Patterns In People

I've worked in IT for many years, recently retired (at the age of 33;-). Although let's face it in the world we live in today, you never really get away from IT.

I may not work on distributed systems development anymore, no more NFR questions to help resolve, no more politics of the highest order (the one part of my job I do not miss at all) but computing has a way of taking a hold and not letting go.

Whilst working in IT, the Patterns community has taken a foothold over the last few years. Not before time too. After all, would you like it if you're local bicycle manufacturer reinvented the wheel with each new model?

Didn't think so.

But that is a mindset which is still prevalent in IT today. The 'not invented here' syndrome. But this isn't a technological issue, this is a people issue.

People exhibit 'patterns' all the time. Why else would MORI polls be as accurate as they are? The expression "I'm unique - just like everybody else" is just soo true!

My wife has recently started her Astrology business online here:
www.fengshuiastrology.com and such sites have/will be pooh-pooed by many of the technical set.

But then everything which cannot be understood has historically been ridiculed before explanations were forthcoming. I've got to say, the accuracy of the system is quite phenomenal but totally explainable when you look at it in the context of thousands of years of observations of patterns in people and patterns in nature.

The patterns community would likely concur (perhaps with some persuasion) that it's not so far fetched after all!

Till the next time

PS - I'm including this link to help get his blog crawled ;-)

The 2000% Solution

I've recently read a great book called "The 2000% Solution". The essence behind it is similar to the 80/20 Principle (another fantastic book btw) whereby what we are all doing is effectively wasting 80% of our time and effort all of the time!

In terms of Wealth Creation this means you spend an unequal amount of time producing a negative financial gain.

What's in a name?

Zig Ziglar - the well known author has a great name which will help you do the right thing, whenever you are faced with any situation. Look at what

• What you normally would do



• What others would do

If you find yourself going with the status quo, challenge yourself to do something completely different - Zig when the others Zag.

Till the next tip...

Try again, Fail again, Fail any better?

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."...Henry Ford

The flip side of this quote is of course what 99% of people actually think when they 'experience failure'. 99% of us miss the 'opportunity'.

At the time of any 'failure' (I use the term loosely as it could relate to any experience with negative connotations), it may be hard to believe but this experience could be seen as serendipitous – at least in the long run.

There is an old saying:
"When the student is ready, the master will appear."

In an instance of adversity, the master may well be putting in an appearance but as a student, you have to recognise the opportunity. In recognition, you are ready.

The Reality of Thought

Thoughts are very real and shape your particular destiny. If you are presented with a particular lesson in the school of life which at first glance is particularly hard or heartbreaking you can think/do one of 2 things:

1. Oh woe is me and roll over Or
   
2. I am experiencing this 'lesson' for a reason, there is something within this experience that I can use as an opportunity to help me move forward.
   

What happens next is totally down to you and your thoughts.

This is neatly summarised by a quote from the 6th President of the United States – John Quincy Adams:

"Let us consider an alternative style of thinking, which we can call 'creative thinking.' It is playfully instructive to note that the word 'reactive' and the word 'creative' are made up of exactly the same letters. The only difference between the two is that you 'C' [see] differently."

Obviously this advice may seem somewhat hollow if we are talking about experiences such as loss of a loved one but even in such terrible scenarios, the same basic truth holds.

A Litmus Test

For example (and God forbid this should ever happen to you), let us say you have a partner who is taken away from this world prematurely. You will naturally mourn and grieve for a long time to come but you will also have an opportunity:

Opportunity is knocking on your door - to reflect on your relationship, to show you how you loved them and how they loved you, how lucky you are to have had their love.

You can take this relationship as the catalyst to launch a new phase of your life to do the best you can, to honour your partner’s memory and love and be the best you can be.

Why else would they have chosen you as their partner? They saw the potential within you in the first place. Is there a more fitting memorial than realising this for them?

'Failure' or in this instance loss presents itself at first glance as a true adversary, a fiendish foe who can appear totally intractable.

Giving in may be an option – and the option most frequently chosen by all around us (you and I included). But when faced with adversity – whatever the adversity – an opportunity is present.

A word of caution

No-one person will ever be able to recognise and act upon all 'opportunities' – we all have one thing in common after all:

We are human – to err is to be human, perfection is the nature of the divine.

So, there is absolutely no point in beating yourself up about feeling down/miserable. There will be good days, there will be bad days but there will come a day when you will be able to 'think creatively' rather than 'reactively'.

In your future, in my future, in all of our futures, we can at as many of these "opportunity moments" choose to think creatively.

As stated by Napoleon Hill, author of "Think & Grow Rich":

"Every adversity comes with it a seed of equal or greater benefit."

The Self Help Tipster
Have no fear of success