Karma & The Big Picture

A friend who lives in Australia with a finance background used to refer to her Finance counterparts as Ant F^&#%'er's.  Sorry for the crudeness, but the saying and the wonderfully Australian way to capture the detail-level focus always makes me smile.  That particular description has burned itself into my brain and now I think of it automatically whenever I see incredible levels of focus on the minutiae.

By my own nature, I'm not 'social' with ants that way - I tend to be a big picture guy.  That's not a boast; in fact it's probably a weakness as I need to see the larger perspective to validate direction, speed and so on when I'm deep into a project, or working on a deliverable.

Lately, I've had my head down, and haven't been considering the big picture for a variety of reasons. I've been up to my neck in ants.  I came across this today by chance and it reset me nicely.

Call it whatever you want, I'll call it karma here.  Sometimes instead of getting wound up in whatever issues we have, it pays to stop, look up, and marvel with awe at the incredible situation we find ourselves in.  

Being Christian

Let's tackle religion today, shall we ?  That never gets up anyone's nose.

I don't want to debate religions, truths or recent world events that have religiously based triggers, rather I want to talk about behaviours.  Walking the walk versus talking the talk.  This is top of mind for me recently as I seethe a little when I encounter hypocrisy (and one doesn't need to look very far in any direction), and perhaps more pertinently as I've started to wear a bracelet.

A bracelet you say  - is it a cross, a fish, a crucifixion, or a WWJD one ?  Nope, nothing so fancy or overt.  It simply says "pay it forward".  It's intended to incite a degree of kindness towards one another from the wearer, and I think it works for me - I am notably kinder to others when wearing it.  Which makes me think of behavior.  See ? there are always links.

So, how we act towards one other is something for which my antenna is up these days, and there is plenty to witness. More and more as I peruse various media, I'm seeing individuals wrap themselves in God to declare their intentions.  It's various versions of God, to be ultra PC about this, but I happen to have been raised Christian, so I'm most aware of and sensitive to manifestation of Christianity.  I think this is a little like swearing in another language, it doesn't quite fit and feels funny, it's almost unreal to see someone prostrate themselves for their beliefs that you don't happen to share.

I think being Christian should be a little like being pregnant.  Like the old joke goes, you don't get to be just a little pregnant, you either are, or you aren't.  Similarly, if you claim to be Christian or (insert your favourite religion here), you need to 'be' it, full time, no breaks, no exceptions for one day a week etc.  It galls me to see otherwise wonderful, loving people behaving situationally hatefully and spitefully.

I'm not talking about somebody having the odd bad day, and offering various hand gestures in traffic - no I'm referring to someone that defines who they are by their spirituality, and then for a given area of their life,  has an almost polar opposite set of approaches to life.   They're mean in terms kids would use, and we understand clearly.  You know what it makes me think when I come across these people ?  It makes me think their religion and outward graciousness is a cover, and they're actually mean-spirited people.  I bet it makes you think that too.

So here's my own homemade solution - make or source one of these 'pay it forward' bracelets and do something nice for one of these hypocrites.  Then watch as their wrist withers and blackens.  And be thankful it's not you.

As long as you agree with me

It's funny how some people are.  They are otherwise smart and capable and seem to welcome broadening their minds and taking on new tasks.  They seek out new things, and are willing to lend a hand.

They ask for input, and seem welcome it.  Until that is, that they don't agree with it, or it doesn't flatter them, or support the position they've adopted, or goes against something that they feel passionate about.  We see this pop up in politics, and when religion is discussed.  There's even groups that are adamant about their teams (This year, the Cubs will win the pennant).

When these alternative voices are heard, they argue, fight and eventually run away, as they weren't really open to broadening their views, or understanding other perspectives.  They were all about what they believed and that's all.  If we're not on their 'side', then we're against them it seems.

I don't know about you, but I'm not actually aware of anyone (myself included) that knows everything.  What I can say with certainty however is that when I see people (or myself) shut down to other points of view, other opinons or information that may make me consider other options - I know that person is in a dead-end.

So I'm absolutely clear, I'm not saying that different opinions will or should change their mind - but I am suggesting that when we close ourselves down and stop questioning what we thought was right, and draw a line in the sand - then we're in trouble.

Do you vote for Character or Policy ?

The American election is fascinating to watch from afar. I'm not American and given the choices, I'm not sure I'd want to be.  I'm not suggesting the choices are bad at all - it's simply a difficult decision to make.

One one hand you have the incumbent POTUS - a man that deliberates policy slowly, and has underwhelmed many people as he fell short of the expectations thrust upon him.  I don't think we can doubt his character though.  He's a good man, seems to do what he says he will within his power and tells the truth.  He hasn't been a rock star President - but then, who in their own time was actually judged to be one of those..?

You many not like Mr. Obama's policies, but you can't fault the man for who he is.  In an information-overload age and no place to hide, that's a rare quality in a peson. Not many of us are the fine up-standing citizens we portrays ourselves as - let alone those in public office. For that alone the US should be grateful.  There's a lot to be said for thoughtful, solid leadership in times of turmoil.

Competing also is Mr. Romney, who has the advantage of not having had the last four years' as President, scrutinized.  He's able therefore to paint a picture of how different things could have been (when in fact I'm not sure how different they actually are capable of being once you're in the big chair).   Some of his policies are populist, and he has great appeal to many - even as a rich white guy.  Mr.Romney represents change absolutely, but he'll be elected partially because Mr. Obama wasn't, and partially based on his policy stands.  His character is weaker than Mr. Obama's it seems, but he's being given a free pass on that for now. I'm sure he'll discover that exaggeration and playing a little loosely with facts in your stump-speech rhetoric become a tad more troublesome once you are in office.

So the choice to be made is a person who you might trust, but won't do the thing we want, or alternatively, won't be able to accomplish it; and someone we may not trust, but is weaving an effective tale.  It's Character v Policy.   It's a fascinating apples to oranges comparison.

Put the men and actual policies aside - which of these qualities alone would you want to govern you ?  Tough choice.

Looking out to Sea

When we stand before the ocean that is the life ahead of us, we tend to watch where the waves break.   While that's the closest to where we are certainly, there is a whole ocean ahead, full of potential.

Standing nearby always are those who have guided us to this place in our lives, watchful and caring as to how we navigate forward.