Blink/Wisdom Paradox

These are the titles of two very interesting books I have read recently. They have stimulated my thinking and are partly responsible for my starting this Blog.

The first is "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. I read his first book, "The Tipping Point" and found it so fascinating that I shared it with my boss at Pulte Homes. It spoke to what that fast-growing company was trying to do in So. Cal. a couple of years ago. Blink again has stimulated my thinking and activities at my job with Pardee Homes. It seems to sum up my approach to sales. ie. "Thin Slicing" It speaks to one's ability to make decisions about potential customers with very little, if any, information. It is more like a feeling I get when working with people and I just know who is going to buy and who is not. It applies to many other areas of life and I can see it happening all the time. It is almost apriori or intuitional thinking/acting. I've felt it on-stage when lines/directions have been missed and you're on your own.

The second is "The Wisdom Paradox" by Elkhonon Goldberg. This book was a real revelation as a former teacher. It debunks the old belief about Right Brain vs. Left Brain dominance and problem solving. I thought the right was more for non-verbal, emotional issue and the left was more for rote or verbal tasks etc. No. New tasks and problem solving are mainly handled by the right brain and then when we have it down, the left brain takes over as a routine task master. The book gets into how your mind can grow stronger as your brain grows older ie. Use it or lose it, challenge it, keep those neuron/dendrites growing. London taxi cab drivers are one of the examples given, the older, more experienced ones tested highest. ie. continually learning and memorizing new maps in their heads of alternative routes to places. Cross-word puzzle addicts are also there. Musicians who are still actively playing/singing ie. reading music etc.

So you can see the challenge ahead of me. Keep adapting and adjusting to new challenges, customers, escrow challenges, new bosses, new/old teachers to mentor. Keep trying to "get it right" just like "Groundhog Day"...Bill Murray again...so much of what I attempt to do I end up doing it again and again, hopefully with improvements and learnings. This, for me, is the true joy of living/learning. So...stay tuned..."I've got you babe!" (Sonny & Cher every morning on the radio) Bob