The Art of Possibility

After listening to Benjamin Zander's TED talk, and hearing about his book, I was given Exclusive Books vouchers as a parting gift from my colleagues in Cape Town.

The 4 books I got were The Zander's `The Art of Possibility', `Fooled by Randomness', `The Google Story', and `Gary Kasparov's Why Life is like Chess'. I read the first one today, inspired by the TED talk.

The theme of the talk is much the same as of the book and it is very inspirational. I was always a cynic. Well, that is not completely true, if you read my ridiculously optimistic and bright eyed Std. 6 creative writing. It is more true that I always regarded with suspicion `motivational' speakers. Maybe more so after growing more disillusioned with religion. I am realising that there is actually a lot of value in these `approaches to life', that offer no superstition or ritual, but simple processes with which to deal with whatever life throws at you, and throw back!

One of the things they speak about is having pre-programmed ways of dealing with situations you know you are likely to face. The example they give is of falling out of a boat while white water rafting. Repeating phrases `toes to nose', and `look for the boat, grab an oar'. People think they can swim and ignore these, but when being thrown around in the water not knowing up from down, phrases like these can save your life.

I have heard a similar thing about practicing dialing `911'. Apparently in panic mode, you may forget what to do... practicing dialing emergency numbers may save your life.

I have spoken before about how much I learned about myself by playing poker. Poker is a long term game. If you allow yourself to get upset about individual hands, or even games, you are going to get upset a lot. When you look down at the cards you are dealt and see `AA', you think... I have to win, this is MY hand. I have waited more than 200 hands to see these cards. Then you lose... and often with overplayed `AA' you lose big cause you just can't let go.

Knowing how you react to situations in advance, like getting that `AA', and deciding in advance how to act or rather when to let go can make all the difference.

1. Realising when you are `seeing red' and being illogical because you are angry.
2. Knowing you are about to say something you will regret.
3. Becoming Anxious.
4. losing sight of the bigger picture, taking yourself or something too seriously.

These are all things we do, and know we do. Wouldn't it be great if you were able to catch yourself in the act, and stop yourself before you do it!

Reckon that comes with practice.

Anyway, read the book... only 200 pages and in my view pretty insightful. Like everything there will be bits you use and bits you don't.

Classical Music with Shining Eyes

Benjamin Zander's TED talk is pretty amazing.

I always wanted to play a classical instrument, or any instrument for that matter. Started with the piano when I went overseas 10 years ago, got to about Grade 4 level and then my varsity work took over. In the back of my mind though, I promise myself I will get back to it.

Music, Art, Drama and other live performances sometimes just grab you. Sometimes movies do the same. That moment when it seems to tug at all the strings and your body seems to rise into your chest and head. There is a magnetism that pulls you towards the performers.

I can think of a few such examples. A little girl of 9 (at the time) playing the Violin at the school I worked at in Chichester, the female teacher's vocal solo at the same school. There are a couple of movies that do it to... Dead Poet's society, the Notebook. Some books, like the Power of One.

I have written a fair amount about the power of disinterest in getting what you want... but we are creatures of passion. It is those moments that to me seem to make things worth while. Those highs and lows...

Do yourself a favour even if you haven't watched any TED talks before, follow this link, download the talk (it is less than 20 minutes) and see where it takes you.

Shallow Hal

Tony Robbins, the Life Coach of `Shallow Hal' fame breaks the TED rules by going overtime (they are only given 18 minutes, he talks for 22. Partly because of his own fault, and partly because the way he ended and said... I can't tell you more because I am out of time, would have lead to riots if he hadn't been given more.

You have to watch it to see what I mean.

Other than that bit, it was the first time I saw him speak. He is a whirlwind. A bundle of energy. Sometimes I actually lost focus on what he was saying though because I was just captivated by watching. That isn't a good thing. Very different from Ken Robinson who is both captivating and easy to follow.

I think it is a lesson in trying to get too many points across. I think that is the beauty of the TED talks. You only have 18 minutes. You can get a lot into 18 minutes, but if you want it to be powerful, you need to focus.

The saying goes something like... `it would have been shorter if I had had more time'

A very amusing part was when Tony asks what it is that people didn't have that caused the people in the audience to have their biggest failure... people were shouting out things like time, energy, motivation, money, resources... when Al Gore shouted out...

`A supreme court'

hehe

`

Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch is a professor at Carnegie Melon who was given 6 months to live. This is his last lecture entitled `achieving your childhood dreams'

It is pretty moving. I watched after just coming back from watching `Starter for Ten' starring James McAvoy, a university student at Bristol in the 80s. It was pretty motivational itself. Maybe a little nostalgic too because some of the characters reminded me of people and friendships I had at university.

One quote I enjoyed

The people who care about you the most don't care if you make mistakes, it's what you do next that matters.

Why am I putting the comments on the movie and the `last lecture' in the same post?

Well... I guess they had similar but different effects on me. A quote I enjoyed from `The Last Lecture':

Find someone to provide a feedback loop, and listen to them.

If you are lucky, the person who gives you that feedback will be the person who sticks around even once you have made the mistake... because you listen and because of what you do next.

Now, before Stuart reaches for his bucket because of all this soppiness, I am going to head off to the gym and get rid of some of this emotional angst.