i-TFTD #228: On Choices

#228-1. The bad news is time flies. The good news is you are the pilot.
-Michael Altshuler

#228-2. The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.
-Linus Pauling

#228-3. History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. The won because they refused to to become discouraged by their defeats.
-B C Forbes

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It is a simple but harsh truth that each of us has 24 hours and we choose to fill it with things that we value at the moment. Even when we say, "I have no choice but to do this..." what we mean is that I am giving this (or the person wanting this) a higher priority than some other things I wish to do.

In the world of creative/lateral thinking, quantity leads to quality. Most of our genius is undiscovered because of mental laziness.

Getting discouraged or feeling demotivated is also a choice we make. Simply starting to use positive words and phrases to describe situations itself helps in a big way. Try it.

i-TFTD #103: Women's Day Special

March 8 was Women's Day. Some of my favourite quotes by women:

#103-1. Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

#103-2. Knowing what you can not do is more important than knowing what you can do.
-Lucille Ball

#103-3. Nobody really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy.
-Cythina Nelms

#103-4. The next thing to being clever is being able to quote someone who is.
-Mary Pettibone Poole

#103-5. You can look at a person's attitude and know what kind of thinking is prevalent in his life... It's better to be positive and wrong than negative and right!
-Joyce Meyer

#103-6. Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
-Marie Curie

#103-7. We spend the first twelve months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up.
-Phyllis Diller

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The 3rd, 5th and 6th are profound. We can apply the last one at the organization, too. We send our juniors to assertiveness training and creativity workshops, but by the time they are seniors, how come they learn not to speak up or think innovatively? The price of maturity? Could I retain an external image of maturity and still be enthusiastic and unconventional? Russell has some good advice on this that has been helpful for me.

RG

i-TFTD #27: Something Plus Acceptance

When someone is doing something or about to do something, in a way I don't want it to be done -- and I am not able to accept it -- I become angry.

When someone is doing something or about to do something, in a way I don't want it to be done -- and I am able to accept it -- I remain tolerant.

When someone is having something or someone is able to produce the results which I am not able to produce:
If I am not able to accept it, I become jealous;
If I am able to accept it, I get inspired.

When I am encountering uncertainty or is about to encounter uncertainty, which I am not sure how I am going to handle:
If I am not able to accept it, it causes fear in me;
If I am able to accept it, I feel adventurous about it.

When someone has done something that has emotionally hurt me:
If I am not able to accept it, it develops hatred in me;
If I am able to accept it, it helps me forgive them.

When someone is present in my thoughts, but is not physically present:
If I am not able to accept it, I say I am missing you;
If I am able to accept it, I say I am thinking of you.

Thus, Emotional Equation becomes:

Something + acceptance = positive emotion

Something + non-acceptance = negative emotion

So, it is not something or someone who is making me feel positive or negative, but it's my acceptance or non-acceptance of something or someone, which impacts things.

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Basic fact needed for spiritual and even psychological maturity. We accept its logic when we read it but are we able to practise its lesson?

Sometimes one wonders what is the difference between passive non-confrontation (out of fear) and positive acceptance and tolerance. I guess the difference is how it makes me feel in the long term. If I am uncomfortable or resentful for a long time, I probably avoided something in the guise of acceptance. If I am able to dispassionately look back and analyze the situation, and feel satisfied that I made a mature choice, then it could be an indicator of true acceptance.