Category: Motivational

Being a Generalist vs a Specialist

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational, Thoughts

There seems to be a growing desire for generalists, again. The pendulum swings between the want for specialists and generalists every few decades.

I wonder if it coincides with the lifetimes of the preceding generations of people, going in and out of the workplace. Meaning, let’s say something in particular needs to be developed or achieved in a society, as a whole. So, companies go out and hire bunches of men and women who know how to a particular thing and who can do it well. Then, after that series of problems is solved, the need for specializations isn’t as big anymore.

Instead, what’s hotly desired is people who can see the big picture, who can bring together opposites, who can extrapolate, and who can interconnect things, people, and resources that seem completely unrelated.

Enter, the Generalists. In some ways, we’re an odd bunch. We may not always be able to go deep into every topic, but we sure do like seeing how others’ years of expertise and experience can be used to help people in need.

Generalists and specialists. Each have a place, and each have a purpose. Which one are you? What are your unique desires and interests that can be crafted into benefiting the world? Do you love the details or the broad view? Both are needed, yet each of us tend to better relate to one or the other.

In quilt making, specialists find a color or pattern they like and use the same one over and over. A generalist is a ragpicker who can take even the most disparaging bits and pieces of cloth and sew them into a quilt, equal in beauty to that of their specialist counterparts.

Elmer Gates, Nathan Myhrvold, Lowell Wood, and Donald Sutherland. Three inventors and an actor. Each were/are idea men. Each were/are generalists, in their own way. Gates would sit in a dimly lit room for hours, picking up on bits and pieces of ideas that would flash in his mind, creating a new invention before his very eyes.

Equally adept at connecting differing pieces into a cogent whole, Myhrvold and Wood have gone on to invent all sorts of things. Yet, they would both tell you that they see themselves at generalists and not as specialty-minded folks.

Sutherland, with his 150+ films, picked his roles and acting parts not based on trying to progress up a career ladder, but based on what the character’s lines spoke to him. As a result, he wound up playing all sorts characters and roles. And, he loved every bit of it.

There’s an American living in Ecuador whose blog I’ve followed off and on, over the years. I’ve followed Dom Buonamici’s work, in part, because he changes out his occupation title at the end of his emails, from time to time. Sometimes he’s a “business investor”, sometimes a “real estate developer”, sometimes a “beachside hut dweller”, and other times a “international traveler”. Each self-proclaimed title speaks to the interest that he has or is developing at the time. I always look forward to how he’s going to sign off his next message or post.

People talk about starting over, rebranding themselves, or figuring out a different way to do things. Each of those comes with a willingness and a desire to make a change. It seems like it would be easier for generalists to change than specialists, because they can see how everything is connected to everything else. And, they probably get bored a whole faster than other people do.

Being a generalist, I’m excited that the world seems to be interested, again, in what “my kind” has to offer. For so many years, it seemed like you had to have a specific degree from a particular type of school, or nobody in the hiring realm was going to give you a chance to prove what you had to offer.

But, “times are a’changin’,” as my Dad says.

Still, not to worry if you’re specialist in something. You’re in vogue…for now. Just kidding! You’ll always be needed, as well.

It’s just fascinating how interest in a particular type of mindset, ability, or perspective comes and goes over the years.

Have a great week!

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Let’s connect! Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Also, find more articles at http://www.RaisedByAVillage.com

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Leadership – The Long-Term Investment

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational

Recently, my wife and I were in Chicago with our three grown kids to attend the oldest child’s graduation from college.  As we were walking around the city, my wife reminded me how leadership development is a long-term investment with a lifelong payoff.  Seeing our kids interact with each other, we quietly smiled to ourselves, excited to see how well they treated each other and the other people around them on the street.

Don’t kid yourself, they’re normal human beings, like the rest of humanity.  While they were growing up, they fought with each other over all kinds of things.  Arguments happened among them just like they did among any other siblings.  And, yes, it took them a while to work out the wavelengths that they best operated on individually and as a trio.  But, eventually, they figured it out, and now it’s awesome to see.

Where did the leadership investment part come in?  Every day.  Looking back, it was hard to say “No” when we needed to, and it was hard to say “Yes” when we needed to.  By far, though, the hardest thing was knowing the difference!

We knew how we wanted them to turn out (or at least hoped they would…), so we treated it like a twenty-year investment program in each of their lives.  Meaning, we prayed with them, prayed for them, talked with them, showed them how to live, showed them how to forgive each other, and put the rest in God’s hands.

No, we were not perfect parents.  But, we found other parents who seemed to be doing a great job, and we adopted some of the methods, techniques, perspectives, and attitudes that they used and lived out every day.  Whenever I would lose patience with our kids, my wife would remind me of our overall purpose.  I’d calm down, ask them to forgive me, and start over.

Likewise, we always encouraged them (or reminded them) to be kind to each other, kind to strangers, and kind to themselves.  But at some point, we realized that showing them with our actions was more powerful than lecturing with our words.

A tongue lashing might have caused us to feel better because we vented our frustration of the moment, but what kind of example would that have set?  …Especially when they could then mimic that back to us, being justified by our own example, first displayed.  So, we did our best to teach respect by modeling how to act with each other, showing them with our actions.

Day-after-day, month-after-month, and year-after-year, the investment began showing true fruition of the law of compounding interest.  As Einstein said, “The Law of Compound Interest is the eighth wonder of the world.”  …Okay, he was referring to money, but I’m looking at that universal law from the perspective of an investment in other people’s lives that will multiply into millions upon millions of lives reached in positive ways over the next three or four generations…

I’m not saying all of this as a self pat on the back.  Far from it.  I’m saying this as someone that lovingly looks at three grown kids who have been investing their own love and kindness in others around the world.  And, this is to remind you that all of your own hard work in your own family really is worth it.

Like other long-term investors, we have been seeking a long-term return of healthy future generations, and we still are.  So, instead of a final analysis, this is more of a checkpoint in time.  Now, we’ll help our grown kids map out their own life investment plans for their next twenty years — and beyond.

Let us know if we can help you do the same.

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NOTE: If you like this article, share it!  Adapted from an upcoming book.  For books published, go to www.Amazon.com/author/reep.   Also, find more articles at www.RaisedByAVillage.com

 

Transferring a Winning Mindset

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational

Somebody asked me recently, “How do you transfer a winning mindset from one person to another?”  Short answer: it’s a process.  I wish it were as simple as magically wiggling your fingers next to your head and then pointing them towards whomever you want to help…but, it’s not.

However, it can be done.  Meaning, yes, you can transfer the information, ideas, and perspective from yourself to someone else.  But, there are two sides of the equation: 1) what you give; 2) what they figure out.

To hold up you side of the bargain, you give them the tools, steps, and processes that are associated with the ideas or concepts you’re trying to pass on.  Depending on the topic or situation, you may have to model or show them by example what you’re trying to convey.

What they’re responsible for is to figure out A) whether or not they have the “want to”; B) how to internalize what you give them; C) how to use it as their own.  As they take in your information and figure out how to put it to use, they will grow in the capacity in which they were hoping to.

Teachers can talk and talk until they’re blue in the face, but students aren’t going to use any of the new information until they’re ready to make it their own.  As the old adage goes, “When the student is ready, a teacher will appear.”

Sometimes, people already have the tools or know the steps they need, in order to succeed or grow.  It’s just a matter of timing, so that the realization of having it kicks in.  You may only need to turn on the proverbial “light switch” of their understanding, or simply show them where the switch is.

“What?!  It was there all along?”  “Yep.”   …is a common conversation that people have aloud or in their heads.  So, no, you’re not alone in this thing of realization or learning.

When you give somebody else the tools, steps, and processes for how to do something, they don’t have to be complicated.  Over and over, people have told me, “Just give it to me in plain English.  That’s the best way I learn.”  So, I’ve tried to do that.  It doesn’t always come out that way, but that’s the goal.

Also, tools are just that: tools.  They aren’t meant to be the be-all, end-all.  They’re only a part of the greater recipe of success.  They’re the foundational pieces of equipment that can improve somebody’s chances of success.  The same thing goes for steps and processes.  Nobody wants dozens of steps or a complicated process.  They want it to be simple.  So, translate it in your mind and make it so.

Our minds have an amazing ability to capture information, learn new things, and quickly turn them into frameworks of “Ah ha!” moments.  After a while, those moments will become second nature to us, and we’ll expand that new framework in ways that connect with the other vast knowledge and experiences we already have.

Hopefully, you’ll get to see the beauty of that growth in others, as you transfer your winning mindset to them.

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NOTE: If you like reading Marty’s articles, please tell others about them.  He can be reached at martyjreep(at)yahoo.com.  This article was adapted from one of his upcoming books.  For ones currently published, go to www.Amazon.com/author/reep.  

Also, find more of Marty’s and his sister Janet’s work at www.RaisedByAVillage.com

 

Gift of Synesthesia

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational, Synesthesia, Teaching / Education, Thoughts

Synesthesia - picture - final

A few months ago, I learned that a mental process of mine had a long Greek name associated with it.  I set out to discover what this mental process was, who else had it, how it helped or hindered us, and how best to take advantage of what I have come to call the “Gift of Synesthesia”.

Earlier this year while walking into work, a field of rye grass and the leaves on a row of eucalyptus trees were going back and forth in rhythm with the blowing wind.  I stopped and stared because I realized that the rye heads and eucalyptus leaves weren’t just moving – I sensed vibrations coming off of them (stronger than normal), perceived lines and waves in my mind, and heard the whole as a symphony in my mind.  It was profound.

At first, I thought I was imagining things and then realized I had joined their symphony by the simplicity of my standing there.  I was swept along in the movements, riding the waves of motion.  Later that day, I checked again – yep, same sensations.  Then, I started thinking about how I used to see and sense similar things when I was a kid, a teenager, in my 20s, 30s, etc.  I realized it was the same.

In trying to figure this thing out, I researched “sensing vibrations from things you see”.  Came across some articles, which led me to others, which led me to “synesthesia”, which led me to youtube, which led me to an interview with some synesthetes.  One of them closely expressed what I was feeling.  I was so excited that I started crying.  Finally, this thing wasn’t weird!  It had a name!

Synesthesia is basically a blending of the senses.  Some people perceive colored numbers, taste colors, see the entire number line, or see a calendar that rotates in their minds.  For a more complete definition with links and references, check out: wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia.

So, then came the questions, “Why didn’t I understand this thing 40 years ago?!  20 years ago?  10 years ago?”  When those frustrations re-occur, my wife reminds me, “Well, you didn’t, and the past is the past.  But, now you do – so use it to move forward.”

Okay.  Now what?  How do I best use this for the next 50 years?  I’ve been asking around, learning more, and looking into some possibilities.

From what I understand at this point, my synesthesia manifests itself in multiple modalities.  There are lots of different reactions in my head to the various inputs.  Each sense evokes a unique response at times, while some senses constantly blend together multiple things.  Wednesdays are muted-green; Mondays are blue; etc.  Recently, when I was looking through a collection of pictures from a friend, I saw a pink flamingo and “Tuesday!” came to mind.  I know – it might sound weird – but there you have it.

I believe that’s where part of my intense creativity comes from.  I haven’t always known what to do with the artistic words, images, paintings, pictures, poetry, music, and lyrics that have appeared in and flooded my mind over the past four decades.  I’ve expressed some through books, songs, and teaching.  But I’ve filed away many others in my brain, waiting for the right time.  Maybe that time has finally come.

Another example that comes to mind is a car I bought from a friend who was moving out of town.  Carnell smoked a lot and used a particular gel air freshener to cover the smokiness in the red Lincoln.  Every time I got in that car, I told him that it smelled “purple”.  We laughed about it.  But he finally understood what I meant when I discovered that one of his air freshener gel cans had slipped down inside behind the glove box next to the heater core.  So, that thing was just pumping out a deep cherry-purple smell every day!  I finally got rid of the odor in the car, but every time I smell it in the aisle in a store or in an office somewhere, it immediately takes me back to Carnell’s red Lincoln…purple.

Also, if I tilt my head a certain way while looking at the computer screen, some of the letters turn green or purple.  Other words pick up a reddish or yellowish hue around them.  Now, that might just be the lighting of the screen, but either way it’s pretty darn cool.  I tell myself that the letters are all just plain black, and they won’t distract me.

Sounds are especially a hot topic for me – always have been.  So, I’ve carried earplugs with me for the past 20 years.  At parties and sports events, I wear them to take the edge off, yet can still hear conversations just fine.

I tried to talk about this “thing” with others when I was 5 or 6 years old, trying to understand it.   We were out on the playground at school, and the trees and grass across the road were blowing in the wind.  I asked one of the teachers, “Why do the leaves do that?”  “Do what?” she asked.  “That,” pointing at them moving.  She looked at me a little confused and replied, “Well, the wind’s blowing.”  I looked back at her and said, “No, I got that part.  I know that.  But what makes the vibrations come off of them?”  She grinned slightly and said, “You have a very creative imagination.”

After a couple of years of mentioning it or asking people about it when was young, they implied that I was making things up, that I was nuts, or was just being weird.  So, I kept it to myself.  But, it’s still been there every day – just didn’t know what it was.  Now I do.

Since realizing what “this” is, I’ve decided to let it run.  It’s been a very fun couple of months!  I feel like I’m finally me, again.

If you think you may have synesthesia or know someone else who does, I would love to hear about your/their experiences.  You can also find out more by answering some questions at www.synesthete.org .  The site is run by a research lab at Baylor University in Houston, TX.

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Thanks for stopping by, today.  I hope you liked the post!
For more stuff, check out www.amazon.com/author/reep

Learn Another Language!

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational, Teaching / Education, Thoughts

This week at work, a couple of friends and I were talking about some of the different websites that are out there now that help you learn other languages.

It’s amazing how many sites there are and how many of them are interactive. If you’re interested in learning another language, here’s a list that may help you:

Language Learning Sites:

Language Agencies:

Articles:

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You can email me at martyjreep (at) yahoo.com.  This article was adapted from one of my upcoming books.  For ones currently published, go to www.Amazon.com/author/reep

Sanctuary of the Woods

Posted on by martyjreep in Creative Writing, Fiction, great fiction, Motivational, Short Stories, Thoughts

Way down in the woods, we’d play every afternoon til it started getting dark. Then, we’d work our way back up through the trees and out into the clearing that formed the top part of the hill behind the hay barn and the metal calf barn that was painted white. Out on top of the hill, the evening light shone all around and lit up everything like it was a dying fire. Reds and oranges and yellows all leapt and jumped around with the changing of the shadows, as the sun set farther and farther into the horizon in the west.

But before all of that, we were in the woods. That’s where the most glorious music was played, the most pungent and wonderful smells were produced, and where the most intricate of interlacing details could be seen wherever we walked or stood. Ants crawled all over the ground and exposed themselves here and there in the form of a red clay hill to signify they had made a huge undertaking underground. “Hill” was a relative term compared to the towering pine trees and oak trees in the immediate vicinity. However, to the ants, their hills were gigantic.

The creek constantly gave off its melody that wound up being the background tune for the rest of the woods. As the stream of water walked across the rocks and sand underneath, it splashed and dashed, adding to its travels an occasional brushing up next to the tall grass that grew along the creek bank. Dragonflies, water bugs, and butterflies flitted around in search of their own particles to eat and enjoy. Their color added flavor to the eyes along the stream of water, as it meandered its way from the bottom land of the pasture and into the area we claimed as our sanctuary – the woods.

God had given us those woods in order to show us that he was still very much in charge, although our home life was hectic at times. Growing up can be challenging for anyone at times, and we were no exception.

The peace and solitude of the tree-covered area was our home for a few hours each day, enough that it gave us respite from the craziness. When we entered the woods and the tall grass surrounding the creek, we knew we were safe. Sure there were lots of critters around, but we knew none of them would hurt us.

How did we know? Birds singing was one of the signs. If the birds were singing, then nothing was around that they were bothered by – and they were always singing, so we were always safe.

Of all the birds in the woods, one of the most amazing ones was the mockingbird. It had the ability to be a one-man-band. It could hear a new bird and after a little practice, it could take the other bird’s voice as its own. At the time, we didn’t understand all of the details – we just knew it sounded beautiful.

The wind joined in on the symphony that God had going on in the woods. As it blew across the tall, green grass and through the dark pine needles in the treetops surrounding us, we could feel the presence of something incredible passing through our midst. It was almost as if the stars and clouds had come down and were invisibly brushing us on our cheeks.

Today, I still love the breeze.

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This article was adapted from one of Reep’s upcoming books.  For ones currently published, go to www.Amazon.com/author/reep

Mind Over Matter

Posted on by martyjreep in Motivational, Thoughts

When responsibilities, deadlines, and things around you are tough, life can appear difficult. It is at those times that you may start wishing you were elsewhere: on a beach, in the mountains, at the park, or in another life.

Does that mean in those situations you are letting the surrounding conditions control your emotions and reactions? Yes, probably so. Is that the best way to react? No, probably not. So what to do?

To not let them control you, make a conscious decision to be indifferent to them. Surrounding conditions are a lot of times only innate objects or imposed beliefs. And if they are innate objects, they may not even be real. They may simply be conditions that you perceive as real and attach emotions and reactions.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is employ the idea of mind over matter. That is part of the perspective where genius comes from. Mind over matter is part of what gives you super-abilities in times of need.

The more you dwell there and see your surrounding conditions from its vantage point, the more you will have it as your confidant. You will be able to harness and actively use its power to overcome in life, moment-by-moment.

Likewise, all thoughts, actions, and reactions are seeds that get released into the physical and metaphysical planes of the universe. There, they get planted and grow into fruition. So, nothing is just in and of itself. There are always more things connected to the action or thought than are evident.

The mental approach you take to overcome a particular situation can actually lay the groundwork for success and progress in future areas of your life. By taking the time to positively plan your approach to utilizing your ideas and brilliance to succeed, you are investing in your own future.

Over the years, life will take some interesting turns. Many aspects will mesh into an interesting tapestry that continuously grows. Keep yourself at the point where you look forward to how each new day will unfold. Visualizations will come true, and then more will take their place in the future. It’s always interesting to see how visualization will materialize and when.

You don’t have to figure out your whole life all at once. Enjoy life as it is, moment by moment. When you do, you’ll be amazed at how simple it is and how much more at ease living becomes.

“Mind over matter” works.

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…adapted from my book An Agreement with Life

Lightning Storms in the Field

Posted on by martyjreep in Creative Writing, Fiction, great fiction, Motivational, Short Stories, Thoughts

Every other weekend during the school year, it was our turn to milk. My brother and I would help Daddy milk Saturday evening, Sunday morning, and Sunday evening. We also fed the cows Saturday and Sunday, midday. Sometimes when people were out sick or on vacation, we helped during the week – but mostly every other weekend.

During the summer, though, it was a different story. Any morning or evening was fair game, depending on what was going on. If hay needed to be baled, then somebody milked while somebody else baled. If it was a silage-cutting time, one guy cut silage, one drove wagons back and forth to the field, and another packed the silo with a front end loader. Two others milked.

Of course, the wild card in all of that was the weather. If it was sunny and warm out, life was good. But if it was stormy or overly hot, that was a different story. Likewise, rainstorms were something amazing to watch. It was always interesting to see just how close the clouds would get before they unleashed their water from above.

Sure, most people look at rain clouds and think, “Oh look…how pretty.” But if you’ve ever been caught out in a storm, then you probably don’t automatically think that anymore. I can’t tell you how many storms I’ve gotten caught out in. A lot of times, they would come up so suddenly that I didn’t notice they were blocking the sunshine until they were already upon me. By then, it was too late. The big fear always seemed to be about getting struck by lightning.

We could be out in the field on any given day, and Daddy would come check on us periodically. He was usually easy-going and laid back – driving slow and rarely a worried look on his face. But baby, let the sky crack loose a couple of wicked, shimmering bolts of electricity and everything changed!

That blue pickup would come flying across the fields to snatch us off the tractor quicker than a rabbit running away from a combine in second gear. Depending on which field we were in, we’d wind up going to Mamaw’s house or to our house for the duration of the heavenly electric show.

I actually liked it when that happened, because going to Mamaw’s house meant getting to eat some of her pound cake and drinking cool well water from the kitchen sink. On the other hand, going home to wait out the weather meant peanut butter and crackers and sweet tea. So, either was a win.

Either way, though, it meant that the tractor seat was going to be wet when I got back to the field. Some things just couldn’t be avoided. Sure, in a perfect world, I would have known the storm was coming and was going to have lightning in it that time – meaning we would be leaving the field for a while. But also in a perfect world, the silage would have cut itself, and we wouldn’t have had to be out there in the first place. But, that’s not how it happened. We had to cut the silage to feed to the cows – just like we had to drive the tractors that got the job done.

I’m grateful that I had the chance to get wet, driving the John Deere in the rain. In a lot of ways, it made us better kids then and better adults now. None of us take dry clothes and hospitality for granted. We’re grateful for them all the time.

Once in a while, I’m guilty of complaining about something as simple as getting my sock feet wet in the kitchen if there’s something wet on the floor. But then I’ll stop, shake my head, remember the storms in the field, and smile because I’m not soaked from head to toe. It really is amazing how things in life shape who we are and how we react to them.

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This article was adapted from one of Reep’s upcoming books. To read ones currently published, go to Amazon.com/author/reep

Positively Impacting Community

Posted on by martyjreep in Creative Writing, Motivational, Thoughts

Hopefully, part of your agreement with life involves improving parts of your community that need help. One of the best ways to positively impact your community is by showing people (of all ages) how to get involved in it.

By helping them understand how a particular community works, who the key players are, and what the current processes are, they’ll be able to see which parts are effective and which parts aren’t. Understanding those things will help them to see how they can help continue moving the good parts forward and fix the bad ones.

Lead by example, and encourage others to get out into the highways and byways of the community and become an excited part of it. Whether it’s through traditional ways or through creative ways, positively impacting your community is always a good thing.

“Fresh eyes” will see things differently than eyes that have looked at the same situation for a long time. Infusing your community with “new blood” will also invigorate other people to stay involved and improve at multiple levels. It’s true that the people who are involved in the community in one way or another are people who really care. If they didn’t care, they wouldn’t be involved.

A way to help others care is to help them see a need. At first, you may have to point out some needs to them (but probably not, since many needs are obvious). In time, they’ll see other needs on their own.

Once they see a need and have a desire to do something about it, help them design a plan of action. Action of some sort is necessary to convert their good intentions into positive changes. Their plan of action needs to include both short-range and long-range goals. Then, help them get to work.

Rolling up your sleeves alongside them will help them see that your own desire to positively impact the community is as real as theirs is. Together, your combined efforts will be amazing!

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[…adapted from Marty’s book An Agreement with Life]

And check out www.amazon.com/author/reep for more of my books.
Enjoy! – Marty

Worlds of Work and Letting Go

Posted on by martyjreep in Creative Writing, Motivational, Thoughts

A lot of people go into their little worlds of work and don’t come out again for 40 years. They think what they do is so important that they rarely stop to look at what they’re doing: to see if it really matters or fits well into the rest of the world somehow.

In some cases, their families grow up around them without them noticing until it’s too late: children seemingly change from toddlers to teenagers overnight, and spouses get tired of waiting for time together.

Don’t let yourself become that person who never leaves the office. Your family is more important. They really are – and there IS a way to live a balanced life. Meaning, you CAN provide for your family AND be with them in person 3-dimensionally to laugh, love, cry, hold, and smile.

Your family would rather have you than a picture of you.

Likewise, someone once told me, “Letting go is a good thing. It really creates freedom, and it lets trust grow.” Freedom and trust? Maybe trust is hard for you at times, because people have squashed it. You may have even said, “Forget it.”

If so, talking about it and writing it out can help. It creates a sense of permanence because it’s written down somewhere. It’s refreshing to get the old stuff out.

In time, you’ll be able to trust more, and things will “click”. They will be easier to deal with.

When you feel overwhelmed by people and things, let go, if it helps you feel better. Remember, life’s bark is bigger than its bite, most of the time.

Pray each day for the things that make you excited about life – the ones that make you feel tingly all over, good points in life, and feelings that you cherish. If you focus on them, then as you deal with people and situations, those positives will be there to guide you.

As wise men and women have said throughout the years, “Breathe out doubt; breathe in trust.”

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[…adapted from Marty’s book An Agreement with Life]

And check out www.amazon.com/author/reep for more of my books.
Enjoy! – Marty