From Above

Perspective is important.  That is, how we look at a person or an object depends on where we are standing, what we notice from that position, and the conclusions we make.  It is the relationship between where I am in that moment... and The Other.

These thoughts were going through my mind on a recent flight home.  The cloud formations changed very dramatically over time and the distance I was flying.  At one point, the clouds were thick and foreboding; later on they were cotton-candy puffy; then they became stratified and separated where I could see water and land below.

What do you see right now?
(Photo: Cloud Formations - Larry Gardepie)

Time, distance, and other conditions changed what I was seeing and experiencing.  If I were asked to describe what was visible, it would depend... perspectives can change!

Last month I posted a blog, Untapped Re's (click on link to read the earlier reflection).  It contained a photo I took at Pacific Grove:  I was reminiscing about my childhood and a recent visit to Salinas and Monterey Bay.  Then, I came across the following aerial view of the Pacific Grove coastline:  I had never seen the Purple Carpet from above... a Perspective Unknown before this chance encounter!

What perspectives are unknown to you?
(Photo credit: Purple Carpet,
Pacific Grove, CA - Facebook)

In a similar experience, I was on a 7-hour sailing excursion along Kauai's western coast.  The ship's captain stayed close to shore to minimize the rocking and rolling of our vessel.  She described the Na Pali Coast, its history and culture, its sacredness to the Hawaiian people.  We were taken back in time, introduced to a different way of living.

During the return trip, the captain navigated us farther away from the coast.  The heights of the cliffs, the colors and shadows, and the expansiveness of what we were seeing took on new and more spectacular dimensions -- further away from our earlier and limited land-views!

Do you pull back to see a larger view?
(Photo: Na Pali Coast, Kauai - Larry Gardepie)

Aerial views and unsimilar perspectives invite us to consider:

• Are we forgiving in our thoughts when a new perspective is revealed?
• Do we hold tightly to our conclusions and miss opportunities to see differently?
• Can we rise above or step back to see from another vantage point?

May this week provide situations where we can question long-held beliefs and hold-lightly to the possibility that Truth is revealing itself anew. 

 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

A Maze of Dead Ends

Do you enjoy puzzles and word games?  I do!  The process of thinking through a number of possible solutions and narrowing down to one answer is stimulating.  So many possibilities... but why can ONLY ONE be Right?!

There are so many ways to to be challenged these days:  online games and jigsaw puzzle apps; books of word searches, crosswords, Sudoku, and acrostic brainteasers; TV shows that pit contestants against one another... and the list goes on, especially when we look at our day-to-day lives!

Do you see a world of possibilities?
(Photo credit:  Chirag Upreti - NASA)

Once, when traveling in southeast England, a friend and I attempted to walk through a life-size hedge maze.  The problem?  We almost missed our train because we couldn't find the maze's exit!  Dead ends prevented us from finding the Right Way out!  Yelling over the hedge walls didn't help... fellow mazers were just as lost as we were!

Reflecting on other dead ends in my life, I haven't been as frantic.  Similar to working out a solution in a puzzle or word game, I notice the obstacle or dead end, step back, retrace my steps, and consider another way out of the situation.  (It helps not to be rushed for time!)

How do dead ends help you?
(Photo credit:  Couple Creates 7-foot-high Maze in Their
Backyard with Only One Way Out - New York Post)

It sometimes helps to be able to "phone a friend," "ask the audience" or have some of the options removed.  In fact, like mazes and puzzles, dead ends and multiple answers sometimes slow us down and invite us to consider another way to move forward.

Is this what we do with our assumptions and conclusions about other people?  When they exhibit behavior we weren't expecting or when our conclusions don't match the outcome, do we step back and reconsider what we were thinking?

What life signs keep you safe?
(Photo credit:  California DMV Road Side Test Video)

The gift of puzzles and games is when we are a-mazed at the end result:

• What we learned about ourselves;
• How the dead ends helped us; and,
  
• Were we willing to ask for help?

I hope that you enjoy the challenges of this next week... treating each dead end as a way to step back, seek help, and learn.

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

Being on Auto-Drive

Several weeks ago, Darcy -- a Dialogue colleague -- and I were talking about the technology behind the newest auto-drive cars.  We were wondering how the cars would be programmed:  that is, how strictly would the current driving laws and practices be programmed?  Think:  speed limits; when and how to pass another car; the distance required for turn signals to be used; watching out for motorcycles and bicycles...

Observing my current driving practices and those of others, there are countless assumptions we make as we anticipate what others might do... and we may have become sloppy in not using turn signals in every situation and (occasionally) driving above the speed limit!

When are you on autopilot?
(Photo credit:  Self-driving Cars - The Technology,
Risks and Possibilities - Harvard Science in the News)

What "common assumptions" do you think should be programmed?  Do you assume that others would agree with your list?  What happens if the automated car is programmed a way that you might disagree?  When will you use auto-drive, and how often will you take control to do it your way?

In a similar fashion, we are relying more on technology to help us navigate through our daily lives.  Think: smart devices that remind us of appointments; direct us to our next destination; turn on our lights, heat or air conditioning before we arrive at our homes.

In what ways do we cause chaos?
(Photo credit:  If You Look at Your Phone While
Walking, You're an Agent of Chaos - New York Times)

There are studies that show our reliance on these devices isn't necessarily simplifying our lives.  In fact, sometimes while using advanced technology, we go on autopilot... which creates chaos.  Think: the number of times you drive or walk while using your phones (texting, reading emails, looking up directions, listening to podcasts).

So, what do we do about our assumptions and being on autopilot or using technology that is pre-programmed with common assumptions that may not be common?

How are you present to others?
(Photo credit:  Top 10 Networking and
Conversation Tips - Shepa Learning Company)

You may have other ideas, but maybe we can:

• Pay attention to our assumptions.
  
• Notice when we are distracted.
• Become more present to the people around us.

If we slow down and signal what we are thinking, feeling, assuming, or concluding, we may find that others have differing ideas.  Coming off of autopilot provides choices in how to interact.

What do you think?

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

Fleeting Moments

Have you experienced moments of pure joy or happiness... when everything seems beautiful and Just Right?  You want to stop time, stay in that moment, and savor the joy, happiness, and beauty.

One of my friend's repeated phrases is "Life is Good!"  That phrase crossed my mind as I climbed aboard the Mexican Navy's training vessel, Cuauhtemoc ("one who has descended like and eagle").  San Diego was the first stop for the crew of 261 officers and cadets as it began its round-the-world ambassadorial journey of friendship and outreach.

When do you reach out in friendship?
(Photo: ARM Cuauhtemoc, Mexican Navy
training vessel visiting San Diego - Larry Gardepie)

When we arrived at the Embarcadero, long lines of San Diegans were waiting to tour this tall ship.  Officers and crew were located throughout the ship welcoming us and answering our questions in English and Spanish.  You could sense the pride and excitement -- both from sailors and tourists -- about this beautiful boat.

Time stood still on this warm and sunny day -- imagining centuries of sailing similar vessels across the waters... exploring, trading, and encountering new peoples.  I felt connected across time and cultures!

What moments have surprised you -- where you stopped and marveled?
(Photo: Deer at Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA - Larry Gardepie)

I began to reflect on this technology-driven world -- so different from this sailing vessel:  though we can be connected in a fraction of a minute with news, posts, and texts, in many ways we are no longer really Connected -- united or linked -- with Nature, with one another, or with what is important about Life.  Ideologies separate us, and we are distracted by our smart devices, sound bites, and overburdened schedules and responsibilities.

It takes these "Life is Good" moments to remind us of our shared humanity, our fragile mortality, and our real connections -- relationships of beauty, friendship, and welcoming.

Can you see the fragile nature of this moment in time?
(Photo: Soap Bubbles Dancing in the Sun - Larry Gardepie)

These fleeting moments remind me of our Sacred Worth and Value -- something we have in common!  These moments also can remind us of the importance of hope:  we can welcome; we can cross barriers and cultures; we can become ambassadors of friendship through outreach and caring.

This week, let us hope for and savor moments of fleeting joy, happiness, and beauty... and let's share these experiences with others.

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

Natural Beauty

A friend and I were walking around the neighborhood a few weeks ago and came across a beautiful garden filled with color and an unusual combination of plants.  We pass this house and yard several times a week but, for some reason, the colors stopped us this one day.

We were each drawn to different flowers, but it was my friend who noticed the overall beauty of the whole yard.

Where do you focus your attention?
(Photo:  Neighborhood Flowers - Larry Gardepie)

As we leaned in to look at specific flowers, we became aware of the number of bees that were also attracted to this yard.  They were busy at work while we were Relaxing in the Beauty.

From the smallest purple flowers that projected from the white, fuzzy brushes to the yellow daisies, it was the "naturalness" of the setting that caused us to pause: the flowers and bees were doing what they were supposed to do -- creating and pollinating beauty!  And, it seemed natural for us to stop and take in the beauty!

Do you appreciate the smallest details around you?
(Photo:  Small Purple Flowers - Larry Gardepie)

 As we continued our walk, I wondered about the current state of world affairs:

• Have we lost the beauty?
• Do we notice small acts of kindness?
• Can we pollinate ideas that support future beauty?

This act of noticing and reflecting opened my eyes to individual and combined beauty, the attractions that stimulate and enlarge us as One and Many.

Where do you pollinate beauty?
(Photo:  Busy Bee - Larry Gardepie)

The irony of this situation is that we pass this yard several times a week and had not noticed the individual and combined beauty.  Together, we noticed.  Together, we shared our awareness.  Together, we walked away changed... caught in the naturalness of life.

 

A challenge for us this week might be to notice and pollinate beauty -- alone and with others... naturally!

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)