Hi everyone! I'm back!
Though it's been a little while, I know, these past few weeks have been a tad busy with the possibility of, the finding out of, and the announcing to the world of our first baby! Which is wonderful and I am so thankful for it! But it's also lead to tiredness, crankiness, forgetfulness, and weird food aversions and cravings.
And getting behind on my blogging time. But it hasn't changed the fact that I'm continuing my reading of inspirational books challenge!
This month is "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" by John Gray.
An homage to the month that brings matters of the heart to the fore front. It is the month of awareness of heart disease after all.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Considering An "I Can't" Funeral
Well this certainly has been an eventful week for me, full of surprises and abundance. It has also been a busy week, because of these surprises. But that didn't stop me from finishing "Chicken Soup for the Soul" by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. And it was a great book, but I'll get into more detail about that when I do my conclusion at the end of this month.
Of the 108 stories I've read in here, there were several that really touched me, some to the point that I had to beg my husband to get me another box of tissues. But others made me think. This post is actually about two different stories, written in two different sections, but I feel like they have the same message.
The first one is Rest in Peace: The "I Can't" Funeral. It's a great story about a fourth grade teacher who has her students, and herself as well, spend some time writing down everything they can't do. No matter how trivial. Every little detail. Then she takes a shoe box and has every child place their paper in the box and leads them all outside. She then has them dig a hole three feet deep, and then they proceed to bury the "I Can't" box. Once the "funeral" is done they go back to have a "wake" with cookies and juice and are told that since "I Can't" is now dead you can only use their siblings, "I Can", "I Will", and "I'll Get To It Right Away".
I found this story absolutely charming. And it's something I wish my fourth grade teacher did when I was in elementary school. To be shown at such a young age that "I Can't" is dead and that the only way to think about the situation is to figure out how to say "I Can" do something. It really puts things in perspective. We often remind ourselves every day what we can't do. But what if for every one thing we can't do, we remember three things we can do. Think about all the confidence people would have in themselves. And if everyone was forced to see what everyone else "Can" do rather than what they "Can't" do, then how much more positive and better relationships would be. It's definitely something to think about.
And the second story? Well it's more of a list of things that people are famous for and yet others told them that they were never going to do. People who looked at the words "You Can't" and decided that they didn't matter, and they were right, they don't. They only matter if you believe in them. And it's a good thing that these people decided it didn' matter. Here's some examples.
* After Fred Astaire's first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933, said, "Can't act! Slightly bald! Can dance a little!".
*An expert said of Vince Lombardi: "He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks motivation."
*Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him hopeless as a composer.
* In his autobiography, Darwin wrote, "I was considered by all my masters and by my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect."
* Thomas Edison's teachers said he was too stupid to learn anything.
*Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.
*Babe Ruth, considered by sports historians to be the greatest athlete of all time and famous for setting the home run record, also holds the record for strikeouts.
And on and on and on. And it's funny how we forget how many trials and tribulations the greatest minds in the world went through before they did what they are famous for. And the one thing they all had in common was they didn't believe in "I Can't".
So why should I?
Of the 108 stories I've read in here, there were several that really touched me, some to the point that I had to beg my husband to get me another box of tissues. But others made me think. This post is actually about two different stories, written in two different sections, but I feel like they have the same message.
The first one is Rest in Peace: The "I Can't" Funeral. It's a great story about a fourth grade teacher who has her students, and herself as well, spend some time writing down everything they can't do. No matter how trivial. Every little detail. Then she takes a shoe box and has every child place their paper in the box and leads them all outside. She then has them dig a hole three feet deep, and then they proceed to bury the "I Can't" box. Once the "funeral" is done they go back to have a "wake" with cookies and juice and are told that since "I Can't" is now dead you can only use their siblings, "I Can", "I Will", and "I'll Get To It Right Away".
I found this story absolutely charming. And it's something I wish my fourth grade teacher did when I was in elementary school. To be shown at such a young age that "I Can't" is dead and that the only way to think about the situation is to figure out how to say "I Can" do something. It really puts things in perspective. We often remind ourselves every day what we can't do. But what if for every one thing we can't do, we remember three things we can do. Think about all the confidence people would have in themselves. And if everyone was forced to see what everyone else "Can" do rather than what they "Can't" do, then how much more positive and better relationships would be. It's definitely something to think about.
And the second story? Well it's more of a list of things that people are famous for and yet others told them that they were never going to do. People who looked at the words "You Can't" and decided that they didn't matter, and they were right, they don't. They only matter if you believe in them. And it's a good thing that these people decided it didn' matter. Here's some examples.
* After Fred Astaire's first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933, said, "Can't act! Slightly bald! Can dance a little!".
*An expert said of Vince Lombardi: "He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks motivation."
*Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him hopeless as a composer.
* In his autobiography, Darwin wrote, "I was considered by all my masters and by my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect."
* Thomas Edison's teachers said he was too stupid to learn anything.
*Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.
*Babe Ruth, considered by sports historians to be the greatest athlete of all time and famous for setting the home run record, also holds the record for strikeouts.
And on and on and on. And it's funny how we forget how many trials and tribulations the greatest minds in the world went through before they did what they are famous for. And the one thing they all had in common was they didn't believe in "I Can't".
So why should I?
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
The Rules of Being Human.
I've been reading "Chicken Soup for the Soul" by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Amy Newmark, and it's been such a breeze! Not that the stories are easy but rather the flow of it. It's a book that I've enjoyed immensely. Even the stories which are so beautiful that I couldn't help but weep and my husband would wonder what was wrong with me. Then he realized it was my naturally sappy personality and then he would just shake his head and walk away. But then I would read one of these stories that I was crying over to him and he would get all choked up. Especially the one about the six year old boy who was dying from cancer and wanted to be a fireman when he grew up so this local fire department made him an honorary fireman for a day and were all there the day he died to honor him as one of their fire department. I'm getting verclemt just writing this. It's not to say that you'll be crying through this book, but you definitely need to read it with some tissues.
I'm about half way through it right now and the book has 7 chapters (or types of stories). I'm finishing the section on Parenting, about to start the section on Learning. But this story I've picked to talk about comes out of the "Love Yourself" section, something that I'm trying to learn, and I think many of us have forgotten how to do it. We're much harder on ourselves than we are kind and gentle. And I know it's something I'm choosing to work on this year. But I found this story (which is more of a list than a story) it resonated with alot of thoughts I've been having about life in general.
Over the past few days I've met some very wonderful people who are all part of an energy light team. It's great to be part of a group that is very like minded with my own beliefs and understanding of my spiritual gifts that I have to bring to the world. And this list that I've stated below I read around the same time when we had our first group meeting and it really resonated with me. When you are born as a human you don't really think about the fact of why you are here, but it's later in life that you try to find purposes for your gifts and abilities. This list was a healthy reminder that we are all here for a valuable reason, and that all of these rules pertain to every single human being on this planet. Pretty cool huh?
So below the rules stated in "Chicken Soup for the Soul" are underlined, but everything else is my thoughts and ideas about each one of these rules. And I encourage others to take these ideas and think about how they pertain to your own lives.
Enjoy!
The Rules of Being Human (as stated in Chicken Soup for the Soul)
1.) You will receive a body.
Seems pretty practical to me. But in realizing that this body is a gift and not a curse is something that can be hard at times. Especially with a society that has extreme standards of what is perfect for a physical form, not usually blessing the differences that each form takes. In thinking that my body is a gift given to me in this life to use and experience the world in, it makes it that much more valuable to me. A very practical statement, but it changes my view on my own physical presence in this world.
2.)You will learn lessons.
With the concept of learning often limited to books, or that you only learn about the world in the first five years of your life, it really is refreshing to think that everyday is about learning something new. Something I hope to never forget.
3.)There are no mistakes, only lessons.
Now, in a society where we are taught that we shouldn't make mistakes, if we look at all those mistakes as lessons, we would see how smart we truly are. It would then be a positive notion rather than a negative one. Learning a lesson sounds better to our ears than making a mistake. And if it really is learning a lesson then it's that much easier to not repeat it since we realize we can fix it and move on.
4.)A lesson is repeated until learned.
Ahhh, something I think we all have learned. And if you think you've never had to do this then you don't remember being two and being told over and over again NOT to do something. This is a saying I'll be teaching my own children, probably so much that it will be one of those sayings they will roll their eyes every time it's said. But it does bring some sort of comfort that if you get something wrong the first time, that you'll have the second chance at correcting it. Of the third or fourth or fifth chances. Though remember there are no mistakes.
5.) Learning lessons does not end.
This sentence amazed and frightened me at the same time. You often think that at some point in your life you will be able to say you've learned it all and can sit back and rest for a bit. Of maybe that's what I first thought about. But, after meditating on it for a while, I've begun to realize a life where there is nothing to learn must be a dull place indeed! So, what freaked me out at one point, now seems to be a point of comfort to know that we'll never be bored at any point in our lives.
6.)"There" is no better than "here".
But "There" always seems to be better than "here"! Until it becomes "here"! Then "There" is better than the new "here". I'm reminded of the first book I read by the Dalia Lama and he always insisted that happiness was not about what you will receive but being happy about where you are in the present. If you can't be happy now, you won't be happy in a new place or with new people or a new job or any other new scenario. That's because happiness has nothing to do with those things. It has to do with your reaction to the world around you. People choose to be happy or sad. And it wasn't until this weekend that I realized that. I want to be happy, so I am happy. Whether it's "there" or "here" happiness starts with you.
7.) Others are merely mirrors of you.
Again this something I've read before but never really thought about it. But like attracts like and the people who you choose to be around you, both consciously and unconsciously, really are a reflection of your values and beliefs and ideas. Also your sense of humor, your conversational styles, even physical attributes reflect on the others in your life. So if you only reflect on the negatives in yourself, then it will be easy to see how they will show in the people around you. But the same goes for the positives. So, going along with the need to value your physical body, it's just as important to reflect on yourself with a positive attitude, for that's what the world will show you through the people around you.
8.) What you make of your life is up to you.
With the thought that everything is "out of control" all of the time, isn't it refreshing to hear that you have control over how great or miserable your life is? And obviously we all want it to be great right? Now I know bad things happen. Heck, we've all had those trying times in our lives where nothing seems right. And you have to ask yourself why these things happened. But then, I look at the after effects of these trying times and I realize now how they helped me grown stronger as a person, have my love for my friends and family grow with each trying step, and how it shed away everything that was not supportive and wasn't necessary any more. So a good life doesn't involve nothing bad happening, it's more about how you react to those trying times.
9.) The answers lie inside you.
Usually we're the last person we'll ever ask for advice from. Mainly because we are so conditioned to look for answers outside of ourselves. You ask a parent, ask a teacher, ask your friends, ask your boss, ask your spouse, ask your neighbors, ask society. It's all about asking others for advice. Rarely do you hear "Ask yourself." In a world that allows us to constantly doubt ourselves I think it's a good thing to allow ourselves to sit back, be still and silent for a moment, and ask what we would do in a situation. And to trust our gut when it gives us an answer. As I realized from "Blink", 99.9% of the time, those gut answers are the right ones.
10.) You will forget all of this.
Yep. I think we all do. But luckily for us, some of us remember. And then they spread the word. And then we can remember too.
I'm about half way through it right now and the book has 7 chapters (or types of stories). I'm finishing the section on Parenting, about to start the section on Learning. But this story I've picked to talk about comes out of the "Love Yourself" section, something that I'm trying to learn, and I think many of us have forgotten how to do it. We're much harder on ourselves than we are kind and gentle. And I know it's something I'm choosing to work on this year. But I found this story (which is more of a list than a story) it resonated with alot of thoughts I've been having about life in general.
Over the past few days I've met some very wonderful people who are all part of an energy light team. It's great to be part of a group that is very like minded with my own beliefs and understanding of my spiritual gifts that I have to bring to the world. And this list that I've stated below I read around the same time when we had our first group meeting and it really resonated with me. When you are born as a human you don't really think about the fact of why you are here, but it's later in life that you try to find purposes for your gifts and abilities. This list was a healthy reminder that we are all here for a valuable reason, and that all of these rules pertain to every single human being on this planet. Pretty cool huh?
So below the rules stated in "Chicken Soup for the Soul" are underlined, but everything else is my thoughts and ideas about each one of these rules. And I encourage others to take these ideas and think about how they pertain to your own lives.
Enjoy!
The Rules of Being Human (as stated in Chicken Soup for the Soul)
1.) You will receive a body.
Seems pretty practical to me. But in realizing that this body is a gift and not a curse is something that can be hard at times. Especially with a society that has extreme standards of what is perfect for a physical form, not usually blessing the differences that each form takes. In thinking that my body is a gift given to me in this life to use and experience the world in, it makes it that much more valuable to me. A very practical statement, but it changes my view on my own physical presence in this world.
2.)You will learn lessons.
With the concept of learning often limited to books, or that you only learn about the world in the first five years of your life, it really is refreshing to think that everyday is about learning something new. Something I hope to never forget.
3.)There are no mistakes, only lessons.
Now, in a society where we are taught that we shouldn't make mistakes, if we look at all those mistakes as lessons, we would see how smart we truly are. It would then be a positive notion rather than a negative one. Learning a lesson sounds better to our ears than making a mistake. And if it really is learning a lesson then it's that much easier to not repeat it since we realize we can fix it and move on.
4.)A lesson is repeated until learned.
Ahhh, something I think we all have learned. And if you think you've never had to do this then you don't remember being two and being told over and over again NOT to do something. This is a saying I'll be teaching my own children, probably so much that it will be one of those sayings they will roll their eyes every time it's said. But it does bring some sort of comfort that if you get something wrong the first time, that you'll have the second chance at correcting it. Of the third or fourth or fifth chances. Though remember there are no mistakes.
5.) Learning lessons does not end.
This sentence amazed and frightened me at the same time. You often think that at some point in your life you will be able to say you've learned it all and can sit back and rest for a bit. Of maybe that's what I first thought about. But, after meditating on it for a while, I've begun to realize a life where there is nothing to learn must be a dull place indeed! So, what freaked me out at one point, now seems to be a point of comfort to know that we'll never be bored at any point in our lives.
6.)"There" is no better than "here".
But "There" always seems to be better than "here"! Until it becomes "here"! Then "There" is better than the new "here". I'm reminded of the first book I read by the Dalia Lama and he always insisted that happiness was not about what you will receive but being happy about where you are in the present. If you can't be happy now, you won't be happy in a new place or with new people or a new job or any other new scenario. That's because happiness has nothing to do with those things. It has to do with your reaction to the world around you. People choose to be happy or sad. And it wasn't until this weekend that I realized that. I want to be happy, so I am happy. Whether it's "there" or "here" happiness starts with you.
7.) Others are merely mirrors of you.
Again this something I've read before but never really thought about it. But like attracts like and the people who you choose to be around you, both consciously and unconsciously, really are a reflection of your values and beliefs and ideas. Also your sense of humor, your conversational styles, even physical attributes reflect on the others in your life. So if you only reflect on the negatives in yourself, then it will be easy to see how they will show in the people around you. But the same goes for the positives. So, going along with the need to value your physical body, it's just as important to reflect on yourself with a positive attitude, for that's what the world will show you through the people around you.
8.) What you make of your life is up to you.
With the thought that everything is "out of control" all of the time, isn't it refreshing to hear that you have control over how great or miserable your life is? And obviously we all want it to be great right? Now I know bad things happen. Heck, we've all had those trying times in our lives where nothing seems right. And you have to ask yourself why these things happened. But then, I look at the after effects of these trying times and I realize now how they helped me grown stronger as a person, have my love for my friends and family grow with each trying step, and how it shed away everything that was not supportive and wasn't necessary any more. So a good life doesn't involve nothing bad happening, it's more about how you react to those trying times.
9.) The answers lie inside you.
Usually we're the last person we'll ever ask for advice from. Mainly because we are so conditioned to look for answers outside of ourselves. You ask a parent, ask a teacher, ask your friends, ask your boss, ask your spouse, ask your neighbors, ask society. It's all about asking others for advice. Rarely do you hear "Ask yourself." In a world that allows us to constantly doubt ourselves I think it's a good thing to allow ourselves to sit back, be still and silent for a moment, and ask what we would do in a situation. And to trust our gut when it gives us an answer. As I realized from "Blink", 99.9% of the time, those gut answers are the right ones.
10.) You will forget all of this.
Yep. I think we all do. But luckily for us, some of us remember. And then they spread the word. And then we can remember too.
Monday, January 6, 2014
New Year, New Opportunities, New Book!
Hi everyone! I'm back and I'm reading another inspirational book!
After a crazy December it seems like everything has come to a head this January. All of a sudden alot of things seem clear now as I begin the year 2014. Now that we have a plan of when we're moving and what we need to do, my husband and I now look to the New Year with more confidence and even excitement.
But, going through the craziness of the necessity to move also made me think about everything I had learned so far from reading such inspirational books. Especially on how your outlook on every situation creates the reality of the situation. And even though panic and fear were the first reactions my husband Mark and I had, the fear soon turned to acceptance and then acceptance turned to confidence that we could see it through. Now that confidence has become excitement for what the future will hold for us in moving to our new place.
But with this roller coaster of events and emotions, it is very good that I have some chicken soup for my soul, in the version of my new inspirational book, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" by Jack Canfield.
Now, I've been looking forward to reading this book. I've read some others that have been published, like "Chicken Soup for the Animal Lover's Soul" and "Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul". But this is my first time reading the book that started it all. And I'm very excited to start it.
I also have decided to do this a bit differently than when I read the first five books. Before I would write down notes and create activities and make myself really study what I was reading. Which there isn't a problem with that, except that it made me feel like this is a chore rather than what I want it to be, an inspirational learning experience. So I decided I'm just going to read, and when I come across a story or idea that I find I need to meditate on, I'll then blog about it. It will make it an inspirational learning experience without feeling like homework.
So here's to a new book, a New Year, and a new opportunities!
After a crazy December it seems like everything has come to a head this January. All of a sudden alot of things seem clear now as I begin the year 2014. Now that we have a plan of when we're moving and what we need to do, my husband and I now look to the New Year with more confidence and even excitement.
But, going through the craziness of the necessity to move also made me think about everything I had learned so far from reading such inspirational books. Especially on how your outlook on every situation creates the reality of the situation. And even though panic and fear were the first reactions my husband Mark and I had, the fear soon turned to acceptance and then acceptance turned to confidence that we could see it through. Now that confidence has become excitement for what the future will hold for us in moving to our new place.
But with this roller coaster of events and emotions, it is very good that I have some chicken soup for my soul, in the version of my new inspirational book, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" by Jack Canfield.
Now, I've been looking forward to reading this book. I've read some others that have been published, like "Chicken Soup for the Animal Lover's Soul" and "Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul". But this is my first time reading the book that started it all. And I'm very excited to start it.
I also have decided to do this a bit differently than when I read the first five books. Before I would write down notes and create activities and make myself really study what I was reading. Which there isn't a problem with that, except that it made me feel like this is a chore rather than what I want it to be, an inspirational learning experience. So I decided I'm just going to read, and when I come across a story or idea that I find I need to meditate on, I'll then blog about it. It will make it an inspirational learning experience without feeling like homework.
So here's to a new book, a New Year, and a new opportunities!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Everyone!
Hope that you had a great 2013 and that your 2014 will be even better.
If you want the great reflection of year's past and the desires for the future check out my other blog, My Daily Simplicity.
Here's to the Pursuit of Happiness, everyday of 2014!
Hope that you had a great 2013 and that your 2014 will be even better.
If you want the great reflection of year's past and the desires for the future check out my other blog, My Daily Simplicity.
Here's to the Pursuit of Happiness, everyday of 2014!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Blink and It's Gone
So, I meant to write a conclusion about "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell much sooner than this. In that conclusion I would say that it's a great book and I would recommend reading it. It's interesting how the mind works, and his style of writing makes it not dry at all. It's to the point where I will certainly will be looking for Gladwell's other book "The Tipping Point". As an inspirational book, it's certainly different and is not one to read if you're looking for a feel good book. It really is just an analysis on how the unconscious brain works. But still, a great read.
But I sadly need to put my inspirational reading on hold for this month. Not only has the hecticness of the holidays and work taken away alot of my spare time, but we find ourselves unexpectedly having to move very soon. So any spare time I have involves packing and getting things ready for the end of the month.
My hope is that January will be much quieter once everything is set, and then I'll be able to tackle both December's and January's readings in one month. But for now, I'm going to put my nose to grind stone and get what needs to get done done.
See you in January!
If you want to keep up with what's going on check out my other site My Daily Simplicity where I'll be still updating my adventures in finding the "simplicity" in life. Enjoy!
But I sadly need to put my inspirational reading on hold for this month. Not only has the hecticness of the holidays and work taken away alot of my spare time, but we find ourselves unexpectedly having to move very soon. So any spare time I have involves packing and getting things ready for the end of the month.
My hope is that January will be much quieter once everything is set, and then I'll be able to tackle both December's and January's readings in one month. But for now, I'm going to put my nose to grind stone and get what needs to get done done.
See you in January!
If you want to keep up with what's going on check out my other site My Daily Simplicity where I'll be still updating my adventures in finding the "simplicity" in life. Enjoy!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Van Riper's Big "Victory"
I'm in the home stretch with my November book, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. And I'm enjoying it. Though I've slowed down a little because of the first head cold of the winter. So, in between naps and drinking tea, I'm slowly reading the last one hundred pages I have left, writing down insights and quotes as they appear.
The one insight I'm going to talk about here is from the chapter on Paul Van Riper. A Marine veteran who went on several tours to Vietnam, his tactics of making decisions under fire, quite literally, were asked for when they were creating the Millennium Challenge of 2002. It was a war game where the United States government was trying out new tactics of war for a new century. Van Riper was to be the Red team, the nation at war with America.
The reason I'm giving all this background is because without understanding the context of this quote, it kind of doesn't make sense. But it's this quote that got me thinking for a while on how the truth of what Van Riper says can be used in many different scenarios.
"... the overall guidance and intent were provided by me and senior leadership, but the forces in the field wouldn't depend on intricate orders coming from the top. They were to use their own initiative and be innovative as they went forward." pg. 118
Even though the Blue team (our own military) had much more information, better weapons, and better communication, the Red team blew them out of the water, quite literally. Within three days they lost 12 ships, and had several of their "undercover" camps attacked, all the while not having taken down one Red soldier or gain one piece of intel about any of the Red Team's tactics. Now part of that was that Van Riper called upon some unconventional ways to communicate and position his troops through the war game. But the key to it all, he said, was the fact that he allowed his forces in the field to make decisions on their own. They had general backgrounds on what was going on, but instead of having to go through more data and get permission of every little step, they were able to act of their own initiative. Now this means that if they failed they would be held responsible for their actions, but that Van Riper trusted them enough to know what to do in a split second decision.
Now this whole chapter is about how too much information and too much input and too much thinking can often be more of a hindrance than actually going with your gut instinct. Faith and trust in that initial instinct is key to that. Not something that we often get taught in school. Usually it's research as much as you can, structure your argument, find the facts to back it up, and then use this information to prove your point to many different "experts", whether those be your teachers, your parents, or even your boss. It's the "I've-got-to-make-a-decision-now-without-gathering-enough-information-for-a-pie-chart" situations that we don't get trained for. And it's those reactions that seem to be most necessary in everyday life.
Needless to say, after day three of the Millennium Challenge 2002, after suffering many losses to the Red Team, the Blue Team finally set up a tactic that would ensure that they would recover and win the Challenge. They sent an official over the the Red Team's tactical office, and gave them a set of rules that they had to follow for the rest of the Challenge, no deviations.
And the Blue Team won.
So why is the title then Van Riper's Big Victory? Because I think it shows that he truly would have been the victor if he was allowed to continue his tactics. And the main basis of these tactics was the faith in others to make good decisions on the fly. To think like they would have to in real life situations. Not to get bogged down in too many details. I know I at times get bogged down in many details, which then just creates more doubts about decisions to be made. And I think that's an effect of being taught that getting as much information together as possible before making any decision. It just makes things more confusing. There is a need to emphasize the use of our gut instincts, to use our instincts as well and not to question ourselves when we do make a decision under stressful or fast thinking circumstances. Because that's what life is mostly about. We don't have time to research every move we make.
So thank you Van Riper for helping me to recognize this in our every day lives. To bad the Blue Team couldn't have learned from you about that.
The one insight I'm going to talk about here is from the chapter on Paul Van Riper. A Marine veteran who went on several tours to Vietnam, his tactics of making decisions under fire, quite literally, were asked for when they were creating the Millennium Challenge of 2002. It was a war game where the United States government was trying out new tactics of war for a new century. Van Riper was to be the Red team, the nation at war with America.
The reason I'm giving all this background is because without understanding the context of this quote, it kind of doesn't make sense. But it's this quote that got me thinking for a while on how the truth of what Van Riper says can be used in many different scenarios.
"... the overall guidance and intent were provided by me and senior leadership, but the forces in the field wouldn't depend on intricate orders coming from the top. They were to use their own initiative and be innovative as they went forward." pg. 118
Even though the Blue team (our own military) had much more information, better weapons, and better communication, the Red team blew them out of the water, quite literally. Within three days they lost 12 ships, and had several of their "undercover" camps attacked, all the while not having taken down one Red soldier or gain one piece of intel about any of the Red Team's tactics. Now part of that was that Van Riper called upon some unconventional ways to communicate and position his troops through the war game. But the key to it all, he said, was the fact that he allowed his forces in the field to make decisions on their own. They had general backgrounds on what was going on, but instead of having to go through more data and get permission of every little step, they were able to act of their own initiative. Now this means that if they failed they would be held responsible for their actions, but that Van Riper trusted them enough to know what to do in a split second decision.
Now this whole chapter is about how too much information and too much input and too much thinking can often be more of a hindrance than actually going with your gut instinct. Faith and trust in that initial instinct is key to that. Not something that we often get taught in school. Usually it's research as much as you can, structure your argument, find the facts to back it up, and then use this information to prove your point to many different "experts", whether those be your teachers, your parents, or even your boss. It's the "I've-got-to-make-a-decision-now-without-gathering-enough-information-for-a-pie-chart" situations that we don't get trained for. And it's those reactions that seem to be most necessary in everyday life.
Needless to say, after day three of the Millennium Challenge 2002, after suffering many losses to the Red Team, the Blue Team finally set up a tactic that would ensure that they would recover and win the Challenge. They sent an official over the the Red Team's tactical office, and gave them a set of rules that they had to follow for the rest of the Challenge, no deviations.
And the Blue Team won.
So why is the title then Van Riper's Big Victory? Because I think it shows that he truly would have been the victor if he was allowed to continue his tactics. And the main basis of these tactics was the faith in others to make good decisions on the fly. To think like they would have to in real life situations. Not to get bogged down in too many details. I know I at times get bogged down in many details, which then just creates more doubts about decisions to be made. And I think that's an effect of being taught that getting as much information together as possible before making any decision. It just makes things more confusing. There is a need to emphasize the use of our gut instincts, to use our instincts as well and not to question ourselves when we do make a decision under stressful or fast thinking circumstances. Because that's what life is mostly about. We don't have time to research every move we make.
So thank you Van Riper for helping me to recognize this in our every day lives. To bad the Blue Team couldn't have learned from you about that.
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