We Impact Each Other’s Souls

Finishing Natan Sharansky’s book Fear No Evil. 

And I rarely write twice on a book or movie, but this was so impactful. 

First on our souls, Sharansky writes:

The law of attraction, interconnection, and interdependence of human souls…there is a universal gravitational pull of souls, of the bond between them and influence of one soul on the other. 

Wow, Sharansky understood the deeper meaning of the soul and how they all emanate and are pieces from G-d and they are all connected to their source and each other, and what one person says or does impacts all the others (and thereby G-d himself). 

Literally, I experienced this the other day…when I personally made amends on something I felt that I had done wrong, and I could literally feel somehow righting a wrong in the universe and G-d, Himself, smiling down on me. 

It was the best feeling I think I have ever had in my life. 

Second on fear, Sharansky writes:

My inner freedom [is] more powerful than the external bondage…[and] fear of the L-rd…is a necessary prerequisite for man’s achieving inner freedom, and is also the prerequisite for spiritual resolve, the fear of the L-rd is the only thing that can conquer human fear.

Wow again. Sharansky through his nine years of suffering and hardships in Soviet prisons and labor camps found his deep inner strength to resist the tyranny of the KGB worldly masters and overcame them with his finding his fear and faith in G-d and was able to overcome. 

These are two amazing heavenly lessons that Sharansky shares with us from enduring and overcoming his incredible worldly hardships.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this and am with G-d’s help continuing to quench my thirst for this type of wisdom and true enlightenment.  😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Two Things To Know

There are two things to know.

• Know-how:  That’s knowing how to do things yourself.

• Know-who:  That’s knowing who to go to to get everything else done. 

None of us is perfect.

We each have strengths and weaknesses.

No one has all the answers–despite some big egos out there!

That’s why we all need each other.

Knowledge is great, but networking magnifies your potential many times over.

These are two things you definitely want to know. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Born With The Music

Saw an incredible segment on 60 Minutes on Sunday about this amazing girl named Alma. 

Alma Deutscher is a British-born (of Israeli-descent) musical whiz kid who was playing piano and violin at age 3. 

And she composed a whole opera by the time she was 10. 

They call her the Second Mozart, although she prefers to just be the First Alma!

She literally hears music playing in her head all the time, and she says that there are different expert musical composers in her head that she calls on to solve whatever musical challenge she is facing or sound out the emotion she is trying to get to. 

In her interview, she did not seem like a 12-year old, but rather an old soul who has come back perhaps many, many times. 

Listening and watching Alma is sort of like watching a walking miracle–as there is no way she learned these skills at such a young age and has “comprehensive mastery” over all the music and instruments. 

If there was ever a question about where knowledge, skills, and abilities come from, with a child prodigy like Alma, there should be no lingering doubts about G-d’s complete role in everything.  

With Alma, G-d graciously let’s us in to the mysteries of creation by showing us the source of all is Him. 

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Arrogance And A Messy Head

While sometimes children behave like “know-it-alls”…

Often an attempt to showcase what they’ve learned or to build their self-confidence. Sometimes, it’s also to bully others.  

More unusual though is to find an adult that thinks and actually says they know it all. 

But sure enough, I ran into someone who told me (about technology):

“I know everything!”

And they said it with a straight face. 

Literally, they told me how they came up through the ranks and knew EVERYTHING with emphasis!

Moreover, they told me that if I didn’t know something, I should go ahead and ask them because they would most definitely know it.

So I respect all people and certainly admire those who are knowledgable and talented in their fields. 

But something felt very wrong about an adult who feels that they have to go around bragging about the depth of their knowledge–and that their knowledge is apparently infinite (at least that’s what they espoused). 

I wondered to myself–is the person arrogant and a big mouth or the opposite–lacking in self confidence and therefore needing to boast and show off to compensate for their inadequacies?

When they were talking, it seemed like their head was getting so big and full of themself that it would just explode!

Most adults with emotional intelligence realize how little they know, and the older they get the more they realize that they don’t know in life. 

Especially, people of faith recognize that G-d is all-knowing and all-powerful, and we are but mere “flesh and blood” and truly just a speck of dust in the universe.

So truly smart people are humble and they look to learn from others, rather than preach and teach in a monologue of hubris.

Like many people that get too big for the britches, G-d usually brings them back down to Earth and their head to size.  😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Training Them To Be Like Us

So I saw this in the supermarket. 

This kid was pushing the shopping cart with groceries in it. 

And a little sign at the top that says:

Customer in Training

His mom is nearby with the big shopping cart full of even more groceries. 

It’s interesting how we teach our kids to be just like us and at the same time to be not like us. 

They emulate some things and they reject others.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

But no two apples are the same either. 

Teaching is an important component of parenting and schooling. 

We need to impart important lessons from the past, so children don’t have to recreate the wheel in the present and future. 

But spitting out little clones is not helpful to innovation and the engine of “what’s next.” 

Sometimes, I envision that there is a really big war–maybe World War III–nukes are used and all our bits and bytes are wiped out, and we are thrown back to the Stone Age. 

All the teaching is evaporated in the vapor of the blasts.

All that’s left in what’s in the soul of the remaining. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Boiling A Frog

So sometimes you don’t know that something is happening until it is too late. 

A colleague yesterday told me this great simile:

It’s like when you put a frog in a pot of water and turn up the heat, the frog doesn’t know what’s happening until it’s too late, and he ends up being boiled alive!

With better knowledge of the context, of course, you can have the foresight to act, to fight, to get out, whatever. 

Similarly with the frog, if you throw him into an already boiling pot of water, he immediately jumps out, and viola he’s saved. 

It’s really important to have good situational and political awareness. 

Not everyone out there is so innocent–even when they have a good act and pretend, “Who me?”

Many of them know how to work the system, so that the system works for them. 

G-d forbid, when you’re in the way, they’ll often turn up the heat. 

And if you don’t realize what going on, you’ll be the frog that’s a not so tasty dinner. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal

A Mountain Of Data

So I heard this interesting perspective on information and data analytics…

Basically, it comes down to this: 

“Most organizations are data rich, but information/insight poor.”

Or put another way:

“Data is collected, but not used.”

Hence we don’t know what we don’t know and we end up making bad decisions based on poor information. 

Just imagine if we could actually make sense of all the data points, connect them, visualize them, and get good information from them.

How much better than a pile of rocks is that? 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Cyclops Looking Eye

What’s the fascination with the mythical cyclops and the single eye in the center of the forehead?

If the eye represents seeing and knowing then aren’t we better off with two or even a dozen eyes to see with?

See more, know more, do more.

How about eyes in the back of the head?

Or all around the head in a cool circle–like a majestic crown of sight all around you.

Seeing is miraculous.

The beauty of the world–people, nature, and the stars above. 

Seeing is function.

Being able to navigate, get around, and do things with relative ease. 

Seeing is safety.

Sensing path from obstacle and friend from foe. 

It’s frightening to think of not having vision–what a challenge!

One old lady is possibly legally blind, but still serves as a notary public–how does she do that?

Eyes themselves are beautiful–brown and blue and hazel, and soft and deep and mesmerizing. 

Looking into someone’s eyes, have you ever seen their soul. 

Show me thy ways oh L-rd and let me learn and grow in the world you’ve created for us–seeing the material and spiritual world we’re enveloped in. 

I see the beauty, necessity, and lessons you have for me. 

However many eyes, seeing is believing in it all. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Wise Man Watcheth

I just loved this Asian sculpture that I found in this cool antique store.

It was white and slim with a Asian man face, long beard, and tall hat. 

The face was so expressive.

The eyes so alert and watching. 

The beard and hat made him look old and wise. 

As a real person, this is someone who has seen and learned so many things.

Forever watching.

Forever seeking to understand.

Forever trying to learn the secrets of the life. 

This is a person to consult and get guidance from. 

With age comes wisdom.

And with (occasional) reincarnation comes more opportunity to learn the painful lessons that we haven’t, but must.

How long has this man been sitting there watching and learning–how long must we?

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The All-Knowing (Not)

Check out this guy’s shirt:

“Those who think they know EVERYthing
annoy those of us who do.”

What would make this grown man put this handwritten sign on his shirt like this?  

It’s funny some people really do think they know everything. 

And they are the hardest and most annoying people to listen to, because their pompous arrogance blinds them to what others think, feel, and have to say. 

The only way to really know many different things is to learn from others and then incorporate that into your brain matter. 

Progress (societal and self), including thinking, is incremental–that’s why education is so important!

No one (except G-d, of course) knows everything, but everyone knows something. 

So we can learn from everyone!

Don’t fear other’s people knowledge, skills, and abilities–we are a community and we really only work well when we function together. 

It’s like on most of the survival shows I’ve seen–one or two people (even those highly trained) fail miserably at long- (or short-) term surviving, because “it takes a village!”

Overall, I like my father’s humble version on life much better:

“I know nothing and I can prove it.” 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)