Strong

Strong. 

The other day a baby Mockingbird was trapped in our backyard. Our eight foot fence made it impossible for him to get free. Or so I thought. 

My need to fix everything made we want to intercede. What could I do to make it easier for him? Open the gate to make an easier pathway? Try to catch him? 

What I actually did was nothing, except send a few encouraging words his way. The reality was that he would have to figure it out on his own. His ability to function in his world would be determined by how strong he was. 

At one point Mama bird landed on the fence, and chirped insistently for him to try again. Unfortunately, his feeble attempts only resulted in him flying half-way up the fence. He had landed on the screens and the protruding brick, but to no avail was he able to maneuver the height of the fence. 

I had pretty much resigned myself to an afternoon of loud Mama chirping, quiet baby chirping, and annoying dog barking when the most unexpected thing happened. All by himself he was somehow able to make it to the ledge at the top of the gate. A second later with a burst of strength he was atop the fence. Before I could even cheer he flew directly across the backyard to our neighbor's tree. 

It was then that I realized denying him his own victory through his strength and perseverance  would have been wrong. Had I interfered his confidence may have waned, and he may have given up. But, by allowing him the time to figure it out he was able to do the very thing he was created for; fly away on his own. 

To be truthful, I couldn't help but remember another not so lucky bird who found its way into our backyard. Let's just put it this way, the last thing I saw was its squirming feet making their way down the esaphagus of our Basset Hound Molly, while I was yelling, "Don't you do it!"

Dwell

Dwell. 

"Dwell in possibility," are the words of Emily Dickenson. Just the thought of this really is exciting to me. How many times do we allow ourselves to even consider the possibilities? Why are we quick to limit ourselves? 

Perhaps some of this is due to approaching life with a more pragmatic veiw. We look at what needs to be done and couple it with what should be done, and go from there. One of the best pieces of advice I've ever read had to do with false choices. We tend to think we only have two options most of the time. Of course, this is totally false. By dwelling in possibilities we are pushed to look for other options. 

Life becomes more interesting when we free ourselves to consider those options. Not being so quick to discount something might result in using our creativity to come up with a better plan.  Considering possibilities can also promote an attitude of what can be accomplished as opposed to what cannot. 

One way to accomplish this might be through brainstorming a list of ideas. The cardinal rule of brainstorming, though, is to not judge each idea as it is listed. Rather allow your mind to flow, and dwell in possibility. You might notice in reevaluating your list that you find something you had never considered before. 

When given a chance dwell in the possibilities. 

Initiative

Initiative. 

Sometimes we look around and find dissatisfaction with the way things are. We may find ourselves uncertain as to which direction we should turn. More times than not we let no decision be our decision. I've fallen prey before to doing nothing to change a situation that I was discontented with. 

Adam Grant, author of Originals, reminds us, "Remember that if you don't take initiative the status quo will persist." One definition of initiative is, "the power or opportunity to take charge." As I look back over my teaching career I am satisfied with the ease in which I would take initiative. I was always on the lookout for new things, and felt comfortable breaking away from the status quo. 

In my life I have found a certain amount of restlessness that has  resulted in my search for new ideas. I am quick to take the initiative to learn more about something, but unfortunately, I'm not always good about taking the action required for the follow-through. Being as confident in taking the initiative to change seems a little harder. However, sometimes the resulting status quo can cause a type of malaise resulting in just going through the motions on auto-pilot. 

So I try to remind myself to take the initiative so I don't deepen the depth of the rut. Although, it can be freeing to be the passenger and not have to take on the responsibility for the driving, when it comes to your life it is better to switch seats. 

Becoming Friends With Siri

Becoming friends with Siri. 

Siri and I have never been friends, in fact we barely know each other. My husband, on the other hand, considers her a close friend. He relys on her often when he has a question or is unsure where he might want to go for lunch. 

Why have I been so reluctant to make her acquaintance and ask her advice?

I suppose it has more to do with just not knowing her all that well. Although to be honest,  I usually am reluctant to ask anyone for help. I've asked a few embarrassing questions in my day and I'd rather not repeat the, "What does circumcision mean?" question I asked during jr. high Sunday school. 

But I've heard Siri really likes to answer questions. She must have been a teacher in a former life. You know the old there is no dumb question thing. I got to thinking about it the other day that I might be missing out on something not befriending her. After all she might be able to expand my knowledge of the world around me, and you know I'm always up for that. 

I had my chance the other day when I accidentally activated her while talking to myself. I know, pretty pitiful! But remarkably she actually attempted to make some sense out of my words. She was trying to answer my question and help me out. 

It was then I decided that I might be more open to a friendship. After all she is willing to help, and not overly pushy in insisting she has her own way. I even remember the time she answered my husband's question about the meaning of life. To quote her exactly she said, "It's all good!" Sounds like a friend I might want. 

Original

Original. 

Adam Grant, author of Originals writes, "Originality comes not from people who match the culture, but from those who enrich it."

I find it interesting how driven we are to match the culture. Whatever the trend of the day is becomes an all encompassing passion of the masses. Nothing is more relevant to this fact today than the whole Pokemon Go craze. 

I have been puzzled as to why some are so enticed by the culture, and others not so much. Young children are pretty much proud originals as they give little thought to what others think. Their style of dress, choice of superhero or Disney princess, and favorite color are theirs alone. Unfortunately, as we make our way through the grades we leave this sense of uniqueness behind, and seek a group of like-minded peers. We begin to dress, talk and think in a way that matches the group, instead of our true self. 

Now the irony of this is that no matter how hard we try to be just like everyone else, we really are a true original, right down to our DNA. Of the billions of people populating this earth 

you will never find someone just like you. Why instead of capitalizing on this do we seem content to hide our light under a bushel? Just think of all the cultural enrichment we could share with the world. Be unique, be thoughtful, be original. 

An Inch

An inch. 

You've heard the expression, "Give an inch, they'll take a mile." That's how it is with cats. Once they know they can, they will take full advantage of the situation. 

Take my cat, Abby, for instance. She has been banned from our bedroom due to my husband's allergies. Prior to this she was quite content to make herself comfortable on my pillow each night. Now, although this was quite endearing as a kitten, once she became a ten pound plus cat it really was more annoying. Of course what mattered more to her was a good night's sleep regardless of the fact that I was relegated to a three inch remnant that provided no comfort at all. Now that she is spending her nights elsewhere, I've replaced that pillow with one of those fancy shmancy National Sleep Federation approved pillows, except I still find myself sleeping on that same three inch edge. 

Now not to be undone by her banishment, she has learned to push open the bedroom door each morning demanding to be fed. To be honest, I've felt a little guilty about not allowing her in the bedroom so I've let her linger a little longer than I should. You know, the inch that becomes a mile. After all a cat's gotta eat. As a result I'm not sleeping much past 7:00 any more. 

During the day I use my daughter's old baby gate to keep her out of the room. Except now anytime she sees an opportunity she runs right past me, belly swaying in the wind, and quickly makes her way into our bathroom. She's expecting to find a bowl of food and water available for her consumption, although that bowl has been conviently moved downstairs to be used by her and the occasional drive-by committed by the dog. Like I said this cat doesn't take no for an answer and walks that mile rather smugly. Hopefully I can learn my lesson, but I think in this family cats rule, and dogs and people drool!

Default Settings

Default settings. 

While reading Originals by Adam Grant, I came across a fascinating study. It had to do with the choice of Internet browsers that people used. 

It appears that if you are not content to use the default browser that comes loaded on your computer, than you probably are one who shows more initiative in your job. Apparently, more people just accept the default browser and move on. However, there is a small number who wonder if there is a better way, and take the time necessary to investigate further. 


This idea of succumbing to the default got me to wondering about how this might cross into other areas of our lives. We actually have natural cognitive biases that we are not aware even  of. We reach for that same jar of peanut butter time and time again primarily because it is the brand of our childhood. Our habits are deeply ingrained, and not easily changed. 

Perhaps, maybe just being a little more aware of this default setting and taking the initiative to see if there is a better way might be worth our while. I must admit that I use the default setting on my computer, and have never really considered the possibility of another. However, after reading about this study it makes me realize that I want to be more open to taking the initiative.