Showing all posts in The Point

We go forward together. That’s part of the concept of “we”—it’s a “together” sort of thing. We fail when we’re not together. We are defeated by untalented, useless, even evil people because they work together when we don’t.

No one is an island. Many twist this wisdom to mean we should let others boss us around or we should share what shouldn’t be shared. But, the insight that humans aren’t islands has a deeper undertone that victors can’t ignore: cooperation. Synergy, teamwork, strengths covering weaknesses—call it what you like. You’ll only succeed if you’re not the only one.  · · · →

The line between forgiving and spoiling is rarely clear. It’s not a boundary that lies on the ground. But, the line is there. And, it’s easier to walk by keeping focused on the bigger goal, whatever that may be.

If you’re trying to win a sports game, stay focused on the game, not who fouled who. If its about business, just make money honestly, use that as your distraction from petty, personal squabbles over who snubbed who. When the task gets completed, all the bumps on the road behind seem so much smaller. And, whatever spilled feels easier to clean.  · · · →

Sad fact of life number 271: other people can hurt you. Sometimes we are over-powered. Other times we are fooled. Sometimes we are fooled by people who mean well. Sometimes we are fooled by people who mean ill. More often than not, we are fooled by people who fool themselves more than they fool others. So, that makes the victim the bigger fool. That’s sad fact of life number 272: you were the bigger fool.

The arch of destruction in your life has a thousand stones; one of them is yours. Yank it and the whole arch collapses. Focus on your stone.  · · · →

Dealing with messed up people is hard. These days it’s more exhausting because so many people are messed up. It started when the nuclear family blew up after Lyndon Johnson’s so-called “Great Society” created slums out of ghettos. It’s funny how that grand failure became both an argument against and for government-funded housing. Those outside see the problem. Those in the problem think its normal; it literally is. It’s like dealing with an addict. Often times it literally is.

The only way to help each other is through: patience, allowing failure, preventing disaster, and not inventing rules in God’s name.  · · · →