“This is the city and I am one of the citizens …” (Walt Whitman)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Diversity & culture
“This is the city and I am one of the citizens, whatever interests the rest interests me.” This is a line from Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself.
It caught my attention for the worldview it includes. If only we were all so curious and interested in ‘other’, in wrapping difference into our own.
I’m not an English major and reading poetry is not generally a pastime so bear with me. I am interested in words that provide a window into a new way of looking at things.
Like these. Here are some other intriguing lines from the same poem.
- “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” (Section 1)
Could it be that even when we seem most different, when we appear like icebergs miles apart, that our underwater bases are actually touching, that we’re more similar than first appearances?
- “In all people I see myself, none more and not one a barleycorn less/and the good or bad I say of myself I say of them” (Section 20)
When we see ‘other’ we so easily judge (especially when we’re stressed or in conflict). Examining difference from the lens of intrigue, while batting away judgement, can bring about powerful insight (none less than into our own selves).
- “It is you talking just as much as myself…I act as the tongue of you” (Section 47)
Others reflect ourselves back to us, especially all our complicated, crazy peccadilloes.
~~TGIF- each Friday I rejig & re-post a blog entry from my www.life-lenses.com blog, which is about enhancing our perspective & worldview.~~
Tags: diversity, perspective, walt witman, world view
Learning from the amazing parents of twin baby boys, on their first plane ride
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Humor & comedy, Training & development
In case you can’t read the text, the note in the bag of candy says: Hello! We’re twin baby boys on our first flight & we’re only 14 weeks old. We’ll try to be on our best behavior but we’d like to apologize in advance just in case we lose our cool, get scared or our ears hurt. Our mom & dad (AKA our portable milk machine & our diaper changer) have ear plugs available if you need them. We are all sitting in 20E & 20F if you want to come by to get a pair. We hope you have a great flight!
Whoooeeee! Other than parents of the year, these folks should get educator of the year. How to head conflict off before it raises its head, how to inform & educate under duress, they’ve done it all beautifully.
Note their strategic use of humour to prevent conflict.
Note their awareness of managing stress & being proactive.
Note their appeal to our base selves (candy anyone?!).
Beautiful!
There’s a Greek saying that goes ‘a hungry belly has no ears’ – these parents know it & more. Amen!
Like this post? Check out the source – 26 moments that restored our faith in humanity.
Tags: conflict, humour, stress
“In the grand scheme of things we’re all pretty much blind & deaf”
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Humor & comedy
- Image & text from Abstruse Goose
This image pretty much says it all.
We can’t take it all in. Not even close.
Our screen, our radar, is highly selective.
Beyond what we can see, we see what we want to see. Likewise beyond what we can hear, we hear what we want to hear.
Add the effects of preferences, culture & context to the mix & we’re highly selective creatures with infinitely focused (aka exclusive) worldviews.
Here’s an example – before I had a critter crazy kid I never realized there were so many bugs, frogs & creepy crawlies around. Did the bug population all of a sudden explode? No, of course not, it’s a simple case of my radar being influenced by my kid.
Want to expand your view? Check out Life Lenses™.
~~TGIF- each Friday I rejig & re-post a blog entry from my www.life-lenses.com blog, which is about enhancing our perspective & worldview.~~
Tags: abstruse goose, perspective
Taking a page from the puppy: when you’re little & lost sometimes someone’s just gotta show you the way
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Humor & comedy, Training & development
Photo Credit: extranoise via Compfight cc
When it comes to learning, the curve can be steep, steep like a staircase.
Sometimes it just takes a little demo to nudge us from ‘I don’t want to go there’ to ‘oh, I get it!’
Like the big dog showing the orphaned pup below.
Who knew going downstairs could be so tough? At least until you’re shown the way.
When you’re running short on time & tempted to give up on the demo, remember the pup. It’s key to being able to transfer learning.
Tags: humour, training & development
You’re fine, how am I? (Dan Piraro of Bizarro comic fame)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Humor & comedy
- Creative Commons licensed on Flickr by: Gamma Man
I love the Bizarro comic by Dan Piraro that has one psychic saying to another ‘You’re fine, how am I?’
(I can’t include it because it’s not licensed for free public use but you can see it here, it’s #8.)
It throws a wrench into perspective. It twists our typical way of looking at things.
It throws up a looking glass, a mirror, a reflection and asks what you see.
You’re fine, how am I?
~~TGIF- each Friday I rejig & re-post a blog entry from my www.life-lenses.com blog, which is about enhancing our perspective & worldview.~~
Tags: bizarro, comic, dan piraro, humour
Training & development learning well January blog post round up
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Humor & comedy, Training & development
If you didn’t catch all the posts last month simply peruse & click what’s below.
Here’s the Rock.Paper.Scissors’ monthly training & development round up for the month of January.
Learn well in the training & development learning well. Dive deep into the learning well or take a small sip. Shower yourself in training & development or just get your big toe wet.
Refresh & refreshing.
As you wish.
Tags: albert einstein, curiousity, destination lens, exuberance, getting things done, humour, improv, improv everywhere, life lenses, passion
Charlie’s Chocolate Factory – finding a neighbour 14,354 km away
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Diversity & culture
The strangest coincidences happen when you’re far, far from home. Like when I was on safari recently in Kenya and met THE Charlie of Charlie’s Chocolate Factory. Charlie is somewhat of a local legend & meeting him & his wife in person was a sweet treat (pun intended).
Charlie’s Chocolate Factory is a family-owned and operated business located in the Vancouver lower mainland. In 1970, after several years of being employed by others, Charlie began the business he loves.
I’ve relocated to Kenya for an adventure filled year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to seek out both differences that make a difference and similarities that are significant.
Differences like being able to out on safari for the weekend & sleep beside a hippo frequented river. Differences like living in a developing country.
Similarities like discovering someone from your hometown while you are 14,354 kilometers away from it. Charlie was travelling with a group of folk, all from my hometown area.
Are we more similar or different? Depends on what you look for.
If you look for only differences that’s only what you’ll find. You’ll miss the bridges that connect us.
If you look for only similarities that’s only what you’ll see. You’ll miss the rich cultural differences that enrich our lives & create intricate mosaics.
What made my weekend was seeking out unique & different experiences while enjoying them with a homegrown neighbour.
~~TGIF- each Friday I rejig & re-post a blog entry from my www.life-lenses.com blog, which is about enhancing our perspective & worldview.~~
Tags: culture, difference, kenya, similarity
The 4th annual To do, To stop doing & To’odle compilation
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Business & organizational development
This blog post is taken from this month’s Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc. newsletter. See the entire newsletter, including free, related resources here. Don’t receive our monthly newsletter? Whatsamatter you! Sign up here.
It’s a new year, fresh with the smell of a new calendar, a fresh start, a clean page. At this time of year you may have already made (& broken?!) several resolutions. Or you may be going strong with a resolution or two.
Wherever you find yourself, take heart from the inspiring people I’ve interviewed below for the 4th annual ‘to-do, not to do.’
They’re an interesting, eclectic bunch. From Mike Volpe, CMO of HubSpot to Chris Weeks Director of Humanitarian Affairs for DHL, from white hot Danielle LaPorte to Disaster & Post-Conflict UN Chief, Dan Lewis, you’ll find something to inspire, your gray matter, motivate you out of your seat towards customizing & keeping your own to-do’s, not to do’s etc.
So banish any vestiges of overwhelm &/or guilt & get ready. Below you’ll find your own customizable template to download & use.
Based on people’s aversion & boredom with to-do lists, 4 years ago, I started a more creative to-do tool, one meant to inspire & lift you up. It’s made up of:
- To Do * things I want to start doing, being or having
- To continue doing * these work, so I should continue doing these
- To stop doing * I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore
- To not do * I know I want to stay away from these
- To done * that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of & yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.
- To-oodle * what I do when I need/want to avoid following my lists & let my mind wander.
Some of my favourites are
- Spirited, sassy Joanna Oser, wants to stop business negotiating with men who don’t work well with women. Next step is to take them to the mattresses!
- Dan Lewis wants to stop reacting to stupidity (there’s no bottom to that hole).
- Lainie says her to-done list is long, as I am really proud of what I’ve done.
- Danielle LaPorte’s to-done includes being fiercely proud of having launched The Desire Map program.
So grab some inspiration from these folks in the rest of the article below & then grab your own copy of the customizable to do list template.
Download the rest of the article here.
Tags: dan lewis, danielle laporte, hubspot, joanna oser, mike volpe, time management, to do, united nations
I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious (Albert Einstein)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness
Curiousity didn’t kill the cat.
Far from it.
Curiousity flames the inquisitive fires of exploration.
Curiousity made our ancestors climb out of trees to claim the savannahs of Africa while walking upright for the first time.
Curiousity beats back ignorance, stereotyping & conflict while keeping an open, enquiring mind.
Curiousity takes credit for the genius of Albert Einstein.
This year, encourage your Life Lens™ to be curious. Really curious. About your opposite lenses.
~~TGIF- each Friday I rejig & re-post a blog entry from my www.life-lenses.com blog, which is about enhancing our perspective & worldview.~~
Tags: albert einstein, curiousity
‘Tis the season to look up
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness, Humor & comedy
Humour is magic. It crosses chasms. It unites. It opens the door to learning.
Improv Everywhere, the infamous & surreptitious improv group from New York, has this down. In the clip below they use humour to change our perspective.
‘Tis the time of year to look up. To look where we don’t often glance. To seek out. To expand our view.
And sometimes all it takes is simply looking up.
What do you see when you look up?
~~TGIF- each Friday I rejig & re-post a blog entry from my www.life-lenses.com blog, which is about enhancing our perspective & worldview.~~
Tags: improv, improv everywhere, life lenses