A yellow pad and a soft lead pencil can solve any problem. They can also plan any dream. If you don’t have these items in your home, stop reading and get them now.
Growing up I watched my dad use these 2 tools to solve financial challenges, get an advanced college degree, plan, and draw doodles for us 4 kids. I can remember countless times taking a soft lead pencil off his desk or the counter where he had left it and drawing with it until the night black point was dulled to the useless beige wood. Then I would go to his electric sharpener and hear that whirring buzz of wood whittling down at nuclear speed to make it shap again. I would repeat this process over and over again. I’ll never forget the wood smell of the freshly sharpened pencil. There was also something inspirational about a fresh, full yellow pad to write on. Since that time, many of my college, financial, and familial challenges have been figured out on a yellow pad with a soft lead pencil.
Having the right tools is satisfying, but tools are neutral. a box of 100 Ticonderogas and a ream of yellow pads will do nothing for you unless you are driven to solve your problem, or achieve your dream. Yesterday I wrote about “Finding your WHAT” for today. In this second post of this series on possibility thinking, I want to express the need to have the DESIRE to get your “what,” or, to GET WHAT YOU WANT. What will you write on your yellow pad if you have no vision . . . no desire. Find that passion and then get your tools out because everything is possible. Repeat that to yourself “everything is possible.” It indeed is. Now that you have written down what you wanted yesterday, write today what you want this week. let me give you an example and show you what I am looking at:
This week (between today Tues and this Sunday) I want:
to have quality time with my wife and kids in the time when I am not at work. I know what quality means to me and I will plan on my yellow pad with my soft lead pencil real possibilities of how that will transpire.
to ensure my kids are 100% prepared for their “scoe” test. This is a periodic assessment we give at my work that shows how the kids are progressing toward the big standards test in May. I know what needs to be done and only i can ensure this happens. MANY teachers would in their heart of hearts (though they would not admit it) say that 100% preparedness is impossible. I take issue with that, I know it is possible.
to listen more to people around me. To not interject. To just listen. This is the kind of person I love to be around . . . a listener. I want to become that before Sunday. I will become that and people will be touched because I become that. That is possibility thinking.
I hope you enjoyed my drawn out description of the yellow pad and pencil. Again, they as tools are neutral. However, when you have your “what” figured out (you know what you want as I have exemplified above) you will appreciate those tools. For some it may be a gel pen and a black tablet . . . the tools may vary. Your local Office Depot or Staples is full of tools. Unfortnately, buying things there will never get you a “what.” You have to apply your mind and sit down to figure that for yourself. The, and only then, are the tools fun to play with. So go have some fun.
4 Comments
This is a beautiful post, Damien. I, too, believe that almost anything is possible if you want it, put your mind to it and have a plan. I do believe that people can change themselves for the better, too, at any time!!
Great post!
Jessica
Jessica, a little book called “Possibility Thinking” I found in my parents’ closet as a teenager is the inspiration for this series. I read only about 2 pages and that was all I needed to understand what it was all about. This is my slant on it! Thank you for the encouraging comment.
Oh and just an fyi . . . I don’t comment as much on your blog because lately I am doing most my blog reading on my breaks at work and there is a firewall against blogger.com MORE reason you should tend to that WP blog of yours! Remember I am ALWAYS willing to help, though it may be in fits and starts with my schedule.
Thanks again for being a possibility thinker, you are truly one of the good brains out there!
Excellent post, and thanks again for the guest blog post over on my site – it’s much appreciated.
When it comes to surfing the internet on work hours – this happens everywhere. When I worked for the DoD, we had to monitor the networks constantly and block everything under the sun. Myspace got popular; block. Meebo got popular (and smart, www2 www3 www4), so we blocked it. Not to mention many more….it’s sad that people don’t just do their job and then cause problems, but such is life.
Excellent post. WE all need to remember the basics. And remember that the real tool is the brain! Have you considered the wonderful Moleskine journals — the great notebooks favored by Hemingway, Picasso and others? I carry one around everywhere to jot random thoughts, plan posts or just make notes. Little easier to carry than a yellow legal pad, but I have lots of those too.
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important to not to overwhelm your brain. Science tells us that the mind cannot usually absorb more than three things at a time. So, if you are reading, take breaks and remember the tendency of the brain to retain 3 things in one sitting. <a href=”http://www.postcardsfromthefunnyfarm.com/2007/09/19/yellow-pad-and-a-soft-lead-pencil-possibility-thinking-for-today-part-ii/“>Yellow pads are an excellent resource for this</a>, as simple as that sounds. You’d do well to “space out” the time you have to study as well. The <a href=”http://saddleback.edu/faculty/caltman/onlineeng220/learningstyles.html
[...] list like this, one should let ones mind run free. Put on some relaxing music … go sit with a yellow pad under a tree … write it while sipping your favorite hot beverage … whatever. The point [...]
[...] list like this, one should let ones mind run free. Put on some relaxing music … go sit with a yellow pad under a tree … write it while sipping your favorite hot beverage … whatever. The point [...]
[...] are looking to read and understand something, break it down into three or less main categories. Yellow pads are great for this. You’d do well to “space out” the time you have to study as well. The theory [...]
[...] are reading, take breaks and remember the tendency of the brain to retain 3 things in one sitting. Yellow pads are an excellent resource for this, as simple as that sounds. You’d do well to “space [...]
[...] you are looking to read and understand something, break it down into three or less main categories. Yellow pads are great for this. You’d do well to “space out” the time you have to study as well. The theory of [...]