DW's Blog

A Trained Mind Is Better Than Any Script

by DW Green — October 25, 2023

Better to be taught than simply given…

It would be nice if someone could show us exactly what to do in every situation. Indeed, this is what we spend a good portion of our lives doing: preparing for this, studying for that. Saving for or anticipating some arbitrary point in the future. But plans, as the boxer Mike Tyson pointed out, last only until you’re punched in the face.Some do not seek to have the answer for every question or a plan for every contingency. Yet they’re also not worried. Why? Because they have confidence that they’ll be able to adapt and change with the circumstances. Instead of looking for instruction, they cultivate skills like creativity, independence, self-confidence, ingenuity, and the ability to problem solve. In this way, they are resilient instead of rigid. We can practice the same.Today, focus on the strategic rather than the tactical. Remind ourselves that it’s better to be taught than simply given, and better to be flexible than to stick to a script.

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Patience

by DW Green — October 4, 2023

Patience is the natural ground of your being, whereas impatience arises out of fear and conditioning.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and it takes about nine months from conception for a baby to be born. Many things just take time to complete. Remember the movie Deepwater Horizon. The film, a dramatization of the April 2010 disaster when the offshore drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded, causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Poor judgment based on greed and impatience resulted in the deaths of 11 workers and billions of dollars of damages.More about Deepwater Horizon Explosion >Fortunately, these types of mega disasters don’t happen often. But impatience can result in undo stress, unhappiness, and poor judgment. Impatience can impact us, physically and mentally both personally and professionally. From a business standpoint, major projects like store remodels, new website roll outs, creating and implementing new marketing plans or brand development plans all take time to execute. Rushing their completion dates to meet forecasted, often-arbitrary timelines can cause problems including unexpected and unnecessary costs. And even when these large projects are completed, evaluati...

by DW Green — September 27, 2023

Focus on one task at a time.

Several years ago, a chiropractor friend shared with me a valuable insight: the concept of multitasking is, in fact, illusory. He pointed out that while humans can efficiently multitask with motor skills, such as walking and chewing gum simultaneously, the same does not apply to mental skills. In many instances, we find ourselves attempting to juggle multiple mental tasks concurrently—whether it’s engaging in one activity while our thoughts meander elsewhere or managing three distinct tasks at once, like conversing on the phone, doing the dishes, and preparing a pot of tea. Unfortunately, this often results in none of these tasks receiving our full attention, leaving our mental focus divided and strained. For me, mental multitasking resembles an illusion, like water in a mirage, a dream, an echo, a reflection, or even a hallucination—where everything seems distinct and apparent but ultimately lacks true existence. Thus, the wise approach is to focus on one task at a time, being fully present and engaged in whatever the current task demands.