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Inspirational Color Quote of the Week: color Silver Untapped Potential “Genius without education is like silver in the mine.” --Benjamin Franklin (American founder) What do you think? Can you think of a time when you thought you couldn’t do something, and then, voila, you surprised yourself; you got out of your comfort zone and somehow things worked out exactly the way you wanted? To me, it’s that kind of spirit of untapped potential and possibility that’s what Ben Franklin’s quote is all about. And he gives us some pretty wonderful and diverse metaphors to get his point across. Here’s this great amount of silver sitting there untouched in a mine. Imagine the possibilities for the best ways to harness the minerals, process them and plan for their use. Not of course to mention the vast amounts of money to be made! Or what would it be like to Be labeled a genius at some aspect of your life? You’re the person that’s known for building good relationships? The person who’s the best organizer on the block? The person whose figured out how to have exactly the kind of work place environment to make him or her very happy? Hey in our every day lives, it may not be as dramatic but I bet if you think about it, you’ve already found some kind of personal equivalent to Ben Franklin’s metaphors. Ok, It’s unlikely that any of us will actually come across untapped silver, but maybe you’ve found a new restaurant with all kinds of exotic foods to be explored and savored. Maybe you like to read and there’s the adventure of going to the library; you never know how the latest new book will stimulate you. maybe there’s a special place that calls to you so much you want to get to know every nook and cranny. And if you think about it, maybe you are already a genius—or at least way better than you thought—at some part of your life. Remember you’re starting out with a lot of abundance out there, even more perhaps than Ben Franklin—or most importantly, you—give yourself credit for. Regardless, Ben Franklin encourages each of us to get out of that starting gate and make sure that our potential is going to be tapped. Using his language, let’s explore what’s inside us; mine it and get the most we can out of it. Let’s get the learning and the education we need (and remember Ben Franklin lived at a time when he basically had to become a self-taught man) to give us the tools and resources to take our ideas to the next level. No doubt each of us puts different values on different areas of our lives and develops our own analogies for moving us forward. Nonetheless, Ben Franklin has certainly provided not one—but two-- wonderful and varied metaphors—a silver mine to be explored or a genius just needing a little more seasoning—to help us appreciate what we already have and as well to propel us to step out there to bring even more of our potential to the table. How do these ideas resonate with you, and what are one or two actions you might want to take in the next day or so on that basis?
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Live Inspired!
Inspirational Color Quote of the Week: Color Silver Coming In Silver “Finishing second in the Olympics gets you silver. Finishing second in politics gets you oblivion.” --Richard Nixon (U.S. President) What do you think? How do you feel about coming in second? About losing? Let’s admit it. There’s the good old American competitive spirit; it’s all around us, and it’s natural to want to come in first! A friend got a significant raise, a substantial scholarship or a great job offer. Someone down the street just won the lottery. More, sometimes we simply compete with ourselves, comparing ourselves to others or to what we thought we should have done—if I only had as much money as so and so; if I only was as good in relationships as my best friend. Boy, I should have handled this situation better. It’s so easy to manage to set out some kind of standard that we see ourselves as not quite living up to. Ok so maybe where you stand also depends on where you sit. You’re an expert marathon runner; you come in first every time; except this time you come in second. Then there’s the competition that comes with politics. By all accounts, President Nixon took his 1960 close loss to John F. Kennedy pretty personally. At a famous press conference, a couple of years later, he angrily let reporters know “You won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore.” But as a side note, resilience is a funny thing. As we all know, just a few short years later (1968),Nixon did indeed come back to win the presidency. He won a second term in 1972 by an even larger electoral margin only to be forced to resign in 1974 over the Watergate Scandal. And in some ways, Nixon’s absolutely right. Competition can serve some surprisingly great purposes: it can help you focus; it can take you out of your comfort zone, and it can help you feel good about some genuine accomplishments. But then where does coming in silver fit? Seems like the color gets a bad rap. It’s always just a little bit behind good old gold, which is the ultimate winner But what about changing the perspective? Silver is pretty darned good in its own right. It’s pretty beautiful; and it’s got some wonderful and overlooked scientific properties (as one of the best conductors of heat and electricity; and as a great reflector of light). If it’s your thing, you’d totally rather go for silver over the gold. Even in politics, coming in second (or even losing?) can make an important statement. You did better than expected? You got your concerns out there and served as a spokesperson for like-minded constituents? You showed you have enough support to have a chance at coming in first next time? There’s lots of ways where even in the competitive world of politics, coming in second can make a big difference. Even more, silver can take the pressure off. You don’t always have to get everything perfect, win the race or stand out from the crowd. Sometimes it’s great to simply be good enough, and sometimes you’re actually coming in a winner just by doing ok. President Nixon may have taken the American competitive spirit too far but his ideas about competition give us a lot to think about. As he argues, sometimes competition is great; sometimes “coming in” silverlets you know you’re absolutely ok. How do these ideas resonate with you, and what are one or two actions you might want to take in the next day or so on that basis? Live Inspired!
Color Quote of the Week: colors Silver, Gold and Yellow Appreciate! “Maybe you weren't born with a silver spoon in your mouth, but like every American, you carry a deed to 635 million acres of public lands. That's right. Even if you don't own a house or the latest computer on the market, you own Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and many other natural treasures.” --John Garamendi (politician, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, California member of congress) What do you think? We’re richer than we thought we were. Each of us has a stake in the “every day” areas of this wonderful land, and we also have a “deed” to some of the country’s most valued national treasures, including (if you want to limit it to color) Yellowstone and The Golden Gate Bridge. (Wow, some colorful names!) In case you haven’t thought for a while about how spectacular these areas are, consider. Covering over 2.2 million acres in parts of 3 states, Yellowstone National Park was thought to get its name from yellow-colored rocks found along the Yellowstone River; it features a variety of lakes, canyons, rivers, mountain ranges and even a supervolcano, and it is actually the oldest national park in the country. You can even cross the continental Divide three times as you traverse the area. In turn, The Golden Gate Bridge (official color is actually international orange) is a pretty iconic place. Interestingly it didn’t get its name from the California Gold rush or from the fact that California is the golden State. “Explorer John C Fremont named the strait 'Chrysopylae', or 'Golden Gate', after Istanbul/Constantinople's Golden Horn, in 1846, just two years before gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, California. But the Bridge served as a symbol of hope during The Great Depression and has since been a key gateway to and from the west.” I like the outdoors, so I like the idea that I have more of a “deed” to a part of the natural world (and other areas of life too) than I had ever realized. We know the government provides services, for example running the national parks, investing in education or providing for the national defense. I never thought about those services in terms of having a personal deed or stake in the process. You go to a national park; you check in with the people at the visitor’s center, you have a meaningful vacation, you go home, and that’s that. Mr. Garamendi’s thought takes the connection to a deeper level, for me identifying and appreciating rights I hadn’t thought about in a particularly personal way along with the responsibility that comes with those rights. It’s not just about going to a national park on vacation, sending your kids to school or watching young people go off to war. Each of us has a more profound “deed” or stake or investment in each of these aspects of society too. These aren’t activities that are necessarily removed from us; rather they identify for each of us a set of rights, responsibilities and even ownership inherent in the democratic process. It’s easy to forget that that’s what democracy is all about. Especially if you weren’t born with a “silver spoon” in your mouth. And that’s the other part that really appeals to me. Whether it’s the wonders of being in the great outdoors; being part of the great democracy we live in; or just sharing the good things that are a part of our everyday lives, whatever our circumstances, Mr. Garamendi’s quote reminds me to take a few minutes to simply appreciate. How do these ideas resonate with you, and what are one or two actions you might want to take in the next day or so on that basis? |
AuthorI am a Life Coach, a Color Wisdom Card Practitioner, and yes, even a Professor (political science, State University of New York at Albany). I use the Color Wisdom Cards to support clients in exploring priorities and taking concrete actions to stay on track with the goals they set. Because in my own life I have overcome a lot of self-doubt, I want to work with people towards more confidence and self-empowerment. You can do it! What is it you want to do? Categories
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