How do you view the events that happen to make up your life?

There is an old saying that goes, "Where you stand on an issue, usually depends on where you sit."

In physics, there is a principle called Galilean Relativity that states that all physical laws work when you're moving in the same direction at the same speed. This gives two people watching an event a different perspective of what happened.

To fully understand what's happening in a system, you have to see it from at least two different perspectives: as an insider and as an outsider.

This same principle can also be applied to social systems. An outsider can be blind to internal details, whereas an insider can underestimate the power of tribal affiliations. 

Many times we think we know what is going on with a company, a family, or a political party based on what we observe or hear from others.

The problem is, we are only perceiving what is going on because our view is one-dimensional.  We are only seeing things from the outside.

Conversely, someone on the inside of a company may be observing what they perceive as a poorly run organization and don't understand why the company continues to grow and generate revenue. This person is also viewing the situation from one point of view, internally.

To make an informed opinion on an organization or situation a person has to get as many views as possible. 

We've all heard the term "ins and outs." Seeing the ins and outs of a situation means learning all the details and points regarding what's occurring.   

We tend to make assumptions, decisions, and determinations about events, and activities in our life from a single point of view. 

We like things that are "like" us and tend to distance ourselves from things that are "unlike" us.

But most of the time we are making our decisions regarding what we like or don't like, based on limited input or resources.

To expand your depth of knowledge and enjoyment of life, get as much information as you can, and look at things from as many different angles as possible. That way, you'll be open to exploring all that life has to offer.

Leave me a comment about your thoughts on the importance of making decisions based on multiple views of a situation.

    

How many times have you waited for the perfect timing before doing something? 

It's been said that "Timing is everything." But how do you know when the right time to do something will be?

Many people wait to start jobs, families, and even businesses until everything is perfect. 

Unfortunately, perfection is an illusion. There is no perfect job, relationship, or person.  

The following is a list of companies that started when things were not only imperfect but the economy or country was mired in incredibly difficult times:

 - Fortune Magazine was started 90 days after the market crash of 1929

 - FedEx was begun during the oil crisis of 1973

- (Standard Oil) John D. Rockefeller bought out his partners and started Standard Oil during the final year of the U.S. Civil War in 1865  

- Coors Beer was founded during the depression of 1873

- Costco was started during the recession in the 1970s

- General Motors began during the economic crisis of 1907

- Microsoft was founded during the 1973-75 recession

- LinkedIn was started in 2002, right after the post-dot-com bubble burst

None of these organizations began when things were perfect. Just the opposite, they were founded during some of the worst business or economic conditions a company could face.

But all of them have survived and prospered, some for more than a century, because their founders took a chance and were willing to risk it all, with the understanding that the timing might not be perfect, but they were going to figure it out as the need arose and the organization grew.

If you want to grow, if you want to improve, if you want to get better, step outside your mindset of everything needing to be perfect; jump in, take risks, cause something to happen, and believe in yourself enough to know you will figure it out as you move forward and flourish.  

​Leave me a comment about your thoughts regarding starting something even when the timing might not be perfect.