"The Three A's of Awesome" Neil Pasricha
I have long believed that the key to happiness is appreciating the small things. If a beautiful sky or a bag or sour patch kids can't make your day, then how are you ever going to rise above the pressures and disappointments of every day life. I'm not saying that candy alone can cure heartbreak, but by trying every day to focus on all the little positive things that make our world colorful, we can become happier and stronger and more ready to face the real difficulties life trows at us. I really enjoyed this video, because it reminded me of something that we are so often taught in church. Though Pasricha doesn't bring religion into his talk, it reminded me of another bright light of hope I have to look to every day. When we no longer feel like the world cares about us, we know that our Heavenly Father does, and I have never turned to Him in honest prayer and not felt reassured that He cares about me.
Pasricha's ability to rise above the pressures of his life and throw himself into positive thinking is incredibly inspiring. I think if we woke up each morning and resolved to keep a constant check on our attitude, awareness, and authenticity (what he describes as the three A's), we would not only be happier, but we would brighten the lives of others around us as well.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
10.12.11
"On Being Wrong" Kathryn Schulz
Why do we have problems with being wrong? Why are we afraid of being wrong? I really enjoyed Kathryn Schulz's ideas about "wrongness." I think our society has a crippling fear of being wrong, and that that prevents us from our greatest potential for progression, compassion, and understanding. The biggest way this is manifested is in the way that we are afraid of people who think differently than us. Many people will look at someone different and simply assume that they're wrong. We shouldn't be afraid to be different. We shouldn't be afraid to learn of others who are different. When it comes to our understanding of the world, if we are able to step outside of ourselves and embrace being wrong, our creative abilities will sky rocket. Getting something wrong doesn't mean there's something wrong with you, it means that you weren't afraid to try, and to me that is admirable.
I loved when she quoted St. Augustine, "I fail, therefore I am."Just because things don't go according to plan, doesn't mean things went wrong. Being able to accept the unexpected can actually enrich our lives.
I think I am fairly good at realizing when I’m wrong. Maybe too good. What I’m not as good at is turning that into something positive. Instead I often tend to see it as a dead end. I don’t let it destroy me, but I sometimes let it stop me in my tracks. While being able to admit our failures is certainly a valuable skill, I think sometimes the far more important thing is to be able to be ok with being wrong, and then to do something about it. I often find myself realizing I have been wrong about something, and then doing absolutely nothing to change it. When I watched this video, the question for me wasn’t “are mistakes good or bad?” It doesn’t matter whether a mistake is useful or not unless we take into account what happens because of it. I think it’s crucial that when we fail, no matter how big or small, we let ourselves learn from it. When we are wrong, it gives us an opportunity to realize what is right, which can be a valuable lesson if we let it. If we take this approach, we won’t be so afraid to be wrong. We will speak up, try things that interest us, and if in the end we find failure, we will have learned from it.
Why do we have problems with being wrong? Why are we afraid of being wrong? I really enjoyed Kathryn Schulz's ideas about "wrongness." I think our society has a crippling fear of being wrong, and that that prevents us from our greatest potential for progression, compassion, and understanding. The biggest way this is manifested is in the way that we are afraid of people who think differently than us. Many people will look at someone different and simply assume that they're wrong. We shouldn't be afraid to be different. We shouldn't be afraid to learn of others who are different. When it comes to our understanding of the world, if we are able to step outside of ourselves and embrace being wrong, our creative abilities will sky rocket. Getting something wrong doesn't mean there's something wrong with you, it means that you weren't afraid to try, and to me that is admirable.
I loved when she quoted St. Augustine, "I fail, therefore I am."Just because things don't go according to plan, doesn't mean things went wrong. Being able to accept the unexpected can actually enrich our lives.
I think I am fairly good at realizing when I’m wrong. Maybe too good. What I’m not as good at is turning that into something positive. Instead I often tend to see it as a dead end. I don’t let it destroy me, but I sometimes let it stop me in my tracks. While being able to admit our failures is certainly a valuable skill, I think sometimes the far more important thing is to be able to be ok with being wrong, and then to do something about it. I often find myself realizing I have been wrong about something, and then doing absolutely nothing to change it. When I watched this video, the question for me wasn’t “are mistakes good or bad?” It doesn’t matter whether a mistake is useful or not unless we take into account what happens because of it. I think it’s crucial that when we fail, no matter how big or small, we let ourselves learn from it. When we are wrong, it gives us an opportunity to realize what is right, which can be a valuable lesson if we let it. If we take this approach, we won’t be so afraid to be wrong. We will speak up, try things that interest us, and if in the end we find failure, we will have learned from it.
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