Can, Do and Will

•••••Can, Do and Will•••••

This morning I woke up with an idea in my head that I could not shake.  Who we choose to listen to and the ideas that we consider and adopt make all the difference in the world.  I have followed some bad advice and wasted my efforts on some poor ideas in my time!  Likewise, I have been blessed by some wise people and been given some sage instruction.  In time, I have become much better at discerning the difference between wisdom and folly, or at least I hope so.

So I then considered how I might help others to avoid some of my foolish paths and instead choose more advantageous counsel.  I wondered if there were a good litmus test that I could conceive of which could then be applied to the many words of the people around us who seek to offer us direction on the matters of our life and our dreams.  Is there a good way to carefully consider the statements of others?  From my brief morning reflection on my life experiences, I devised the following:

“Do not heed the words of those who can’t, won’t or don’t.
Listen to advice of those who can, will and do!”

When it comes to following dreams and making our goals into reality we are best served by the thoughts, observations and advice of those whose lives embody the words ‘can,’ ‘will’ and ‘do.’ Can – exemplifies optimist and belief.  Will – shows both willingness and intention.  Do – demonstrates taking decisive constructive action.  It is those people who have had the greatest positive impact on my life!  On the negative side, it has always been the ones who couldn’t, wouldn’t and didn’t whose ideas and opinions resulted in the poorest outcomes for me.

So there it is in a nutshell: two sentences that I believe will serve us well in filtering the worthiness of the advice that is thrown at us daily.  On a similar note, I hope that my own advice here and the life that I strive to live ultimately passes the same test!

Cheers!

©2017 Scott D. Wilson

Perfect Imperfection

●●●Perfect Imperfection●●●

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” ―Albert Einstein

The wise person realizes that we can only ever know an infinitesimally small percentage of the vast reality which surrounds us and we can understand even less. In that awareness of the universe the wise one knows how ignorant and foolish he or she truly is.  Meanwhile, the average person generally misguidedly accepts his or her limited understanding for reality itself and finds frustration when that understanding is challenged.

Einstein was correct, human ignorance or stupidity is infinite.  We can never possibly hope to grasp a complete understanding of all that exists everywhere in this unending universe.  Likewise, one man or woman within their limited lifespan can only hope to master and comprehend of a miniscule fraction of all that can be experienced and understood.  Even among our chosen fields of expertise we can never sit down and proclaim our perfection of any ability.

I graduated as an electrical engineer in 1990 and yet I never expect to be the perfect electrical engineer.  I got married in 1991 and still I doubt that I will ever be a perfect husband.  I have been writing for decades and I highly doubt that I will ever perfect my craft.  Yet many keep striving day in and day out to “get it right.”  Whether it is their career, family matters, financial success, weight loss or other worthy pursuits, so many people long for the day when everything just clicks into place.

Our lives simply do not work that way.  It is not about finding the perfect spouse, the perfect job, the perfect parenting method, the perfect diet and exercise or the perfect life.  When we choose this viewpoint then the goalposts will always be moving and we will find ourselves constantly dissatisfied and disappointed.  Our ideals will torture and haunt us instead of spurring us on to improve.  We never learn to celebrate improvements because they fall short of our ultimate expectation.  Goals become drudgery and dreams become nightmares.

This thinking is so commonplace that a great many people feel trapped, desperate and demotivated.  It is no wonder that many quit their goals.  Understandably, a wiser gentler path is not apparent to them.  And so I hope that my words act as a kind of map that helps you to find this different side-street.  There is joy in discovering a way that realizes that perfection is process, not a destination.  One can discover peace of mind on a trail that rejoices in each step forward, no matter how small.  Life can follow a journey where dreams and goals shine brightly before us, leading us on a winding and adventurous pathway.  We can follow road that has abandoned getting it right and embraced getting it better.

If you are one who finds themselves hoping for their life to just start working perfectly one day, please consider that your very desire is causing you grief.  Entertain the idea that personal progress is a better means to keep one motivated and moving forwards.  Use your ideals wisely and you can find perfect contentment amidst imperfection when you come to realize:

“Life is not about getting it right.Life is about getting it better.” –Me

Cheers!
©2017 Scott D. Wilson