Wednesday, September 10, 2014

How Far Will You Go?

A couple weeks ago our one year old Yellow Lab just seemed to disappear into thin air.  Hubby, Steve, had taken Gable outside after dinner.  Soon I heard Steve calling and calling for our pet.  Since we live on 13 acres, Gable does like to go exploring out in the field.  After awhile I realized that I STILL heard Gable's name being called.  Even though I was trying to complete a project, I decided that I should go outside to help.  Steve decided to widen the search by driving around our country block yelling Gable's name out the window of his truck.  He asked me to sit at the end of our long driveway to perhaps see the dog coming back home from the west and having to cross the busy road.  

I sat there for over two hours and it was starting to get dark.  Steve was still out in the truck.  All of a sudden a mini-van pulled into our driveway and the driver asked if we had lost a dog.  Sure enough Gable was sitting there big as anything in her car.  

She, Kristie, a teacher, was on her way to her school's open house when she spotted Gable out on the road.  She stopped and opened her car door and of course our friendly mutt climbed right in.  She didn't have time to find out where he belonged because she had to be at school, so she dropped him off at her mom's for the 1 1/2 hours of the open house.  Gable had tags, which identified our vet.  When Kristie called the vet, they said that they were sorry, but they could not help until the next morning when they went into their office.  Not to be deferred, she decided to drive back to the area and stop at a few houses.  When she saw me sitting at the end of the drive, she decided to stop.  And of course a very happy end to a very scary story.

But here's the thought for the day.  Kristie really went out of her way to help save this animal from sure death on the busy road.  She helped complete strangers and really went the extra mile.  

My question to you is, how far are you willing to go out of your way to help someone you know?  
 
Are you willing to make ten phone calls to get an introduction that a networking friend wants to someone else? 
 
Would you bring a boatload of friends to an event to help another friend who is hosting the event? 
 
Will you spend your own money to help promote a friend's business offering.

Are you a Kristie? 

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

September's Book to Read

Don Kardux is back with another fascinating book report.  It makes me want to download this book immediately and spent the day reading it!

Here it is!



My good friend and one of my librarians, Kate S, recommended this wonderful book.

Michael Gelb has an interesting premise.

Amazon said it this way, “Genius is made, not born. And human beings are gifted with an almost unlimited potential for learning and creativity. Now you can uncover your own hidden abilities, sharpen your senses, and liberate your unique intelligence—by following the example of the greatest genius of all time, Leonardo Da Vinci.”

I won’t argue with the premise, but this book has opened some very interesting observations.

Part one sets the stage clarifying in 45 pages the “Dark Ages” through the “Renaissance” as well as anything I’ve read before.  He ends this part by revealing how Da Vinci was ahead of his time. Just the headings on page 45 shows how he predated the great thinkers of the world.

·         40 years before Copernicus
·         60 years before Galileo
·         200 years before Newton
·         400 years before Darwin

The meat of this book is in the remaining 264 pages.

Michael’s approach is to reveal Da Vinci’s ‘Seven principles of behavior’ and follows each with questions we can ask ourselves so that we might move closer to Da Vinci’s genius.

Here is his summary of the Seven Da Vincian Principles.


  • 1.     Curiosita-An insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.

  • 2.   Dimostrazione- A commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes

  • 3.     Senazione- The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight,as the means to enliven experience.

  • 4.     Sfumato- (literally “Going Up In Smoke”)- A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.

  • 5.   Arte/Scienza- The development of the balance between science and art, logic and imagination. “Whole-brain” thinking.

  • 6.     Corporalita – The cultivation of grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise.

  • 7.  Connessione- A recognition of and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenome.na. Systems thinking.


I often relate the quality of books I read to food. From ‘Cotton Candy” to “Steak and potatoes”. ‘Thinking like Leo’ is a feast lasting for several weeks.

The author’s summary at the end of his discussion concerning ‘Mind Mapping’ is illustrative of his approach.
“Look at your life mind map from the perspective of the Seven Da Vincian principles”
1.     Curiosita-         Am I asking the right questions?

2.    Dimostrazione- How can I improve my ability to learn from my mistakes and experiences? How can I develop and independence of thought?

3.     Senazione- What is my plan for sharpening my senses as I age?

4.     Sfumato- How can I strengthen my ability to hold creative tension to embrace the major paradoxes of life?

5.     Arte/Scienza- Am I balancing Arte and Scienza at home and at work?

6.     Corporalita – How can I nurture the balance of body and mind?

7.     Connessione-  How do all the above elements fit together? How does everything connect to everything else?

Thinking like Leo doesn’t have to be read in a linnear fashion. In other words if you want to start with ‘Senazione” you can however, reading ‘Part One’ first is a must.

This is one of the best examples of a ‘Come back to it’ book I can think of using.

Bon Appetite