Entries from November 2006 ↓

Today’s Dallas Morning News ran that headline on page one, “Cold Hits Like A Wet Blanket.”

Yesterday’s temperature was in the upper 70’s. Within the span of about 5 minutes, while driving home from work last night, it dropped over 30 degrees. It’s been dropping ever since. Right now it’s slightly below freezing and still dropping.

By the way, I realize those blankets aren’t yet wet, but they could be. Fast. If needed.

Admittedly, it is a bit odd for the temperature to be in the upper 70’s one day and in the low 20’s the next. But such is life around here today.

That wet blanket phrase sure gets used a lot so I wondered from whence it came. Here’s the answer according to the Online Etymology Dictionary:

Wet blanket (1830) is from the notion of a person who throws a damper on social situations like a wet blanket smothers a fire.

Today, our wet blanket isn’t a person. It’s the weather. It is wet. And cold. And the sleet/ice/snow are expected any time. By the way, projectile vomiting will ensue the next time I hear somebody use the phrase, “winter blast.”

Do more.
Take action.
Don’t just use verbs in your speech or thoughts.
Put verbs to work in your life.

Every day I go to a calendar hanging nearby and cross off the day. Marking time.

One writer (I don’t recall who) wrote about the advent of digital watches and clocks. He said digital time has only the present. No past. No future. It flashes only the time at the moment. The old analog face watches showed us there was a past and there will be a future. I thought it was an interesting observation at the time (and that was well over 15 years ago). Whether digital or analog - we all mark time.

We track dates of birth, wedding anniversaries, dates of death, dates of employment, the age of our cars. We have clocks in every room. We have watches on our wrists (some on their fingers in those funky ring watches - I suppose a few even exist in pockets). Our cell phones have clocks and calendars. So do our computers. As I look around from where I am right at this moment I see a watch on my wrist, a time appears in the upper right hand screen of my computer, another clock appears in the lower right hand of another computer sitting on my desk, a calendar hangs on the wall, another calendar sits on the desk, another digital clock displays the time/date/day of the week/temperature and finally, another digital clock shows the current time. Five clocks. Three calendars. All within reach of my eyes.

But each day I go to a wall calendar in another room and cross off the day. What’s more, I do this at the beginning, not the end, of each day. It’s as though I want to get it over with. And I suppose in many ways, I do. Toward what end? I’m not sure.

Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I do know toward what end. Independence. Freedom. Spending time with those I choose, rather than those imposed on me by circumstance. Chasing new dreams. Creating new realities.

So, daily I mark time as I march toward a new beginning. It’s coming. How soon? Not soon enough, but then again, soon enough will be soon enough. Every beginning requires the end of something. That’s why I mark time.

Let’s review the process:

1. Something concerns you. Some challenge, hurdle, obstacle, opportunity, chance…
2. You frame the concern. You begin the process of considering the concern.
3. You consider possible solutions to the concern. You think of a possible course of action.
4. You consider the possible consequences to the various choices of action. You look into the future to see what might happen if you act one way versus another.
5. You decide on the best course of action. You take it. And then you reflect on it.

Are all people able to comprehend this process?
Can this process be mastered by everybody?

I’m intrigued with the notion that some people simply fail to implement this process because they don’t see it. This process is either impossible or difficult for them to fully understand. They may not see the value of it, or they may not understand how to make it happen in their life.

Everybody has things that concern them. Surely that’s universal. That means everybody should make it through the first step.

Now we come to step number 2. This is where I see things getting rocky for some people. They don’t frame the concern. They refuse to consider the concern. You’ve heard people say, “I’d rather not think about it.” Maybe you’ve heard yourself say that, but I hope not. This is a sheer refusal to progress toward step two. Any refusal to go to step two is sure to derail any hopes of successful strategic thinking.

But, assuming you’ve engaged in step 2 you’re now faced with thinking of possible solutions. That is, you begin to consider the possible actions you might take. What are the various choices you’ve got?

Again, I know people who refuse to engage in this step. Some people make up their mind without serious consideration. They go from step 1 to step 5 (except their action isn’t always the best and they’ll rarely reflect). They simply jump from concern to action. This doesn’t often work out well.

Step four is critical. Perhaps this step kills more wisdom than any other. People are often unable to project the future results if they fail to consider the positive and negative outcomes of their available choices. Wise people can see the future - or the prospect of what the future might be. That’s an enormous contribution to their wisdom. The foolish usually trudge forward never stopping to consider what might result. I guess they just hope things work out. It would explain their reaction when things don’t work out. “I’m just not lucky.” “I’m just cursed.” “See, things never work out for me.”

This step, step four, might be better considered as the “what if” step. What if I take this course of action? What if I take this other course? Answer the question as fully as you can. Nobody expects you to be a soothsayer, but you can surely predict some possible outcomes. That’s what must be considered so you’ll know which direction is more worthwhile.

Step 5 is only possible because of the prior steps. Strategic thinking isn’t merely being quick to act. Some confuse that with being proactive or decisive. No, it’s foolish. Nothing more. While it’s possible to compress these steps into short time periods, each step is crucial to success. You can’t skip a step any more than you can skip an ingredient in a recipe - you’ll mess up if you do.

Step five comes only after weighing the options and carefully considering the risks and rewards of each choice. Some risks are minimal and rewards are clearly high - easy choice. Other risks are high, but rewards are equally high. Tougher choice. I’m not saying every concern (a concern can be a threat or an opportunity) requires hours or days of meditation. Some are no-brainers, but still the process must be followed. Strategic thinkers always apply the process - even if the process takes mere minutes for smaller choices. Non-strategic thinkers never apply the process. They always skip steps, driven by their first gut desire (I suppose; I’m not really certain what drives them to make the choices they make).

stra·te·gic
adj.

1. Of or relating to strategy.
2. 1. Important or essential in relation to a plan of action: a strategic withdrawal.
   2. Essential to the effective conduct of war: strategic materials.
   3. Highly important to an intended objective: The staff discussed strategic marketing factors.
3. Intended to destroy the military potential of an enemy: strategic bombing.

think·ing
n.

1. The act or practice of one that thinks; thought.
2. A way of reasoning; judgment: To my thinking, this is not a good idea.

adj.

Characterized by thought or thoughtfulness; rational: We are thinking animals.

Recent events have led me to wonder, “Is everybody capable of strategic thinking?” Unless mental capacity is diminished, can every person carefully consider threats and opportunities — then make a sound assessment of the consequences of various courses of action so they can reach a wise conclusion, and then get themselves into gear so they can begin to act on that conclusion?

I’m not sure. While I want to think everybody is capable of that skill, I am convinced some are unable or unwilling to become accomplished strategic thinkers. Can study and practice help? One would think so. And hope so.

As you face today’s challenges consider how skillful you are at strategic thinking.

Can you do better?
What is required for you to improve this crucial skill?

Wisdom is impossible without this skill.

Words to ponder:
solution
conjecture
consequence
action
reflection

The USA Today Game of the week: Friday, No. 16 Euless (Texas) Trinity plays No. 5 Southlake Carroll in the Class 5A, Division I Area playoff game at Texas Stadium in Irving, 1pm. Trinity is the defending Division I champion, with Carroll having won the last two in Division II before moving this season. Both teams are 11-0.

The Dallas Morning News expects the crowd to exceed 40,000. I plan to be among them. It should be spectacular.

Here’s a video tribute to the two teams.

Here’s one of many articles published by The Dallas Morning News.

Update - Saturday morning
Southlake 22 vs. Trinity 21 - The game was excellent. Both teams deserve the praise they get. Sadly, the season had to end for one of them. Traffic to and from the stadium was ridiculously heavy. The crowd exceeded 46,000. It was the second largest at Texas Stadium for a high-school playoff game.

Forty three ago today I was sitting in Mrs. Arnold’s first grade class when news reached us that President Kennedy, while on a trip to Dallas, had been assassinated. We all went to the windows of our second story classroom which faced the front of the school where the flag pole stood. We watched, not fully understanding what was happening, as the flag was lowered to half mast.

Robert Altman, famed director of the 1970 smash movie - MASH, died last night at the age of 81. Most recently he directed “Prairie Home Companion.”

I realize $100 can seem like a lot of money to some people. Under certain circumstances it seems like a lot of money to anybody. But for most Americans $100 isn’t a large sum.

Yesterday in the Dallas Morning News there was a story about immigrants from South America who come to America for higher wages. The headline of the article was, “They Come To Work - And To Send Money Home.”

The article sadly told of families who are split apart when the husband/father pays an outrageous amount ($6000 or more) to smugglers who bring them into America where they can work for meatpacking plants earning $10-13 an hour. Through back busting work they’re able to send hundreds of dollars home each month where their wives try to hold the families together and where loan sharks get a monthly interest rate of 10% (for loaning them the smuggling money). Impoverished isn’t a term that does justice to their condition. It’s a sad story of hopelessness. A story of resolve to do whatever can be done to escape the poverty of home.

This news story reminded of a time in my distant past when $100 would have made a difference in my life. ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Hard to imagine that $100 would really affect the life of anybody, but I’ve been there. And there are millions of people across the planet whose lives would be affected by much less than $100.

Entering this Thanksgiving week I realize how blessed I am - as are most of the people I know. It’s good to be reminded of a time when $100 would have made a positive difference. It’s good to realize how thankful I should be to have a healthy family, good friends and other valuable people in my life.

Making a difference often involves money, but lives can always be affected without it. I think of the lives I touch in the course in a normal day and wonder what positive difference am I making? Today, I hope to do better by making a difference worth more than $100.