Quit Taking and Start Thinking

I believe in signs. The older that I get, the more inclined I am to recognize them as they happen. Here recently one of those signs is a nagging mental reminder to question everything and take nothing for granted. Just because someone says something is true doesn't necessarily make it so. In fact until you can truly interpret and really feel something to be true internally, I suggest that it may not be.

Your problem very well might be the same as I mine. I used to take things for face value and put little to no effort into what was being preached, taught or evangelized. Heck that's what we are taught as kids right - just listen and learn. I used to spend little time investing in the mental energy it takes to interpret ideas and concepts to be the way that they seem to be and thus I would take the mental shortcut my brain prefers me to take. I believe we've been conditioned to simply accept that which is put before us and our brains, if we don't challenge them, are all to happy to accomodate that way of thinking. Heck I can actually feel my brain say, that is so true not let me go back to sleep okay mister?

Our brains are akin to the most powerful computers in the world, processing more data, thoughts, ideas and concepts in a blink of an eye than most of us realize. Our brains are also lazy. They don't like to fire up the retro engines and go full throttle very often, preferring to keep those actions on the bench until faced with something major. The brain likes to take the easy road on most everything hence why it likes to interpret the lessons we are taught as being true and move on. That my friends is dangerous.

When we look at history's greatest teachers whether it be Einstein, Socrates, Galileo, Beethovan, or Michelangelo one quality seems to ring true - they were all big time thinkers. They spent an enormous amount of time inside their own heads, refusing to allow their brians to lay dormant. They took what life's lessons were at the time and took the time to question and challenge them. Had none of them ever done that just think how differently our world might be today. Most of today's greatest technological achivements can be traced in some way shape or form back to these great thinkers.

Over the next few days I would like to share with you what I have done to put more of a direct focus on this all important task of thinking. Believe it or not, my focus on this area has significantly improved by ability to find and make deeper more meaningful connections and present more value to those connections. Even the concept of Rippling, which continues to evolve moment by moment, is squarely attributed to my focus on thinking about it. Had I not been willing to challenge the traditional way people connect you wouldn't be reading this BLOG post today and my life and career would likely be on a much different path.

Ripple On!!!