Weekly Thought – March 27, 2018
Fred chose to have his annual physicals at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, because his long-time physician and friend practiced there. An extra bonus were the evenings spent in the doctor’s home with others for exciting conversation. He returned home in high spirits. When he required surgery, he returned to Mayo knowing their skill and the opportunity to recover in that environment.
We are continuing this week with several of the ideas he put together as interesting thoughts to start the mental engine in the morning with his coffee.
Morning Mental Jolts
1) Beware of the Exception – We have to be careful not to be caught up by the exceptions. I remember reading as a child of a man who picked up a page out of the Bible blowing down the street and became a Christian. That doesn’t mean that every windy day in Dallas we should rip pages out of our Bibles and throw them into the street as an evangelistic strategy. Many get rich quick schemes are built on the belief that we can be the exception – that we don’t have to follow the ordinary rules of wealth accumulation. Thinking of ourselves as an exception is dangerous and foolish.
2) Asking for Advice – When asking someone to help you make a decision never assume they will see the situation as you do. Avoid an opening statement such as “This is terrible – I don’t see any way out – you probably won’t have an answer for me.” Just state the facts with an air of optimism to give the other person confidence. And a key to asking advice: don’t give your opinion unless they ask for it.
3) Heroes – Heroes are not necessarily people without weaknesses, but are most often people who have overcome weaknesses and difficulties to accomplish great things. If our heroes are public figures we should guard against letting the media destroy them by exposing their weaknesses in a tabloid way. Instead, we should continually look to their achievements in light and in spite oftentimes, of their weaknesses. We are not looking for god-like figures – there is only One.
4) Transition – Many people lose the process of transition, making them less effective than they could be. Transition always follows three steps: 1) Letting loose of the past; 2) Entering into the neutral zone when one is between trapezes; and 3) adapting and accepting the new. We often fail to proceed to stage three because we are afraid of the release in the neutral zone. Even worse, we realize we are still carrying the past on the trapeze with us, making a clean and successful shift uneasy.
This week think about: 1) How well do I make transitions? 2) When I ask for advice how hard is it for me to avoid giving my unsought opinion? 3) Who is trying to live as an exception and could benefit from Fred’s quick thought?
Words of Wisdom: “Just state the facts with an air of optimism to give the other person confidence. And a key to asking advice: don’t give your opinion unless they ask for it.”
Wisdom from the Word: “And do everything in a decent and orderly manner.” (1 Corinthians 14:40 NET Bible)