In Sun Tzu's book The Art of War, he detailed Thirty-Six Strategies for winning battles.
The Strategy of Art as I like to call it, is not one of his original strategies. It is an observation I have looking through the lens of some of his principles. The Strategy of Art is about the constant battle that is waging for your attention and loyalty. Businesses rightly emphasize a great deal on the subject of art and how it can differentiate a brand and can be used to increase customer engagement and loyalty.
I have always been a fan of Strategic Thinking, even before I realized what that was. As a result of that, I have an appreciation for the principles covered in "The Art of War". I am not under the illusion that Sun Tzu's famous book somehow contains all or any of the answers for life that are applicable to all situations, but the principles are interesting to me.
Apparently many people follow Sun Tzu's advice and his 14th Strategy of using a forgotten strategy to surprise originally, or as he said "Borrowing a Corpse for the Soul's Return". I don't know about you, but I think his original verbiage is pretty gross! If you Google Art of *, you will find some interesting examples of people re-using, or resurrecting Sun Tzu's ideas to convey their point, so there is no shortage of people using his strategies to seem original.
As Ecclesiastes 1:9 says. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."
So here I am "borrowing a corpse" to communicate my point(s) to you.
Companies go through great lengths to attract you to their product through art. Here is one example that I literally picked at random.
This webpage was created by McDonalds to show you that they use high quality beef in their burgers, using The Strategy of Art.
McDonalds Website talking about their high quality beef
Here is a YouTube video from the same site above from 2012 showing farmers herding cattle in open fields, talking about quality, etc. This is The Strategy of Art.
Black and Gold Ranch, McDonalds Commercial. Artistic Portrayal
Please take the time to view the site and video while McDonalds still has it up.
On the flip side, here is a link from the same ranch showing how the cattle really eat and live.
Black and Gold Ranch Feedlot, Non-Artistic Portrayal
So in one strategic, artistic portrayal, you have expansive fields, good looking, healthy cows on an open range and all kinds of subjective messages that convey what McDonalds wants you to see. It is their "Billboard". There is a Strategy of Art at play to win the battlefield of your mind and help you feel better about what you're eating, or to influence you to believe that you are getting high quality beef from humanely treated cows and attract you to eat their food.
In the other, you see a portrayal devoid of artistic quality, that shows many cows crowded into pens, eating feed off of a road!
It's the same ranch, same cows, same beef, yet two very different presentations. Which one do you think sells the product better? This is The Strategy of Art.
I want to be clear that I don't necessarily see a problem with the Strategy of Art, it can equally be used to communicate concepts and truths in ways that really helps people.
Here is a video on the power of words. It shows how the portrayal of something in a different way can be very helpful and makes a difference for the positive.
Words Matter Video
Art is a beautiful and powerful thing that can be used for good, or not so good.
Art is often used to present a message to persuade you. It is always a good idea to be aware of this strategy and in turn make decisions that are in your best interest, opposed to being too distracted by the delivery and The Strategy of Art that is used.
The Power of Noticing and Observation
What does it mean to notice things? Is there such a thing as a skill of observation? I believe that there is both an art and science to noticing and observing things that many people are not aware of.
I read this quote recently.
"A Lifetime Spent Noticing Begins to Turn into the Ability to See What Others Can't" - Seth Godin - The Icarus Deception.
This is not the first post I've done on The Icarus Deception. Here is another post I did a few months back that covered another quote from that same book.
http://matlokblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/risk-of-sinking-vs-value-of-swimming.html
Bottom line, it's a good book that you should check out!
Noticing and observing is something we all do. Fortunately, this is a skill that we can all strengthen and use more effectively.
I believe noticing things is primarily about making a difference.
I've been consuming quite a few things lately that talk about noticing and observation. Since I have consider myself a person who appreciates the nuances that comes from noticing and observing, I thought I would write down and communicate what I am thinking about this subject.
In the Steve Jobs Biography, by Walter Isaacson, we see that Steve Jobs learned at a young age to have attention to detail. His dad while working on a fence showed him that the part of the fence that no one would see should be just as nice as the side that everyone saw. This attention to detail has defined Apple products ever since.
I read this article about Steve Jobs that I thought was very interesting. It showed how he observed things differently than others, and we all know the rest is history.
Article about Steve Jobs - Observation and Steve Jobs - Article by Joe Navarro http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/201309/observation-and-steve-jobs
Another series of books I've read are The Noticer and The Noticer Returns both written by Andy Andrews (The video attached below is older and I hadn't yet read the Noticer Returns when I recorded the video..It is a great book!). One of the main characters in the book "Jones" has the ability to see things that others don't see. His gift of noticing is responsible for him helping people have "Perspective" and as a result changing their life and circumstances for the better.
Another book I've read and training I went through many years ago is "The Art of Profiling" by Dan Korem - This book focuses on behavioral profiling, so that you can better understand the people you interact with. The motto of his system is "I know who you are. Good for me, Better for you." His system helps with reading people right the first time. He has developed the system with the intention of using those skills to help people that you come into contact with. Here is more on that in case you are interested. http://www.ifpinc.com/profiling.htm
The bottom line is noticing is a good skill to have and to continue to learn more about.
The more you see what is unseen to most, the more you will have an edge and advantage in almost every type of situation.
One thing that works against noticing is to be too comfortable in a situation. When we get too comfortable, we have a tendency to stop noticing things. If you find yourself getting too complacent, it may be good to try to observe things from a different view.
One of the best ways to notice things you may be missing is to have feedback from other people. This may mean allowing other people to speak into your life and giving them a voice.
This can be a dangerous thing to do. It can be the type of exercise that demands us to change what we are doing and how we are living.
With that in mind it is wise to be careful whom you let speak into your life.
I have heard it said, that we should be careful whom we get our relationship and financial advice from. A broke person isn't a good person to get financial advice from. Equally, you don't want to get relationship advice from someone who has a poor track record with relationships.
If you have friends whose life is a mess, yet they are quick to tell you how to live your life, you may want to think twice about taking advice from them. If you listen at all to Dave Ramsey, you know that just because someone has a big house and nice cars and lots of toys doesn't mean that you should listen to them when they give you financial advice.
People with the skill of noticing and observation, usually discern and know deep down what is best for them. Don't ignore that gut feeling! There is nothing wrong with purposely putting space between you and people that are not helping you become the person you believe you were intended to become.
Also remember in this social media driven world, people often try to present that their life is great and rope you in to their way of thinking. A close view of people's pictures can often reveal telling things about how things are really going.
Here is a cool test you can take to see how good you are at reading emotions as seen through the eyes-only.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/well-quiz-the-mind-behind-the-eyes/?_r=0
Depending on how well you do with that test you will see that there is a lot more going on than most people reveal in their perfect social media world.
I'm still learning that you have to see beyond what is on the surface. This can be hard to do, but in the long run it is worth it.
The goal is not to have an unfair advantage, or to try to manipulate people. If you use these skills for the wrong reasons, you are missing the point. That should never be the objective.
Like in The Noticer books, this skill is used to be a benefit, and is shared with people to make a difference. Use the skills to build people up, not to tear them down.
The thought for today is, What are you missing?
What in your life is good that you don't see? What in your life is bad that you are missing and ignoring?
Who are you allowing to talk into your life? Positive people, who are doing good? Or are you allowing broke folk (who are broke not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually too), who are jaded and have a chip on their shoulder to speak into your life.
Be careful not to let these type of people to have a voice in your life and influence you, rather do your best to notice and possibly help influence them to improve.
One way we all can improve is by having good people to speak into our life. One of the easiest ways to do this is through reading good uplifting books, listening to sermons and noticing and consuming things that are benefiting our lives, and souls while avoiding the things that are tearing us down.
So we come back to the original quote that inspired this post
"A Lifetime Spent Noticing Begins to Turn into the Ability to See What Others Can't"
I hope this will encourage you to have an appreciation to start noticing things that you may be missing and be able to make a difference in a positive way.
If you would like watch a video version of this post, click this video link below (Unfortunately the video quality is not that great. You will probably notice that I don't have the same attention to detail as Steve Jobs:).
I read this quote recently.
"A Lifetime Spent Noticing Begins to Turn into the Ability to See What Others Can't" - Seth Godin - The Icarus Deception.
This is not the first post I've done on The Icarus Deception. Here is another post I did a few months back that covered another quote from that same book.
http://matlokblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/risk-of-sinking-vs-value-of-swimming.html
Bottom line, it's a good book that you should check out!
Noticing and observing is something we all do. Fortunately, this is a skill that we can all strengthen and use more effectively.
I believe noticing things is primarily about making a difference.
I've been consuming quite a few things lately that talk about noticing and observation. Since I have consider myself a person who appreciates the nuances that comes from noticing and observing, I thought I would write down and communicate what I am thinking about this subject.
In the Steve Jobs Biography, by Walter Isaacson, we see that Steve Jobs learned at a young age to have attention to detail. His dad while working on a fence showed him that the part of the fence that no one would see should be just as nice as the side that everyone saw. This attention to detail has defined Apple products ever since.
I read this article about Steve Jobs that I thought was very interesting. It showed how he observed things differently than others, and we all know the rest is history.
Article about Steve Jobs - Observation and Steve Jobs - Article by Joe Navarro http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/201309/observation-and-steve-jobs
Another series of books I've read are The Noticer and The Noticer Returns both written by Andy Andrews (The video attached below is older and I hadn't yet read the Noticer Returns when I recorded the video..It is a great book!). One of the main characters in the book "Jones" has the ability to see things that others don't see. His gift of noticing is responsible for him helping people have "Perspective" and as a result changing their life and circumstances for the better.
Another book I've read and training I went through many years ago is "The Art of Profiling" by Dan Korem - This book focuses on behavioral profiling, so that you can better understand the people you interact with. The motto of his system is "I know who you are. Good for me, Better for you." His system helps with reading people right the first time. He has developed the system with the intention of using those skills to help people that you come into contact with. Here is more on that in case you are interested. http://www.ifpinc.com/profiling.htm
The bottom line is noticing is a good skill to have and to continue to learn more about.
The more you see what is unseen to most, the more you will have an edge and advantage in almost every type of situation.
One thing that works against noticing is to be too comfortable in a situation. When we get too comfortable, we have a tendency to stop noticing things. If you find yourself getting too complacent, it may be good to try to observe things from a different view.
One of the best ways to notice things you may be missing is to have feedback from other people. This may mean allowing other people to speak into your life and giving them a voice.
This can be a dangerous thing to do. It can be the type of exercise that demands us to change what we are doing and how we are living.
With that in mind it is wise to be careful whom you let speak into your life.
I have heard it said, that we should be careful whom we get our relationship and financial advice from. A broke person isn't a good person to get financial advice from. Equally, you don't want to get relationship advice from someone who has a poor track record with relationships.
If you have friends whose life is a mess, yet they are quick to tell you how to live your life, you may want to think twice about taking advice from them. If you listen at all to Dave Ramsey, you know that just because someone has a big house and nice cars and lots of toys doesn't mean that you should listen to them when they give you financial advice.
People with the skill of noticing and observation, usually discern and know deep down what is best for them. Don't ignore that gut feeling! There is nothing wrong with purposely putting space between you and people that are not helping you become the person you believe you were intended to become.
Also remember in this social media driven world, people often try to present that their life is great and rope you in to their way of thinking. A close view of people's pictures can often reveal telling things about how things are really going.
Here is a cool test you can take to see how good you are at reading emotions as seen through the eyes-only.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/well-quiz-the-mind-behind-the-eyes/?_r=0
Depending on how well you do with that test you will see that there is a lot more going on than most people reveal in their perfect social media world.
I'm still learning that you have to see beyond what is on the surface. This can be hard to do, but in the long run it is worth it.
The goal is not to have an unfair advantage, or to try to manipulate people. If you use these skills for the wrong reasons, you are missing the point. That should never be the objective.
Like in The Noticer books, this skill is used to be a benefit, and is shared with people to make a difference. Use the skills to build people up, not to tear them down.
The thought for today is, What are you missing?
What in your life is good that you don't see? What in your life is bad that you are missing and ignoring?
Who are you allowing to talk into your life? Positive people, who are doing good? Or are you allowing broke folk (who are broke not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually too), who are jaded and have a chip on their shoulder to speak into your life.
Be careful not to let these type of people to have a voice in your life and influence you, rather do your best to notice and possibly help influence them to improve.
One way we all can improve is by having good people to speak into our life. One of the easiest ways to do this is through reading good uplifting books, listening to sermons and noticing and consuming things that are benefiting our lives, and souls while avoiding the things that are tearing us down.
So we come back to the original quote that inspired this post
"A Lifetime Spent Noticing Begins to Turn into the Ability to See What Others Can't"
I hope this will encourage you to have an appreciation to start noticing things that you may be missing and be able to make a difference in a positive way.
If you would like watch a video version of this post, click this video link below (Unfortunately the video quality is not that great. You will probably notice that I don't have the same attention to detail as Steve Jobs:).
How Successful People Think
Today my thoughts come from John C. Maxwell's book, How Successful People Think.
If you would prefer to listen to an audio recording of this post click here
When I hear the word "successful" many things come to my mind.
I think of someone who seems to have it all together, a person who takes good care of their family, someone who is doing good as far as money and material possessions go. It could also possibly be someone who is in good health, or it could be someone who is simply content and at peace with themselves, or maybe even someone who is focused on being successful in the next life by serving God and others in the process.
I say that to say that I cannot and will not try to define success for you. However, I do believe the truths that Maxwell lays out in this book can enable any one of us to move towards what we view as our definition of success.
Read on and I will share some of the highlights from "How Successful People Think".
Whatever comes to your mind when you think of success, this is a book about how successful people think. This book is primarily concerned with the thought process that enables people to be successful.
He says in his book "Thinking is something that we rarely think about".
I hope after you read this post, you will think more about your thinking and better yet, go out and read Maxwell's book to get even more in depth on this important subject. Here is where you can get the book here if you decide you want to read more.
Maxwell says "Reject popular thinking, think for yourself." Another similar quote I like that was not in the book, but from Mark Twain is this, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."
I ask the question. What thought processes in your life are a result of just following what everyone else is doing?
One big concept from the book is "If you want to change your life, change your thinking". This is a critical concept. The Bible similarly says "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" Romans 12:2.
In other words, the only way to have a transformed life, comes through what you are feeding your mind and how you are using your mind. The proper operation and control of the mind is a critical aspect of becoming who you were meant to become.
The good news is that We can all change the way we think. Today is a new day and you are reading this post.
You have a great opportunity right now! You can literally start a process today that could drastically impact your life and has the potential to positively affect generations to come.
Maxwell writes "You are today where your thoughts have brought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts will take you."
I think this is a very true concept that many people unfortunately miss. At the end of the day if you don't like where you are, or sense yourself getting in a rut, not being challenged, or not fulfilling what you believe you are called to do. I suggest you perform an objective evaluation of any thinking trends that you may have in your life. In one of my previous posts The Danger of Defending What We Are Doing I talk about the danger of defending the status quo in our lives and how it is better to change who we are, rather than defending who we are. Changing our thinking is one of the key ways we can do this.
In Maxwell's book he points out what Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." Make sure to examine how you are thinking and as a result, living from time to time.
He also wrote "that we need to look back to appreciate what comes ahead." Shakespeare said that "Experience is a jewel". It is important to learn from the good and bad experiences of life and view those experiences as a treasure to be cultivated.
One often missed point, is the value of other people's experiences. You have the opportunity to read and learn about other successful people who have "been there, done that, got the t-shirt." I have learned that learning from other people's experiences can benefit you greatly.
There is no shortage of biographies, historical accounts, etc for you to get started! Why try to go through everything for yourself when there are thousands of years of experience documented for you to learn from today!
As we see there is no shortage of good ideas and experiences out there, a quote from the book says
"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas, as in escaping from the old ones." - John Maynard Keyes
As you look at your life and reflectively examine your current thinking trends, recognize that there is no shortage of proven and supportive ideas that will be new to you, however the greater challenge is pin-pointing and escaping from the old ideas that have become engrained in your life.
One step you can take is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. He says in his book "Smart people collaborate with other smart people. Surround yourself with people smarter than you." This simple step can help you stretch your thinking.
Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Computers said "Never be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people - or find a different room."
Maxwell says that "Smart thinkers expose themselves to different ideas and types of people."
The question I ask you is. What kind of people are you surrounding yourself with?
He also talks about the power of big thinking. He says to "Think big to be prepared".
How many times have you seen someone seize an opportunity that seemed to be placed on their lap?
I am not saying that every person who gets an opportunity was thinking and preparing for the big picture ahead of time, but I am saying that those who do think about the bigger picture and prepare for opportunities in advance are often ready and actually attract more opportunities to themselves.
This concept is not much different than people who are purposeful about changing their eating and exercise habits to get physically fit. You have to be purposeful about it to see effective, lasting results.
As you think about the big picture and the future, don't lose sight of where you are right now and how that fits into the bigger picture. Maxwell writes that
"Seemingly mundane, trivial details lead up to the grand scheme. Even the most medial task can have significance."
This is especially true when you do what you are doing with excellence and a good attitude. Just because you are not necessarily where you want to be today, does not mean that you will not get there.
How you think, act and respond to your current situation will directly impact your future opportunities.
This brings us to the culmination of this post and a foundational concept in the book. There is a quote in the book by Winston Churchill that says
"There comes a special moment in everyone's life. A moment for when that person was born. When that moment comes, that person seizes it."
This quote from Churchill may excite you, or it may even scare you.
I hope it more importantly motivates you to continue to grow, to continue to cultivate your thinking and be prepared for that special moment that you were born for!
In closing I will use the wise words of the most interesting man in the world (Dos Equis).
Oh, okay, at least what I think he would say about this subject!
"Stay thinking my friends!"
If you would like to also listen to an audio recording of this post click here
If you would prefer to listen to an audio recording of this post click here
When I hear the word "successful" many things come to my mind.
I think of someone who seems to have it all together, a person who takes good care of their family, someone who is doing good as far as money and material possessions go. It could also possibly be someone who is in good health, or it could be someone who is simply content and at peace with themselves, or maybe even someone who is focused on being successful in the next life by serving God and others in the process.
I say that to say that I cannot and will not try to define success for you. However, I do believe the truths that Maxwell lays out in this book can enable any one of us to move towards what we view as our definition of success.
Read on and I will share some of the highlights from "How Successful People Think".
Whatever comes to your mind when you think of success, this is a book about how successful people think. This book is primarily concerned with the thought process that enables people to be successful.
He says in his book "Thinking is something that we rarely think about".
I hope after you read this post, you will think more about your thinking and better yet, go out and read Maxwell's book to get even more in depth on this important subject. Here is where you can get the book here if you decide you want to read more.
Maxwell says "Reject popular thinking, think for yourself." Another similar quote I like that was not in the book, but from Mark Twain is this, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."
I ask the question. What thought processes in your life are a result of just following what everyone else is doing?
One big concept from the book is "If you want to change your life, change your thinking". This is a critical concept. The Bible similarly says "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" Romans 12:2.
In other words, the only way to have a transformed life, comes through what you are feeding your mind and how you are using your mind. The proper operation and control of the mind is a critical aspect of becoming who you were meant to become.
The good news is that We can all change the way we think. Today is a new day and you are reading this post.
You have a great opportunity right now! You can literally start a process today that could drastically impact your life and has the potential to positively affect generations to come.
Maxwell writes "You are today where your thoughts have brought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts will take you."
I think this is a very true concept that many people unfortunately miss. At the end of the day if you don't like where you are, or sense yourself getting in a rut, not being challenged, or not fulfilling what you believe you are called to do. I suggest you perform an objective evaluation of any thinking trends that you may have in your life. In one of my previous posts The Danger of Defending What We Are Doing I talk about the danger of defending the status quo in our lives and how it is better to change who we are, rather than defending who we are. Changing our thinking is one of the key ways we can do this.
In Maxwell's book he points out what Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." Make sure to examine how you are thinking and as a result, living from time to time.
He also wrote "that we need to look back to appreciate what comes ahead." Shakespeare said that "Experience is a jewel". It is important to learn from the good and bad experiences of life and view those experiences as a treasure to be cultivated.
One often missed point, is the value of other people's experiences. You have the opportunity to read and learn about other successful people who have "been there, done that, got the t-shirt." I have learned that learning from other people's experiences can benefit you greatly.
There is no shortage of biographies, historical accounts, etc for you to get started! Why try to go through everything for yourself when there are thousands of years of experience documented for you to learn from today!
As we see there is no shortage of good ideas and experiences out there, a quote from the book says
"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas, as in escaping from the old ones." - John Maynard Keyes
As you look at your life and reflectively examine your current thinking trends, recognize that there is no shortage of proven and supportive ideas that will be new to you, however the greater challenge is pin-pointing and escaping from the old ideas that have become engrained in your life.
One step you can take is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. He says in his book "Smart people collaborate with other smart people. Surround yourself with people smarter than you." This simple step can help you stretch your thinking.
Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Computers said "Never be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people - or find a different room."
Maxwell says that "Smart thinkers expose themselves to different ideas and types of people."
The question I ask you is. What kind of people are you surrounding yourself with?
He also talks about the power of big thinking. He says to "Think big to be prepared".
How many times have you seen someone seize an opportunity that seemed to be placed on their lap?
I am not saying that every person who gets an opportunity was thinking and preparing for the big picture ahead of time, but I am saying that those who do think about the bigger picture and prepare for opportunities in advance are often ready and actually attract more opportunities to themselves.
This concept is not much different than people who are purposeful about changing their eating and exercise habits to get physically fit. You have to be purposeful about it to see effective, lasting results.
As you think about the big picture and the future, don't lose sight of where you are right now and how that fits into the bigger picture. Maxwell writes that
"Seemingly mundane, trivial details lead up to the grand scheme. Even the most medial task can have significance."
This is especially true when you do what you are doing with excellence and a good attitude. Just because you are not necessarily where you want to be today, does not mean that you will not get there.
How you think, act and respond to your current situation will directly impact your future opportunities.
This brings us to the culmination of this post and a foundational concept in the book. There is a quote in the book by Winston Churchill that says
"There comes a special moment in everyone's life. A moment for when that person was born. When that moment comes, that person seizes it."
This quote from Churchill may excite you, or it may even scare you.
I hope it more importantly motivates you to continue to grow, to continue to cultivate your thinking and be prepared for that special moment that you were born for!
In closing I will use the wise words of the most interesting man in the world (Dos Equis).
Oh, okay, at least what I think he would say about this subject!
"Stay thinking my friends!"
If you would like to also listen to an audio recording of this post click here
The Danger of Defending What We Are Doing
This post is a result of a discussion with a friend...
If you would prefer to listen to the recording of this post click here
During lunch, without much thought I said in our casual conversation that there is a danger in defending what we are doing.
When I said it, I joked that this may make a good post one day and stored the note in the Evernote App on my iPhone....(you're welcome Evernote and Apple for the free advertisement!).
I think I also winced at the realization that this is the very thing I had been doing in a situation I was facing.
We have heard it said that the best defense is a good offense. In a football game, if a team can get points on the board and gets a good lead, the defense will appear to be better. An amazing play and score by the team who is down by 21 points in the 4th quarter usually doesn't reflect too poorly on the defensive squad on the field.
This is not meant to be a case against defense, or minimizing the importance of defense. We could argue that a good defense neutralizes an opposing offense, evening out the odds of the engagement.
The fact of the matter is I am not talking about football. I am talking about our lives. The game that is going on is the one within our mind. I think that in a sense each of us has a competition waging inside of ourselves.
This battle is between us taking a defensive stance and defending who we are, or taking an offensive stance and changing who we are.
Which brings us to the "The Danger of Defending What We Are Doing". This is not to imply that what we are doing is wrong. It may be the best thing for us at the time, note I did't say the danger of what we are doing.
When we become "defensive" about our decisions for how we choose to live our lives, we should take a hard look at why we feel the need to defend, or get defensive?
Is it because we are trying to convince ourselves that our current state is a result of circumstances out of our control? Or is it that we fear the prospect of actually trying to make changes, as if it may invalidate our current course, or worse yet validate the "critics" in our lives?
Whatever the reason, I propose that whenever we sense ourselves getting "defensive", we should shift our focus to being offensive instead.
How does this look?
Here is one example. Instead of convincing ourselves that all our problems are external and working hard to defend our current state, take a moment to reflect upon how I can think and act differently to change myself and my situation.
The mastery of oneself is a task that is difficult indeed. If you don't agree, try to change your eating habits and you'll get a quick reminder of how hard it is. Just because it is hard, does not mean it is not worth it.
I recently heard a quote from Andy Stanley that resonated with me. He said it is easier to educate a doer, than activate a thinker.
In the arena of the mind, defense is often a mental exercise that amounts to thinking about reasons for us to stay the same. Contrastingly, offense is concerned with taking action to change course and actually apply lessons learned.
As with any strategy, there is a time for each stance. I am not saying defense is a bad thing, or that we should not defend certain aspects of our life. One aspect that may be worth defending, is our faith, or core values. I would also argue that one of the best defenses of our faith comes from living a changed life rather than just having a good theological argument. It's more about what we do and how we are actually living than what we are saying in and of itself.
I am saying that it seems that the people who are most successful, spend more time acting vs sitting down, crossing their arms and defending what they are doing.
There is value in the consideration of a change of course in what we are doing.
We have probably all heard that the definition of insanity is repeating the same and expecting different results. Now using the term insanity is somewhat extreme, and some would say downright inaccurate, I don't disagree. However, I think most of us would agree that it is usually not in our best interest to defend the status quo, if that status quo does not appear to be working.
Right now you have a choice. You have an opportunity to learn something new and act towards implementing that change in your life.
Are you going to quickly say this doesn't apply to me and move on? Or will you take a moment to address the elephant in the room of your mind and work towards getting offensive and making meaningful and significant change in your life, instead of falling into the pitfall and danger of defending what you are doing?
Want to listen to the recorded version of this post click here
If you would prefer to listen to the recording of this post click here
During lunch, without much thought I said in our casual conversation that there is a danger in defending what we are doing.
When I said it, I joked that this may make a good post one day and stored the note in the Evernote App on my iPhone....(you're welcome Evernote and Apple for the free advertisement!).
I think I also winced at the realization that this is the very thing I had been doing in a situation I was facing.
We have heard it said that the best defense is a good offense. In a football game, if a team can get points on the board and gets a good lead, the defense will appear to be better. An amazing play and score by the team who is down by 21 points in the 4th quarter usually doesn't reflect too poorly on the defensive squad on the field.
This is not meant to be a case against defense, or minimizing the importance of defense. We could argue that a good defense neutralizes an opposing offense, evening out the odds of the engagement.
The fact of the matter is I am not talking about football. I am talking about our lives. The game that is going on is the one within our mind. I think that in a sense each of us has a competition waging inside of ourselves.
This battle is between us taking a defensive stance and defending who we are, or taking an offensive stance and changing who we are.
Which brings us to the "The Danger of Defending What We Are Doing". This is not to imply that what we are doing is wrong. It may be the best thing for us at the time, note I did't say the danger of what we are doing.
When we become "defensive" about our decisions for how we choose to live our lives, we should take a hard look at why we feel the need to defend, or get defensive?
Is it because we are trying to convince ourselves that our current state is a result of circumstances out of our control? Or is it that we fear the prospect of actually trying to make changes, as if it may invalidate our current course, or worse yet validate the "critics" in our lives?
Whatever the reason, I propose that whenever we sense ourselves getting "defensive", we should shift our focus to being offensive instead.
How does this look?
Here is one example. Instead of convincing ourselves that all our problems are external and working hard to defend our current state, take a moment to reflect upon how I can think and act differently to change myself and my situation.
The mastery of oneself is a task that is difficult indeed. If you don't agree, try to change your eating habits and you'll get a quick reminder of how hard it is. Just because it is hard, does not mean it is not worth it.
I recently heard a quote from Andy Stanley that resonated with me. He said it is easier to educate a doer, than activate a thinker.
In the arena of the mind, defense is often a mental exercise that amounts to thinking about reasons for us to stay the same. Contrastingly, offense is concerned with taking action to change course and actually apply lessons learned.
As with any strategy, there is a time for each stance. I am not saying defense is a bad thing, or that we should not defend certain aspects of our life. One aspect that may be worth defending, is our faith, or core values. I would also argue that one of the best defenses of our faith comes from living a changed life rather than just having a good theological argument. It's more about what we do and how we are actually living than what we are saying in and of itself.
I am saying that it seems that the people who are most successful, spend more time acting vs sitting down, crossing their arms and defending what they are doing.
There is value in the consideration of a change of course in what we are doing.
We have probably all heard that the definition of insanity is repeating the same and expecting different results. Now using the term insanity is somewhat extreme, and some would say downright inaccurate, I don't disagree. However, I think most of us would agree that it is usually not in our best interest to defend the status quo, if that status quo does not appear to be working.
Right now you have a choice. You have an opportunity to learn something new and act towards implementing that change in your life.
Are you going to quickly say this doesn't apply to me and move on? Or will you take a moment to address the elephant in the room of your mind and work towards getting offensive and making meaningful and significant change in your life, instead of falling into the pitfall and danger of defending what you are doing?
Want to listen to the recorded version of this post click here
Count Your Blessings....in a Spreadsheet
Count Your Blessings....in a Spreadsheet
If you would prefer to hear an audio version of this post, click this link.
Count Your Blessings...in a Spreadsheet
Today I am thinking about something I heard some years back. August 5, 2010 to be exact at the Global Leadership Summit. It was during the Jim Collins presentation More about the session here. In case you don't know, Jim Collins is a business thought leader who has studied what makes companies great and successful and has authored books such as "Good to Great" and "Built to Last". Bottom line, he is the real deal and we would be wise to listen to his advice. You can read and learn more about him here. His session was very good, but it is not the point of this post. It was one comment he made in his session that has always stuck out in my mind since I've heard it.
That comment was this:
"Count your blessings. Literally, count them in a spreadsheet, and do not stop until you get till at least 100. When we begin to account for all the good stuff that has happened to us that we did not cause, it's humbling."
This quote leads me to ask you and myself the question. What are you focusing on? Are you focusing on the bad in your life. Are you looking at the "misery" in your current state? Maybe you're in a job that you don't like, or are working in a field that you are not passionate about?
You can focus on that. To be clear, you can and should be aware of what is going wrong in your life. We should not be in denial and oblivious to what is not working in our lives. Quite the contrary, you should be brutally honest to yourself and your current state. This is actually the only way to make lasting change.
So it's clear we're not talking about denial. The better question is "Does dwelling and focusing on what is going wrong in my life really help me?"
I think most would agree that it doesn't help.
It is much better to focus on the things that are going right. This lines up quite well with Jim's point about Counting our blessings.
It can be seemingly simple things that we can count as blessings...like I'm alive, I have a roof over my head, I can read, I have hearing, I can walk, I slept in a bed last night, I have a job (even if it is not your favorite).
These things may seem like basic things, especially in America, but try experiencing not having any of these and you will appreciate them much more!
In the recording I talk about if someone is about to get into an accident and are trying to miss hitting an object, "studies say" (like how I interject that overused, often untested phrase!) that the person will be more likely to hit the object as you are drawn to what you're focusing on, even if the purpose of your focus is to avoid it.
With that in mind, I propose that the more you focus on the positive, your blessings, the better chance you'll have to experience even more blessings in your life.
With that in mind, I propose that the more you focus on the positive, your blessings, the better chance you'll have to experience even more blessings in your life.
Similarly, you focus and dwell on what is going wrong, the more you will experience more of the same.
One example of the power of focus that many of us are familiar with and may have experienced. You are looking for a certain model of car you want to buy and all of the sudden you see it everywhere. It's not that the car wasn't there before, it's just that you didn't see it cause you weren't looking for it.
This same principle applies to counting our blessings. The more aware and focused on the blessings in your life, the more blessings you will start to notice.
I want to emphasize again that focusing on the positive, is not meant to be a denial about your current state. In one of my Jon Acuff book reviews earlier, he says "you have to be brutally realistic about your present circumstances and wildly unrealistic about your future circumstances.”
There is tension in that phrase, but the two are not in contradiction.
There is tension in that phrase, but the two are not in contradiction.
For example, if you are sitting on a mountain of debt, you can't ignore it and think it will just go away on its own. You need to develop a plan to tackle it and focus on working that plan with the focus towards the future of being debt free.
This is how you don't deny your reality, but still maintain a positive, future focus of the possibilities.
When you do look at the negative, just figure out how you're going to change it and take action and move on to your positive goals.
The first action you can do after you read this is fill out a spreadsheet with what you are grateful for in your life (your blessings) and don't stop till you get to 100.
If you take that simple action, you will be taking the first step to open up your life to a whole new world of possibilities!
Here is the link again in case you still want to listen to the recording.
Count Your Blessings...in a Spreadsheet
Here is the link again in case you still want to listen to the recording.
Count Your Blessings...in a Spreadsheet
Count
your blessings. Literally, count them in a spreadsheet, and do not
stop until you get to at least 100. When we begin to account for all
the good things that have happened to us that we did not cause, it’s
humbling. - See more at:
http://www.liveintentionally.org/2010/08/05/leadership-summit-session-2-jim-collins/#sthash.FIJNjIwg.dpuf
Count
your blessings. Literally, count them in a spreadsheet, and do not
stop until you get to at least 100. When we begin to account for all
the good things that have happened to us that we did not cause, it’s
humbling. - See more at:
http://www.liveintentionally.org/2010/08/05/leadership-summit-session-2-jim-collins/#sthash.FIJNjIwg.dpuf
Count
your blessings. Literally, count them in a spreadsheet, and do not
stop until you get to at least 100. When we begin to account for all
the good things that have happened to us that we did not cause, it’s
humbling. - See more at:
http://www.liveintentionally.org/2010/08/05/leadership-summit-session-2-jim-collins/#sthash.FIJNjIwg.dpuf
Count
your blessings. Literally, count them in a spreadsheet, and do not
stop until you get to at least 100. When we begin to account for all
the good things that have happened to us that we did not cause, it’s
humbling. - See more at:
http://www.liveintentionally.org/2010/08/05/leadership-summit-session-2-jim-collins/#sthash.FIJNjIwg.dpuf
Risk of Sinking vs Value of Swimming
Here is the audio recording if you want to just listen.
I read this quote recently, which was part of the inspiration for this post.
"We've greatly exaggerated the risk of sinking, without celebrating the value of swimming." Seth Godin - The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?
As you know if you've read some of my previous posts, I work in the Information Security arena and have a pretty good understanding of risk. Sometimes I wonder if I have too good of an understanding of risk, almost to a fault where I am so aware of it that I become risk averse. This is not an uncommon trait of people working in this field. We often over emphasize the risks instead of celebrating the fact that we are swimming, or allowing the potential for making progress rather than impeding it.
When I think of this subject and swimming, I can't help but think of Diana Nyad who was in the news recently. She is the other part of the inspiration for writing and recording this post. She is an amazing 64 year old woman who swam 110 miles from Cuba to Key West in the open ocean in spite of the risk of sharks, jelly fish stings and a myriad of other serious risks. She had no significant protection while performing this dangerous task. She swam for over 53 hours! I don't think I could do much of anything, let alone swimming for that long! If you are unfamiliar with Diana and her swim click here. It is a truly inspiring story of courage and it really embodies this principle.
I talk in the recording about my fears of the ocean, and especially with movies like Jaws and shows like the Discovery Channel's Shark Week. I don't know about you, but when I am anywhere deep in the ocean I start hearing the Jaws theme music!
I can't imagine swimming 110 miles from Cuba to Key West!
Most risks we face today dwarf in comparison to the real risk of sinking that Diana Nyad faced when she ventured out to beat this goal she set for herself.
There are risks in my own life that I will exaggerate. If I write this, or put this recording online will people judge me? Will I be able to live up to what I am saying? Despite those voices, I put my words and ideas out here in the sea of voices in this Internet pool, I'm stepping out and getting my feet wet. How will this work out? That is still yet to be seen, but I believe it will be good! I would encourage you to do the same, step out and step up.
When Diana Nyad got to the shores of Key West and attained the goal she set for herself, she was tired, worn out. Despite her exhaustion, which none of us will likely ever understand. She must of had great joy in the accomplishment of completing her goal.
In the Icarus Deception, there is a theme of the concept How High will you Fly. Icarus's father told him not to fly too close to the sun and so the conventional view was one that said not to fly too high, stay in compliance, live within the box of your life, etc.
On the other viewpoint, Icarus actually had the risk of flying too low if he wasn't careful. We exaggerate how high and close to the sun we are out of fear. We may feel safer when we are lower, but the risk can actually be greater to crash and be seriously injured, or worst.
I was talking to a friend at work about fitness and we were encouraging one another and talking about fitness challenges that seem pretty significant and out of reach, such as a triathalon, iron man or a marathon. These things seem way out of my realm of possibility, however I see an example of a woman like Diana Nyad and I am inspired of the possibilities.
She wasn't competing with anyone, she wasn't in a race, but she was competing against her self and what conventional wisdom says is possible. She also obviously has a passion and a joy for swimming.
To her, the risk of sinking couldn't measure up to the joy of swimming.
Today, whatever your "risk of sinking" is, whether it is creating a post, or content like I am doing today, whether it's asking for a promotion, or starting your own business, the challenge of writing that book that has been on your heart for years. I would encourage you to be careful not to exaggerate the risk and focus rather on the celebration of the value of "swimming".
You have to do what's best for yourself and that often involves getting out of your comfort zone and taking risks. Better yet, you should strive to take big audacious risks.
I would say that if you do that, you will be amazed what can happen.
I am learning that our lives have so much opportunity to inspire others and make a real difference and long-lasting impact in the world.
The question remains....."How High Will You Fly?"
Risk of Sinking vs Value of Swimming Audio Recording
I read this quote recently, which was part of the inspiration for this post.
"We've greatly exaggerated the risk of sinking, without celebrating the value of swimming." Seth Godin - The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?
As you know if you've read some of my previous posts, I work in the Information Security arena and have a pretty good understanding of risk. Sometimes I wonder if I have too good of an understanding of risk, almost to a fault where I am so aware of it that I become risk averse. This is not an uncommon trait of people working in this field. We often over emphasize the risks instead of celebrating the fact that we are swimming, or allowing the potential for making progress rather than impeding it.
When I think of this subject and swimming, I can't help but think of Diana Nyad who was in the news recently. She is the other part of the inspiration for writing and recording this post. She is an amazing 64 year old woman who swam 110 miles from Cuba to Key West in the open ocean in spite of the risk of sharks, jelly fish stings and a myriad of other serious risks. She had no significant protection while performing this dangerous task. She swam for over 53 hours! I don't think I could do much of anything, let alone swimming for that long! If you are unfamiliar with Diana and her swim click here. It is a truly inspiring story of courage and it really embodies this principle.
I talk in the recording about my fears of the ocean, and especially with movies like Jaws and shows like the Discovery Channel's Shark Week. I don't know about you, but when I am anywhere deep in the ocean I start hearing the Jaws theme music!
I can't imagine swimming 110 miles from Cuba to Key West!
Most risks we face today dwarf in comparison to the real risk of sinking that Diana Nyad faced when she ventured out to beat this goal she set for herself.
There are risks in my own life that I will exaggerate. If I write this, or put this recording online will people judge me? Will I be able to live up to what I am saying? Despite those voices, I put my words and ideas out here in the sea of voices in this Internet pool, I'm stepping out and getting my feet wet. How will this work out? That is still yet to be seen, but I believe it will be good! I would encourage you to do the same, step out and step up.
When Diana Nyad got to the shores of Key West and attained the goal she set for herself, she was tired, worn out. Despite her exhaustion, which none of us will likely ever understand. She must of had great joy in the accomplishment of completing her goal.
In the Icarus Deception, there is a theme of the concept How High will you Fly. Icarus's father told him not to fly too close to the sun and so the conventional view was one that said not to fly too high, stay in compliance, live within the box of your life, etc.
On the other viewpoint, Icarus actually had the risk of flying too low if he wasn't careful. We exaggerate how high and close to the sun we are out of fear. We may feel safer when we are lower, but the risk can actually be greater to crash and be seriously injured, or worst.
I was talking to a friend at work about fitness and we were encouraging one another and talking about fitness challenges that seem pretty significant and out of reach, such as a triathalon, iron man or a marathon. These things seem way out of my realm of possibility, however I see an example of a woman like Diana Nyad and I am inspired of the possibilities.
She wasn't competing with anyone, she wasn't in a race, but she was competing against her self and what conventional wisdom says is possible. She also obviously has a passion and a joy for swimming.
To her, the risk of sinking couldn't measure up to the joy of swimming.
Today, whatever your "risk of sinking" is, whether it is creating a post, or content like I am doing today, whether it's asking for a promotion, or starting your own business, the challenge of writing that book that has been on your heart for years. I would encourage you to be careful not to exaggerate the risk and focus rather on the celebration of the value of "swimming".
You have to do what's best for yourself and that often involves getting out of your comfort zone and taking risks. Better yet, you should strive to take big audacious risks.
I would say that if you do that, you will be amazed what can happen.
I am learning that our lives have so much opportunity to inspire others and make a real difference and long-lasting impact in the world.
The question remains....."How High Will You Fly?"
Risk of Sinking vs Value of Swimming Audio Recording
Theoretical Certainty
Theoretical Certainty: This seemingly contradictory phrase/title can sum up almost
any situation that you can think up. This simple two-word phrase contains some
invaluable truths when approaching virtually any situation.
How can something
be theoretical and certain at the same time?
The better question may be how can anything not be
theoretical and certain at any time?
This is not a riddle, nor is it some hocus-pocus exercise to get you thinking deep. It is simply the truth.
Wait, if nothing is
certain, how can it be considered truth?
It can because Theoretical Certainty
covers both diverging views with equal accuracy and veracity, yet it is open to
either becoming the victor in any given situation.
It includes mystery and great potential for a sure outcome at the same time.
Let’s face it, life, love,
career, success, failure, the meaning of life are all speculative, fluctuating
and unpredictable at the same time depending on who you talk to?
In Seth Godin's book, The Icarus Deception he rightly says
"We see what we believe, not the other way around."
This means our reality will be defined by our viewpoint, or what we believe.
We could also deduce that this means we have the potential to change our reality by our belief system, and actions we take based on that belief system.
Why do certain
people fail miserably in life for 45+ years then get a brilliant idea that
causes them to be what many would define as “a success”?
Why does a privileged, seemingly
“got-it-together” type of person end up becoming a drug user or end up
squandering away a fortune many will only dream of?
Why does what seemed and appeared to be a good, strong marriage fall apart and appear to be impossible to fix?
How does a person give
everything away, including their life for the promises they believe they will
receive in eternity and end up making an impact and difference in the world that ripples for generations to come, but at the same time has no material possessions to show for their life?
The answer? Theoretical Certainty.
First, let’s start with the definition of each.
cer·tain·ty noun \ˈsÉ™r-tÉ™n-tÄ“\
plural cer·tain·ties
Definition of CERTAINTY
1: something that is certain - <-- Click this for definition of certain. Don't you hate when definitions include the word it is defining! If you don't want to click and read deeper, it is basically Something known or proven to be true and incapable of failing.
2: the quality or state of
being certain especially on the basis of evidence
the·o·ret·i·cal
/THēəˈretikəl/
Adjective
Definition of Theoretical
1.Concerned with or involving the theory of a subject or area of
study rather than its practical application: "a theoretical
physicist".
2.Based on or calculated through theory rather than experience
or practice: "a theoretical reformer of opinions".
|
Synonyms
theoretic - academic - academical – speculative
If we combine parts of the two definitions in a sentence we
come up with something like this:
An opinion that is sure, based on evidence that comes primarily from belief and is unique to the individual.
You got that, right? Go ahead and read that again. Ha, ha!
When looking at it like this, Theoretical Certainty becomes
whatever you want it to be for you and is nothing that you can enforce or
convince someone else to look at it the same way you do, likewise, no one can
convince you to see it differently unless you decide to listen and choose to see things differently.
It is truly is an “Eye of the Beholder”, “One size does
(not) fit all” type of motto.
I plan on exploring this principle deeper and explaining what I learn and how you can apply to your life, your happiness, your success and essentially everything
you do.
If you can grasp and leverage this principle in your life, you will be
way above the majority of people in this world.
Heck, many people
do not know how to spell Theoretical Certainty.
This should give you confidence that
you are pursuing and studying a motto that may be able to give you an edge. Disclaimer....you don't need to be able to spell Theoretical Certainty for this to work for you.
What do you think? Do you agree that something can be theoretical and certain at the same time?
What do you do when you face difficulty? Lessons learned from Job.
Do you have troubles? Are you facing, what you consider a "trial" in life? Listen to this recording to hear about what you can do when you are facing difficulties.
In this recording I talk about Job and some of the difficulties he faced, how he responded, some of the advice he received and lessons learned.
I talk about what our response to difficulties should look like.
I also address some of my own difficulties, such as the recent death of my father and how we won't always understand why difficulties happen, or have a theological answer to our real, everyday problems.
What do you do when you face difficulty? Lessons learned from Job.
Everybody is Somebody!
Have you ever looked down on someone? I have. I am certainly not proud of it, but it has happened.
The world is full of seemingly insignificant people. The truth is, there is no such thing as an insignificant person. All of these people have destiny within their life. You may be a part of that destiny. You also have a destiny on your life that you will probably not get to see the fulfillment of.
Herein lies the problem, we are less willing to work towards something we believe we may never see.
Maybe you feel your life is insignificant at this moment, due to circumstances "beyond your control". This post is encouragement to adjust our focus and deliberately seek ways that we can fulfill our destiny through investing in other people. Your reaction to circumstances is always within your control.
Life isn't always about what we accomplish ourselves, but rather what is accomplished as a result of our contribution.
A kind word, encouragement, investing in someone else, recommending a good book, praying for someone. All of these contributions can have serious impact.
The problem is we are often so self focused that we miss out on the opportunity to contribute into someone else's destiny. Hint, whether you get credit or not, you are a recipient of all the destinies that you have been a part of. Do you have kids, nieces, nephews? If you do, there is a good place to start investing!
All of the great men and women of history had people who are part of their legacy who we don't know about. They are the unsung heroes who apart from their contribution, history may never have been the same. You are one of those people whether you realize it or not. You matter and what you do matters.
One of those men was Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, who on July 2, 1863, found himself a Colonel in the Union Army in a small Pennsylvania town called Gettysburg. He was a 34 year old schoolteacher who found himself in what would prove to be a pivotal moment in history that still has an effect even on how we live today. His persistence helped the Union Army win the battle that day and changed the dynamics of the entire war.
You can read more of his story in this excerpt from Andy Andrews book: The Butterfly Effect here http://issuu.com/tnelson/docs/int-fb-the-butterfly-effect
This book explains more about how your life matters, whether you realize it or not. I recommend that book and literally every book Andy has written. I have read several of his books and have not been let down yet! (Especially read his books The Traveler's Gift and The Noticer, it will be time well invested!)
See that, I may have just become a small part of what you are going to accomplish in history through the simple recommendation of a few books and an author. Now it's your turn!
Just remember Everybody is Somebody. Don't take life for granted and be purposeful to contribute into other people's lives and get ready to see what God has in store for you and those around you!
Book Review - "Start" by Jon Acuff - Learning Pt A & B
Listen to the following links to hear more about my review of Jon Acuff's new book "Start".
This is a very practical and well written book. Be sure to support the author and get yourself a copy. It is well worth it!
Here is the link to learn more about the book and be able to get it. http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/start/
"Start" - Learning Pt A. by Jon Acuff Review
"Start" - Learning Pt B. by Jon Acuff Review
This is a very practical and well written book. Be sure to support the author and get yourself a copy. It is well worth it!
Here is the link to learn more about the book and be able to get it. http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/start/
"Start" - Learning Pt A. by Jon Acuff Review
"Start" - Learning Pt B. by Jon Acuff Review
Jon Acuff "Start" Audio Review and Summary Pt 1
Here is a brief audio review of Jon Acuff's book Start. This is part 1 of what I hope will be a series of short recordings of me talking about this great book!
Jon Acuff "Start" Audio Review and Summary Pt 1
The Devil, the ultimate Social Engineer
This post is for two people by design.
The first is the person who doesn't understand Social Engineering, but has a general understanding of the Bible.
The second is the person who understands Social Engineering well, but does not understand the Bible or the purpose of the inspired book. This is for the person who views it as being a flawed book about outdated laws, rules, or children's stories that escape the test of logic and scrutiny, such as Noah's Ark, or Jonah spending 3 days in the belly of the whale, or for those that are pretty sure it says something about "money being the root of all evil". Spoiler alert...read 1 Timothy 6:10 to see that the Bible doesn't actually say that.
The goal of this post is not to convince anyone of anything. It is simply to share the thoughts that came to me while listening to a sermon that briefly mentioned the interaction between the "serpent" and Eve in the Garden of Eden, then a quick thought that led to a more in depth review of these fairly obscure verses.
Social Engineering is simply "using interactive tactics that make you successful in ulterior motives".
A good social engineer knows what the rules, or generally accepted practices are through reconnaissance and research. In Gen 2:16 We see what "ground rules" were set by God. Here is that verse. Read it closely! And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat (Or when you eat) of it you shall surely die.”
Satan knew what the "rules" were, he also knew that Eve was somewhat sketchy on knowing what God actually said. God spoke to the man, so we can assume that Eve only knew what Adam had told her about this forbidden tree. Modern day Social Engineers do the same thing. They capitalize on human behavior and the probability that certain people don't truly understand the important instructions that they are supposed to follow and why. Don't give out a password over the phone, don't hold the door open for that nice man whose hands are conveniently full of boxes, even though he doesn't have a badge and you've never seen him before.
Here is how things went down in Gen chapter 3 verse 1. He (the serpent, aka the devil) said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Did you catch that? The Social Engineer can use a tactic of exaggeration and misdirection at times with a simple word like "any".
Things get lost in translation, and unless you understand "The Grapevine" like Johnny Dangerously. Only listening to a man interpretation of things, etc will get you in trouble with understanding God's ways. Never heard of Johnny Dangerously, or the Grapevine? Check this short clip out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFII-edH-Yo.
God addressed Adam, not Eve as far as we see in scripture anyway. Either Adam explained it improperly, or Eve did not really pay attention to what he said. Social Engineers know this and capitalize on it.
Exaggeration emphasizes things to make us feel we are missing out. He uses the "art of misdirection". He said "you shall not eat of the fruit of any tree in the garden". A big twisting of what God actually said. Eve didn't understand God's expectations, so she defended what she could do. A good social engineer strokes your ego, by first framing an extreme version of what "you can't do", getting you defensive and prepared to prove that you can actually do what is not in your best interest to do....read that twice! This is where a teenager proves they can engage in dangerous activity that the parent told them not to engage in, often to unintended and negative consequences. You want a non-Christian themed movie to be successful? Post an outraged message to a couple of social network sites and get Christians talking about how bad and evil the movie is! You will generate enough buzz to ensure all the rebellious teens go see it despite the warnings from church and parents...think of Harry Potter. There is a lot of free advertising to gather and Social Engineers know this! For the record, I have nothing against the Harry Potter series!
The next thing is significance. People will not protect what they don't realize is important. Eve didn't understand the significance of "the tree of knowledge of good and evil". She referred to it as"the tree that is in the midst of the garden". You know it's just "that tree". She also added that she couldn't even "touch" it. We have no record of God ever saying that they couldn't touch it. There are churches full of these false rules that have been taken out of context and misunderstood. "Cut your hair above your ears", "women can't wear pants", "don't ever go to a movie", etc. Now the ultimate social engineer can demonstrate, "see you touched the tree and your still alive, if you eat you'll be okay too". Just like a real life social engineer, they put together several pieces to their scam with no visible effect, lulling us into a sense that "everything is all right. We can trust this person, etc"
Exaggeration emphasizes things to make us feel we are missing out. He uses the "art of misdirection". He said "you shall not eat of the fruit of any tree in the garden". A big twisting of what God actually said. Eve didn't understand God's expectations, so she defended what she could do. A good social engineer strokes your ego, by first framing an extreme version of what "you can't do", getting you defensive and prepared to prove that you can actually do what is not in your best interest to do....read that twice! This is where a teenager proves they can engage in dangerous activity that the parent told them not to engage in, often to unintended and negative consequences. You want a non-Christian themed movie to be successful? Post an outraged message to a couple of social network sites and get Christians talking about how bad and evil the movie is! You will generate enough buzz to ensure all the rebellious teens go see it despite the warnings from church and parents...think of Harry Potter. There is a lot of free advertising to gather and Social Engineers know this! For the record, I have nothing against the Harry Potter series!
The next thing is significance. People will not protect what they don't realize is important. Eve didn't understand the significance of "the tree of knowledge of good and evil". She referred to it as"the tree that is in the midst of the garden". You know it's just "that tree". She also added that she couldn't even "touch" it. We have no record of God ever saying that they couldn't touch it. There are churches full of these false rules that have been taken out of context and misunderstood. "Cut your hair above your ears", "women can't wear pants", "don't ever go to a movie", etc. Now the ultimate social engineer can demonstrate, "see you touched the tree and your still alive, if you eat you'll be okay too". Just like a real life social engineer, they put together several pieces to their scam with no visible effect, lulling us into a sense that "everything is all right. We can trust this person, etc"
Social Engineers are result driven with a goal in mind and they are also very patient. The result of the serpent's tactics resulted in what is known as "the fall of mankind", at least in Christianity. The same can result in a fall of your organization (financial, reputation, etc), if sensitive information is exposed and people get tricked into a social engineer's trap.
What does this have to do with me?
What does this have to do with me?
To counter the social engineer, you need to be aware of the truth, what is acceptable, what is sensitive, realizing that what you say or hand over can get the "adversary" closer to his goals. Good security comes from awareness, systems that thwart the social engineer and a knowledge of truth (policies) to make it more difficult for them to be successful.
In a spiritual sense, the ultimate Social Engineer was successful with his human exploit in this story. He tricked Eve and ultimately Adam to do what God did not want them to do.
In a spiritual sense, the ultimate Social Engineer was successful with his human exploit in this story. He tricked Eve and ultimately Adam to do what God did not want them to do.
Thankfully God is smarter than the serpent and offers "eternal security" for those who simply put their confidence and hope in Christ. His sacrifice reversed the finality of the battle known as "the fall" and won the war against the ultimate social engineer when he died on the cross for our sins.
If you just balked at the last sentence, the ultimate social engineer just tricked you into missing out God's design for us to experience eternal security.
If you just balked at the last sentence, the ultimate social engineer just tricked you into missing out God's design for us to experience eternal security.
Securing information assets and protecting them from social engineers is not easy and the consequences can be severe. However, your soul is arguably more valuable than any asset you will ever protect, yet we often miss the point, or get distracted by our biased understanding of spiritual things.
I will not try to convince you that the greater asset at stake is your soul and your eternal security, but it may be worth looking into.
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