Successful Blog

Watering Ideas at the Reflecting Pool

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A Guest Post by
Pamir Kiciman

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Browser tabs are great. Emails, tweets and feeds update so you can switch tabs and see what it is. But what happens when you switch in the middle of a juicy post, mindmap or other creative jaunt? You break continuity at the mercy of an insatiable beast. And breaking continuity can spell disaster for your output.

Ideas are ephemeral. The act of putting them down is a way of preserving them. The mind already computes at high speed and distraction is just too easy. I often wish I didn’t know about ALT-TAB (I’m a PC) which easily switches this in-progress Google doc to that third-party app which just dinged!

After all, it’s the real-time web and it HAS to be important.

What was I saying?

Ideas and the Mind

Fortunately the mind can be harnessed. In fact its real power becomes available only when it is. Why? Because the mind is layered and each layer has its own fluctuation. To get to the layer where ideas are generated, surface fluctuations have to be stilled.

Say you’re a diver and your favorite body of water is very turbulent one day, so you don’t go in. On another day conditions are perfect and you dive. When you do, you find treasures that couldn’t be seen from the surface.

The mind’s fluctuations are called brainwaves. There are four basic brainwaves: beta, alpha, theta and delta, each with its specific cycles per second. Brain states are a combination of these with one or two emphasized depending on the state.

Delta is sleep, but also the deep unconscious (darkest ocean depths). Theta is serene, meditative awareness (depths sunlight penetrates). Alpha is relaxation and comfort (floating atop gentle currents). And beta is conscious functioning in the world (driving to the ocean).

Some ocean creatures that live where sunlight doesn’t reach have bioluminescence which is a wonder to see. The unconscious (delta) may be dark but it stores treasures. In theta we access some of that, and all our creativity. Alpha relates to fantasy and visualization. Beta is logical thinking, problem solving and external attention.

Trouble with beta is that too much of it leads to a churning of unfocused thoughts. And without alpha there isn’t creative recall, for alpha is the bridge from reflection to output.

Single-tasking is actually a form of reflection. The reflective mind is concentrated and unified, making use of logical processes and intuitive ones. To produce anything, everything has to move in the single direction of that thing. Multitasking is like being a jack of all trades, but master of none.

Flowing with Ideas

An idea won’t reach fruition unless you engage the “reflecting pool.” You may not even craft the idea at all. For example, “attentional-blink” happens when two pieces of information are given in rapid succession and the brain doesn’t process the second one because it’s still thinking of the first. You have to flow with an idea and follow it.

The reflective mind is a flow state, which can also erect a dam so an idea can concretize. Often reflection takes place best at times other than the moment of creation. In fact, it’s way of life, an orientation. Your accumulated reflections establish a resource from which you draw at the time of production. There’s in-the-moment reflection too, but without a cultivated well this dries up fast.

Inner and outer stillness engenders reflection, and dipping daily into an alpha-theta state solidifies it. Really good ideas are submerged. The inmost layers of the mind will gladly let them surface but you have to be present. If you’re gasping for oxygen in the infostream, you can’t be present.

There are some apps below to ‘force’ reflection and one-pointedness, but in the end this is an internal discipline that must be developed. Interiorizing the mind is where ideas are watered. Here are some ways to do so:

  • Look into the distance
  • Look at nature or a cityscape
  • Watch the sky or sunrise/sunset
  • Watch and/or listen to water
  • Look at inspirational images
  • Turn on a fountain
  • Use a rain stick back and forth
  • Play a drum with a steady beat
  • Read wisdom literature
  • Learn breathing and relaxation techniques
  • Learn meditation

I’ll be monitoring this space so please use comments to give your input and ask questions so we can dive deeper together.

Useful apps:

—-
Pamir Kiciman, BA, RM, CHt is a Classical/Original Usui Reiki Teacher, Meditation Coach, Healer. He writes at the Reiki Help Blog. You can find him on Twitter as @gassho.

Thanks, Pamir! I’m going to take my time exploring those tools!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Trusting and Tracking the People Who Help Us Thrive

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It was a train ride to my first meeting with Nick Sarillo, new client. We met over a pizza in his Crystal Lake restaurant — a rare experience. It felt like “going home.”

As Nick showed me around and told me about his restaurants, as I watched and listened, I realized this guy — whose social presence was basically a website — already had the keys to community and social media. I saw proof in the faces and the stories of the people who worked with him.

It’s been a pleasure to work with Nick and his team on their integrated social marketing plans. But this post is about what I’ve learned from watching what Nick has built and what he does.

10 Trust and Track Keys to Community Culture

  1. Invest creatively, emotionally, financially, and personally in your commmunity. Care about the people who help you thrive. Realize their stories are your stories. Take a risk in favor of the folks who support you. The right risks show you are with them.
  2. Intentionally attract amazing people. Set a standard or a process that makes them proud to be participate. Nick’s hiring process is strategically organized to bring in only the most dedicated employees.
  3. Learn together and share rewards. Let everyone know what works for the community and what doesn’t. Let them participate in ideas. Reward and promote the folks who contribute in predictable and surprising ways.
  4. Trust and be trustworthy. Trust people to be intelligent, responsible, and trustworthy human beings and live up to that standard. Make your trust visible in your actions and systems. Support structures and flexibility that build the community.
  5. Know when to say “no” immediately. Deal with disrespect or destructive behavior as soon as it happens. Tell the hard truth in a careful, gentle manner. Protect the culture and the people who invested in it.
  6. Value the input of experienced people outside the community. You can’t be inside and outside of a problem. You can’t have all of the new ideas. You don’t need to test out everything on your community.
  7. Let people tell you the “bad news.” The most useful information is the hardest to find out. Make it safe and easy to share what’s wrong. Trust people to protect what they’ve helped to build.
  8. Care more about their mission. It’s not what they do or say that’s important. It’s what they value. Build a culture around common values and let folks choose how to they use it.
  9. Pay attention to what’s working and quickly lose what’s not. It’s easy to hand over all of the community direction once things are going well. But that brings us back to point 1, be invested in the community. You can’t neglect what folks love.
  10. Take your time to build it together. Every great community started with two people and took time.

This month on the newstand issue of INC. magazine, Nick’s story is on the cover. Bo Burlingham did a brilliant job of capturing the client I’ve come to know. Do go read about him.

This is Nick’s story, but it’s my story too. It will be a long time before I forget him or how well he does what he does.

Can you share a story about a client or a customer who helps you thrive?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Conan’s Good-bye: 10 of 10 in Leadership, Reputation, and Community

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A Lesson in Reputation Management

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At a time that anyone serving the public is aware of the importance of brand and reputation management. It’s still rare to see a fine example of a response to a tough situation that shows authentic, human leadership. The recent NBC / Conan O’Brien situation had so much press that millions of people were following it.

Conan O’Brien’s farewell came after what could be called an unseating, what may have felt a betrayal. His final good-bye was televised. How would he communicate with grace and dignity when a crowds of fans and lawyers are looking at him to recognize what’s been?

10 of 10 in Leadership, Reputation, and Community

Corporations, small businesses, every one of us could learn a lot from how Conan said good-bye. His words were the careful words of a leader delivered from the heart in a difficult situation. He was visible authenticity, leadership, and grace in these visible ways.

  1. He took control of the situation. Gently, but firmly he said …
    There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can’t say about NBC. To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want.
  2. He told the truth in fair and generous context.
    … between my time at Saturday Night Live, The Late Night Show, and my brief run here on The Tonight Show, I have worked with NBC for over twenty years. Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we’re going to go our separate ways.
  3. He shared his pride and his gratitude.
    But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible.
  4. He was honest about state of mind and his feelings of loss.
    Walking away from The Tonight Show is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. This is the best job in the world, I absolutely love doing it, and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium.
  5. He celebrated the positive.
    Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second.
  6. He moved the focus to the future.
    I’ve had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we’ll find a way to make it fun.
  7. He raised up and cherished all who might be his friends.
    And finally, I have to say something to our fans. The massive outpouring of support and passion from so many people has been overwhelming. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy, outrageous creativity on the internet, and the fact that people have traveled long distances and camped out all night in the pouring rain to be in our audience, made a sad situation joyous and inspirational.
  8. He gave everyone’s investment meaning.
    To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I’ll think about it for the rest of my life. .
  9. He invited everyone to be part of something better.
    All I ask of you is one thing: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism — it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere.
  10. He offered hope even to the nonparticipants.
    Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.

It took leadership, courage, a sense of humor, and trust in his audience to deliver on that message. If you saw it, you know it was real. Unfortunately, the video has been taken down at YouTube, but you can see it at the Huffington Post.

Conan won day and probably won a huge following of new fans by showing humanity, fairness, and leadership. He kept his focus on who and what mattered and left out who and what did not. He raised us all by not tearing anything down. I hope we’re never faced with such extreme circumstances. If we are, I hope we come back to this example of how to build good relationships from conflict.

Imagine if every corporation, business, and individual demonstrated that same 10 or 10 in Leadership, Reputation, and Community when conflict occurs.

What was your personal response to Conan’s last words?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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Thanks to Week 222 SOBs

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Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

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1st-web-designer
dannybrown
grosh-blog
hildreth-reserve-fine-copywriting-uncorked
merylnet
social-architect

They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her to me. Thie award carries a “Liz said so” guarantee, is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and is backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

deep purple strip

Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame– A-Z Directory . Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

SOB Business Cafe 01-22-10

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking — articles, books, podcasts, and videos about business online written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Chrisg
Steven Aitchison has a strong blog. Most people would regard his site as a success (in fact he claims it as the “biggest personal development blog in the UK) … So why would he ask for a blog critique when he is doing so many things right? With stats like these, Steven could be giving advice rather than asking for it.

Steve Woodrufff
It’s a none-too-fancy restaurant that has been serving mouth-watering chicken, biscuits, and jam since, oh, the days of the Pony Express. Loveless Cafe.

Starbucker
Sometimes a leader needs to think like a plumber.

Yep, a plumber.

How so? Think about pressure for a minute. A plumber deals with pressure all the time – in their case, water pressure.

Seth’s blog
Find a calling. Then deliver

Barry J Moltz
Now that jet lag has subsided, I can now reflect on what I learned on my three week vacation with my family to China, Hong Kong and Thailand.

1. You can stop and the world will go on…and that’s okay…

Deaf Mom’s World
Have you ever been caught in a conversation where you weren’t sure what was going on yet you nodded along, laughed along or excused yourself to head to the bathroom?

Related ala carte selections include

A New Player?
This is fun.

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like. No tips required. Comments appreciated.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Do You Sleep in the Freeze or Invest in the Spring?

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about seasons of life and work.

When the sailors went home last fall, some cleaned up their boats and go involved in other things. Some might have figured they were done and sold their boats off. I suppose some “hibernate” — put their in storage because the season for sailing is over. They sleep in the freeze.

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The sailors who love sailing know just saw it as part of the yearly progress of the sailing “routine.” Winter is a luxury of time to fix what was wearing, mend what was tearing, and replace the broken things. They assess, check, invest, and work toward the days that bring back the summer breeze. They invest in the spring.

It’s a fact that that eventually the ice melts, the harbor always comes back in spring.

But you has to work on your boat, study the climate, and live your goals to set sail even better than before the water froze..

Most work that we love seems to have some cycle with a winter and a spring. A downtime offers an opportunity to get us running sleeker, faster, and in a more stable fashion again.

Most who do well when spring returns have been working all winter on a plan. We use the time have to build our skills, restring our offers and invest in our networks so that when up time and sunshine return we are sailing again. It’s even more than productivity and good business, it’s being invested in ourselves, our lives, each other and our dreams.

What are you doing to invest in the spring?

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