Still standing...
From my own twisted mind:
I watched this today and was quite impressed with this little 6 year old’s singing. She comes on stage to sing Over the Rainbow to a packed auditorium. She does her thing quite well, and I am impressed.
I wheeled over to my co-worker to ask if she’s seen the video yet. She said, “I hate that song, and I don’t believe that little kids can sing great.”
That pretty much ended that conversation, so how about it? Do you agree with her? Check it out for yourself.
Times are a-changing. Few things date you like being asked by someone in school a homework question only to find out that your vast knowledge has been rendered obsolete.
My first experience with this problem occurred nearly two years ago when someone asked me what the 5 oceans ot the Earth are. I counted them out for her: “Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic… there are only 4 oceans. Is this multiple choice? There has to be something wrong here.” After pulling up Wikipedia, I discovered that there is now a Southern Ocean listed in the Oceans article. When I went to the Southern Ocean article, I learned that 28 nations from the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) decided for the world that they wanted to create a new ocean. When were they going to tell all of us who had already graduated?
The next major change came recently when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) re-defined the term “planet” and removed Pluto from the Solar System. At least I read the paper that day. Now we have 8 planets and 3 “dwarf planets.†How do the Roloffs feel about that term?
What is next? Making a mile 5,000 feet to “make it a round number” or something like that?
“If you want to get somewhere in life, my thinking is that you should consult with those who can see down the road for you and guide you to the right fork in the road.” -Jesse Petersen
I am a coach because I can tell someone rather early on some pivital life information. I am an answer man, and I’m often approached by people with problems with a wide array of disciplines. I can tell someone what needs to be done and whether or not I think they can do it. Notice that last part, because this is where people often end up not liking me. I tend to rub people the wrong way because I’m very honest, although I don’t think I an unneccessarily unkind or blunt. Maybe a tad blunt, but not rude.
Think of Simon Cowell, if you have watched enough American Idol to at least respect his opinion. I don’t always agree with his delivery, but he is truly being helpful to people by telling them the truth. Sometimes the best advice (if it is correct) is to tell someone to look to do something else rather than struggling at something that they will not be able to do as they envision.
Here is a personal example so maybe you can relate. When I was growing up, I kept coming back to reading about the military, weapons, planes, and fighter jets, specifically. I played flight simulators on our computer, nearly exclusively, every night from the age of 7 to 14. I could put the difficulty on high or realistic with all of the safeties off and land by instruments, malfunctioning parts, and on aircraft carriers at night. My favorite TV shows to this day are military/tech-related.
One day around the 8th grade, my dad told me that soldiers need to have 20/20 vision or better to get into flight training to even get a chance to become a pilot. I’d been wearing glasses since kindergarten and was barely able to see past the end of my nose without corrective lenses. I was crushed. I immediately looked it up and Dad was right. As it turned out, I was not eligible to join any branch for other reasons, but at least I didn’t keep that dream alive clear through high school thinking that I knew what was going to happen with my life. That would have hurt a whole lot more.
Did he tell me the right way? I dunno, but it was helpful. This is where my wife says I am not an encourager. I will not help someone in something that I see as a lost cause or a waste of time. With that said, what remains is whether or not it is better for you to get the truth (as lovingly as possible) or to have a good time.
How do you influence people? Are you an encourager, advocate, or do you simply listen and be a sounding board?
