with. I recall hearing my Mom or Dad, or other parents, saying, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’. Similarly, we just say, ‘Build up’. It is a quicker version with similar intent.

People could use a little encouragement. It doesn’t take much to lift the spirits and chin of another person. As a result, the person will walk taller, and that is wonderful to see.

The knock on effect is wonderful too. They are more likely to be positive and enthusiastic, confident and proud. This in turn might find them doing something similar for someone else. What a fabulous ripple effect.

The kids catch me and I catch them. It’s usually just a gently nudge or reminder to build up.

There are still so many times that people let their impulsive, reactive frustrations or their nasty side win the battle for control of their mind. It doesn’t need to be that way. And, ‘I was joking’ isn’t acceptable as it didn’t land.

Practice building people up today. Pay a compliment to someone. Congratulate them on a small win. Hold yourself back from the easy put down. Encourage someone in the area they are trying to improve in.

You’ll both feel tremendously better for it. You’ll be smiling.

If you want to see incredible change in the world, start doing this often, from today.

Think About It

The Power Of Being A Part Of Something

Posted on June 2, 2020

I remember the feeling of being at a concert, sporting event or community gathering. The power of being part of something could be quite intoxicating. Just being together for the event could move you. And being able to participate in the action built an even stronger connection and memory.

As my friend Juliet would say, a crowd attracts a crowd. Why is that? It could be due to many reasons. Perhaps it is the minor gravitational pull exerted on nearby bodies. More recently, the fear of missing out (FOMO) could loom large. Thinking someone else has got better plans than you do, can be a significant factor. Regardless of the reason, we can say that being part of something can exert a powerful force.

It can be quite fun and connecting to be a part of something. It’s nice to have a shared experience you can relate to with other people. Although, it usually only feels good around a tribe that values that experience.

There are those that value the negative events. And there are those that value positive ones. Most importantly, if you pay attention, you can feel the force. Be aware of what forces are acting on you. Understand the thoughts and feelings helping to form your decisions.

The power of being a part of something can shift with time as your tribes shift or as your values change. Sometimes the impact comes from a shift in societal values or norms.

Observe Progress Think About It

I Am Trying To Understand You

Posted on June 1, 2020

Do you listen to understand or do you just want to tell people what you think? I am trying to understand you. However, it takes patience and sometimes the ability to hold two different, and maybe even uncomfortable, thoughts in my mind at the same time.

If I am listening to you, I will need you to be clear about what you’re trying to say. There are so many word and sentence combinations. Could your words be interpreted in any other way?

Word selection, sentence structure and communication are all skills worth enhancing. These skills can be learned, practiced, improved upon and developed to an exceptional standard.

To improve, it requires the communicator to pause and reflect on what they wish to say. They then should select the best words, in the best order, to convey the desired message.

In addition, communication can work even better if the speaker/writer first thinks about what they wish to be said. If there are a number of ideas understood, often the best response is a clarifying question. With this in mind, I have, at times, responded to a question that wasn’t actually asked.

Become more aware of what is being communicated. Listen with intent to understand. Practice thinking and reflecting more. Before responding, get precise in your mind.

Most people want the same things. However, miscommunication, poorly worded questions and reactive responses can make everything seem far more difficult.

I want to make comments that progress a conversation or situation. Merely prolonging it is not usually an optimal, or enjoyable, use of time.

In order for the world to work better, I am trying to understand you. Do you understand what I mean?

Progress Reframe your thoughts

Get Inspiration But Don’t Compare

Posted on May 31, 2020

Why is it that many people tend to use only the ultimate success stories to emulate? You can get inspiration from them, but don’t compare yourself.

If you use only the highest achievers like Beckham, Beyoncé, Dwayne Johnson or J.K. Rowling, you may get disappointed quickly. The bar is so high. They’ve already made it. They are one of the hundreds or possibly thousands in this world of billions.

Focus on being better than you were yesterday. Only focus on you and your progress. Remember, everyone starts out similar in life as a baby. From that point, everyone will progress differently. It is progress, a little bit at a time, not instant success, that you should focus on.

You can get inspiration but don’t compare yourself to superstars – certainly not in the beginning. Perhaps learn about their start or the experience of others that are closer to where you are now.

Being inspired will help you push through in tough times. But comparing yourself with anyone else at any time is a quick way to get disenfranchised, disheartened or disappointed. Few people want to feel like that, so make it a rule that you follow from now on.

Learning about the path others have taken is useful. You can then pursue a similar, or the same, path and you should find similar success. Keep refining the path you are on as you go. You may even want to adjust who inspires you.

Progress

Look At How Far We Have Come

Posted on May 30, 2020

It is very easy to take things for granted. In addition, we can set some pretty high expectations. If we look at how far we have come though, it is truly remarkable.

Looking at the more general advances, such as powerful, light laptops and incredible mobile phones. Smartphones didn’t exist 15 years ago and now they are ubiquitous and incredible (phone, video conference, camera, payments, etc).

Something as simple as online grocery shopping is one of my favourite. Having done this at hour house for a very long time, I think it is amazing. In about 10 minutes, on my phone, I can order the same as last week while adding a few other things and removing some too. Then some friendly person delivers it to my home in a one hour time slot of my choice. Wow.

The hours I have saved over the last decade are many. Driving to a grocery store, walking through the aisles and going through the checkout before heading home could easily be 90 minutes every week.

I know some people say we still have so far to go. And yes, if we want every aspect of life to be perfect, we probably do. But when you look at how far we have come in just 100 years, the progress is staggering.

Especially in the area of cultural adaptation, a lot seems to have changed. What I find particularly fascinating about this is that everyone is born with no reference point. If you could simply take all that your grandparents had learned, or all the information in a library, and download it into the new baby’s head, that would be quite helpful. But we can’t do that (yet).

Every baby must learn to communicate and learn everything from scratch. With so much changing and nothing being instantly transferred to the next generation at their birth, it is amazing to see how far the world has shifted.

Think About It

Where In the World Would You Live?

Posted on May 29, 2020

People have been going online more and getting more comfortable with technology like videoconferencing and mobile payments. Where in the world would you live if our increasingly online world made it easy to live anywhere?

It seems like an easy decision. However, it may not be as easy as you think. It really depends on many factors. These factors could include your work, lifestyle desires, partner, children, broader family and friends.

I often go through this mental exercise. Where is the ideal place, I muse. Many places come up on my list. Considerations like nice weather year round, creature comforts and now schooling for children all come into play.

In late 2004, my wife and I bought ‘round the world‘ tickets and travelled for 15 months. We visited some fabulous places including memorable stops in Europe, Mexico, Australia and Africa.

In the end, we returned to London. We thought we would return to Canada at that time. Despite selling our property in London when we left and buying one in Mexico on our tour, we continued our life in London.

There were many places that were lovely, exciting or enchanting to visit. But there wasn’t anywhere that struck us as worth uprooting for and moving to.

It seems like an easy question to answer. But when you start getting into the detail, it is not so obvious. If you could live anywhere, where in the world would you live?

Action Think About It

Being Your Most Decisive

Posted on May 28, 2020

When are you at your most decisive? Is it when you are low energy, uncertain, disinterested? Being your most decisive probably occurs when you feel confident, clear, energised, interested and have a deadline.

Decision velocity is critical in making progress. Your whole life is based on the decisions you make. You are where you are right now based on thousands of small, medium and large decisions you’ve made.

The great thing is decision making is a skill or muscle you can develop, train and improve on. You will make decisions quicker too if you get comfortable with being able to change your mind. If you made a decision and you don’t like the result, you can change your mind or refine your position.

Well when events change, I change my mind. What do you do?
Paul Samuelson

We know many people don’t like minds changing, particularly the media, but that is up to those people to have fixed mindsets. If you want to get somewhere you need to make good decisions with decent information and keep moving.

Being your most decisive requires bravery, courage, and a desire to make certain things happen. Life is a test and learn scenario. Making decisions allow you to test outcomes.

Reflecting on things allow you to learn. You may choose to change your decision. Alternatively you can choose to keep the decision and pocket the learning experience. Perhaps you will test a different decision in a similar circumstance in the future.

Either way, train your decision making muscle. Be brave and make those decisions. Live with the results. Test and learn. Keep going.