Knowledge changes Perception
I am about 5 foot 10 inches tall (if you can call that tall) and I weigh about 260 lbs. To most people, I would be considered fat or morbidly obese. It is a not uncommon to hear people commenting about my size. Many people, who do not know me will address me as big man or big fella. Don’t get me wrong, this is not an issue for me, but I do have a point! There are many people who can look at me in my present state and their perception is that I need to do something to lose weight immediately. They even go as far as to believe that I am out of control and I do not exercise or have any control over my eating.
However, those who know me or those who have seen photos of me from just a year ago would know that I have recently lost over 120 lbs. Those people (who are in the know) do not have the same negative view that the previous group of people have of me. Why is this?
Knowledge changes Perception!
This is a lesson that is well worth learning. When you do not know the story about a particular issue, your perception is skewed! You have based your opinion on your own set of experiences and been drawn to an uneducated guess of what the conclusion may be. Usually, a brief look into the history of an issue can completely change your opinions and beliefs. Are we in agreement yet? If so, I think you will find that a lot of the feelings, beliefs and viewpoints that we share are often based on a lack of knowledge. The worst part is that we seek out people who feel the same way to strengthen our positions. This amounts to nothing more than a large collection of ignorance in most cases. Just think about how many people believed the following: the world is flat, the atom is the smallest particle of matter, Columbus discovered America. We must realize that large groups of people not only believed these things, they were willing to bet their lives on this knowledge. The truth is the world is round, the atom has been split (proving it is not the smallest particle of matter) and Columbus never even set foot on the place we call America. There are many things that a majority of people believed that was incorrect.
Lets take the time this year(and for the rest of our lives) to seek knowledge before we make decisions on anything. Or at the very least, let us be willing to allow the truth about a situation to positively influence our viewpoints. Review your opinions and let facts and knowledge have a chance at expanding your mind!
Oh yeah, I do intend to continue losing weight! Don’t worry about that!
What Now?
Well, the hype of the New Year is gone. The ball dropped, the confetti has been cleaned up, and the party is over. Some resolutions have already been dismissed as “unattainable” and many people are back to their everyday lives in their familiar rut. Where are you?
This cycle of “yearly rebirth” is one of the greatest fallacies known to man. We put all of our energy into doing something different in the coming year. When that does not work, we wait for the next year. Why do we do this? If you thought about it, I am sure that most of you would agree that our personal “New Year’s Day” is our birthday. That is truly a new year for each of us. However true this may be, we would still find ourselves in the same dilemma after each birthday. So, what is the solution?
Change your units of measure!
What does this mean? Set a goal for the new month, the new week, the new day or even the new hour! Who says we have to fail for a year before we get a chance to reset? Who put a “magical spell” on the night of December 31st that makes all of our dreams and desires come true? Obviously, no one or we would be in better shape by now!
If you have “dropped the ball” on your resolutions already, start over this week. If you fail, try starting over the next day and take it one day at a time. It works! If you did not go to the gym today, start tomorrow. If you smoked a cigarette and wanted to quit, don’t smoke for the next hour and then the next hour. Don’t limit yourself by units of time; use them to your advantage. As long as you are living, there is another second, minute or hour to try again! Be encouraged and find success in your new resolutions! I am rooting for you!
Invest In People To Invest In Yourselves!
I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and I gave her some advice about a positive career move she could make. This career move would solve many of the problems she had with her job and would keep her in her desired profession. She seemed very impressed with my suggestion and promised to think about it. She was also very thankful. After our talk, she told me how much she appreciated my idea, I told her that I enjoy investing in people. Then I said something that I had never thought of before. I told her that investing in others could possibly help me because as I invest in them, they could become the missing piece to my success. WOW! I felt like someone that was SUPER INTELLIGENT had “quantum leaped” into my body! The thought floored me so much that I can’t even tell you what her reaction was. The more I thought about it the more true it became.
I am sure that many (if not all of you) can agree that it is better to give than to receive. Well this new thought process taught me that you MUST give to receive. Now, I cannot tell you that I expect to directly receive something for every kind act or idea I give to others. But I can tell you that positivity is contagious and we all need each other. I know that may sound a little cliche’, but its true. Especially for those of us who are aspiring entrepreneurs. No one person can succeed on his/her own. I do not care what story you may have heard about a man “pulling himself up by his own bootstraps”. Believe me, someone helped him!
Just as important as investing in “human capital” is being thankful to those who invest in us. We have got to let the people who inspire, support and encourage us know how we feel about them and what they have done for us. They need encouragement too! You may be just the spark they need to continue in their present path. I truly believe that there would be many more success stories if we could just adhere to these two principles. Since I am an educator and we are taught to lead by example, I am gonna thank some of the people who are currently investing in me through motivation, encouragement, constructive criticism, etc.
THANK YOU: Marcella Watts, Anita Watts, Cornell Watts, Eva Forde, Denise Britton-Young, Dana Winston, Duane Harrison, Furman Fordham II, Michael Polite, Lashaune Stitt, Nalo Hamilton, Jamal Hamilton, Nina Hamilton, Gwen and William Brown, Lydia Henderson, Marla Hunter, My Tuesday night small group and Dr. Joanna Faulk.
Of course this is not an exhaustive list. However, it is important to share your feelings of gratitude when you can. Some people may never know how much you appreciate them!
See you in the next blog!!!!!