SNOW DAY

It is snowing as this post is being typed.
This allows us to do some review and reflection on the work done so far and share this thought...

THOUGHT of the DAY: The “Yeah, But” Disease

Heard a respected instructor say something recently about allowing oneself to be a student that resonated deeply with me. He said “Listen to LEARN. Don’t Listen to REPLY.” I thought about that for a while. So many times in this fast paced, self-focused world, we are always waiting to “respond” to something. We don’t seem to take the time to truly LISTEN and digest what is being said and contemplate the meaning of the message and, to my heart and mind, this is a sad thing.

We miss the meaning, the truth, the learning opportunity because we are rushing to “reply” and show what we know…whether it is applicable or not.

The symptom that the manifests when we “Listen to Reply” is the “Yeah, But Disease.” This disease generates excuses or the desire to “reply” in opposition to the message the individual thought they received or a combination of both. It is a bit of a mind-bender, so here is a “real life” example:

Teacher: The goal is to get the horse moving in the selected direction. Use this (blank) technique to do being clear in your body language, energy and intent.
Student: Yeah, but…I wanted to move the horse with a different technique.
Teacher: Student, that is not the lesson at the moment. By performing (blank) technique you set your horse and you up for success so you can move on to the other (blank) technique.
Student: Yeah, but….

It all goes downhill quickly from there.

So the best way to AVOID (or if you already have it, CURE) the Yeah, But Disease is to LISTEN with your whole self (ie: mind, heart, spirit) and take time to digest the message. Self-assess your current situation and see if the message can be applied now. If not then ask questions based on the message to seek clarity. While this may take a few extra moments the return on investment of those moments is a stronger understanding of the message and an improved ability to apply the information provided within the message right now.

Happy Monday everyone!