Sound of Chaos versus Sound of a Butterfly

This is the time of year when many people consider how to change their lives (so they can "check the box" for New Year's Resolution), yet they are so busy running around that they don't actually make improvements in their lives.  They don't take the time to think how small changes in themselves can change the world.

There is a phenomenon called the "butterfly effect."  When the smallest of events - the beating of a butterfly's wings - can alter the course of other events.  The person who researched it most used the example of how the movement of wings several weeks prior can impact the formation of a hurricane.

That's a pretty significant impact for something so small.  Juxtaposed to chaos theory of the 1890s, this 1960s revelation shows how simple systems make a huge difference.  

It also lets us know that however prepared we'd like to be, we never know all of the conditions that impact an outcome - we never know what butterfly could alter our lives when it's on its normal path.

Think of the difference your smile can make as you complete those errands - perhaps you help distract an upset child as he's being toted along another person's list of things to do.  What if the pennies you left in the change dish by the register meant that another person at the checkout could buy the bag of flour needed to make cookies for a sick relative?

Conversely, when something pretty amazing takes shape in front of you, don't rush to get to your next errand.  You should stop and see what develops from a moment of randomness, such as this Paris train station moment.  Even time seems to stand still when the broadcaster stops reading the schedule so the butterfly effect impacts everyone nearby.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5679f8a9e4b014efe0d780a6

Stand Up

Real strength is not how much you bench-press, but rather the invisible threads that keep us standing tall in the toughest of situations.  Whether its something at work or situations at home, we have all found things "to test our strength."

How you handle difficulties says a lot about you and how you were raised.  Interviewers love to ask the questions trying to ferret out weakness.  It seems to be a focus of future employers to find ways that determine how they can get the strongest candidate.  Not always functional inquiries, they are almost always uncomfortable for the interviewee - and we are never quite sure, on either end, what was really gained by the exchange.

There are some employers - the people, not the companies - that seek out a weakness and then use it to manipulate a situation to their advantage.  These people are hard to spot at first, but that punch that comes after trying to engage in camaraderie, and they figure out how to twist a proverbial knife every chance they get.  It's up to the employee to do the right thing when really it should be both sides working together and being productive instead of classic cases of one-upmanship. (Think of all the great accomplishments if people actually focused on work instead of gossip and getting out of work!)

And then there are other leaders that may see your weakness easily and painlessly, yet become gentle mentors as to how you can reduce your weakness.  It may be learning about a certain topic, but more often than not it is tutelage from their own experiences, perhaps through a lesson they learned the hard way.  It becomes a work partnership - and if you've ever had the fortune to work with someone like this, your work is a pleasure and the workplace is more productive than you could ever imagine.

While the workplace is trial-and-error with strangers, home is where the foundations of skills and relationships were built, and where imagination starts surrounded by people that love you.  It's where you learned how to balance the important things growing up and you now do with your children, as the chores need to be completed at certain times and board games taught you to think on your feet.  There, the reason behind your mistake (child or adult) is explained, your values are lived and the right things encouraged every day in a safe environment.  

People like tests and to see how they fall against others' results.  Everywhere we go, we make a stronger impression with our actions than our words.  Evaluate your strengths honestly, and stand up to the bullies and bad situations in the world.  When you focus on the good in you, you bring more good to you.  You don't know how strong you are until the time comes, but follow the advice of #21 and be your best self.  

http://www.businessinsider.com/signs-of-mental-strength-2015-12 

Leading By Example

Today, Angela Merkel is the Time Magazine Person of the Year.  This is significant for many reasons, not the least of which is the accomplishment of a lone female winning the award for the first time in 29 years.  (Philippine President Corazon Aquino was the last lone female in 1986, for "leading a democratic revolution that captured the world's imagination.")  But the considerations of today's selection are much more than this statistic that some MSM are reporting today.

Time Magazine gives many reasons for her selection. She has outsmarted her opponents.  "Providing steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply" is the closing phrase of the article.  She "brandished a different set of values - humanity, generosity, tolerance."  Another quote about leadership reveals an intriguing insight: Leaders are tested only when people don't want to follow.

The truth of this statement rings worldwide.  In a time of upheaval and uncertainty, leaders in any realm (politics or commerce) must lead... not manage or just rearrange the papers.  The four important descriptors show us how all leaders need to incorporate and embody (not just reflect) in order to succeed in times of turmoil and how we reach those times of peace.

Of course, being a PhD quantum chemist helps you outsmart.  Being the daughter of a minister helps you practice humanity.  Opening doors when the world is afraid shows generosity. Putting up with the dogs of a peer (Putin) when you are reportedly afraid demonstrates your tolerance.

Nature versus nurture, environment versus biology.  The end result - You have to make the choice every day who you want to be.  Find a good place to start and begin, with baby steps, to make bold change in the world.

 

Special Notes

This is the time of year when people realize it's been twelve months since they've caught up with some friends, typically wishing them a happy holiday season.  In an ever-busy world, have you noticed that with cards you still receive, there's a generic typed missive with a paragraph on each person's successes and activities of the sender's year?

Increasingly, people give a note-dump in the holiday card... intended to be easy for them to make, easy for you to read.  But friendships have a lot of value in the little things that make them special - the sharing of the small details, the extra effort to wrap a gift in the favorite color, the connection even in the "mundane."

At these holidays when friends are celebrating a significant religious event, a hand-written note is something special.  You put time into what you are going to say to that particular person.  The flaws of your script are endearing, not troublesome.  Even selecting the perfect card for that friend is an important part of the ritual of holiday cards.

Office cards for important clients (or some send a card for all donors, for instance) show that you thought of them, too.  It's sets your brand apart.  Business cards aren't necessarily hand-written, but a quick note or thank you, wishing them a great year ahead, at the closing of the company card shows that you took time to say something special.

When communications become transactional rather than relational, it's not the time to get desperate.  After all, when you feel forced to communicate and send electronic notes for "status updates," it starts feeling awkward with updates on updates that you will get, or repeat updates from generic notes you already got.  Keep your work brand special and your friendships maintaining that unique touch all year long.

http://fortune.com/2015/12/07/us-postal-service-email-mail/

Seventy Four

Returning from recharging - good to do at this time of year.

It was actually Seventy for me.  It was 70 years after those horrible events that I was able to travel and see the memorial.  My grandfather fought for America's freedom - I have his medals framed where I can see them every day, along with another shadow box with things like the "censor approved" anniversary postcard he sent to my grandmother from "abroad", his dog tag (and hers) as well as some of the family ration cards.

Indications are, from fact and some of his statements, that he was one of the first paratroopers into the European front.  When he came home, even though the family vacation was 1200+ miles each year, he refused to fly.  He gently refused to eat things out of cans.  Sometimes, he would just sit under the big tree they planted at the house right after my grandparents were married.

Today - 74 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor - it is especially important to remember the sacrifices others have made to keep us safe. In these tumultuous times, keep your families close to your heart; enjoy your time and make happy memories.  It is difficult to remember unpleasant things, but it is the only way we learn lest history repeats itself (in actions as well as responses).

According to officials at the Pearl Harbor Museum, this was the first year that there were no Pearl Harbor survivors to attend a ceremony.  

Though time has passed, remember what others have given so that you may have so much.  Anniversaries come and go, happy and sad - remember what they mean as it's not the things that count, but how events impact our lives.