What the world needs more of is...
Whenever I feel strongly about something I should wonder "How will this influence my world?" and "How will the world react to me?"
For example, if I took everything I love and brought it together under one cause, would I be willing to follow the dreams spun from that cause into death?
The reality is that there won't be ample opportunities for redo's.Like precious metals which are set to show off the beauty of stones, there isn't nearly enough of the good stuff to make a second round.
Get serious. Get in. Get happy. Get ready to get out.
Tuesday
Thursday
Goodbye To Engineering
I want to make choices as simple as possible. Let’s be perfectly clear: I decided it was time for a career transition. After 25 + years of working in various industries and engineering fields I executed my exit strategy:
B) When should I do it? Collapse of global economic conditions further induced my hiatus. As one who was carrying too much responsibility, I bailed out, becoming a fixture at the fitness center and devoting vast concentrations of attention to music in the church choir. Finally I reconnected with ideals of my past:
1. cease seeking work as an engineer
2. rejuvenate lost interests
3. develop career path
A) Why should I do it? I would not die from stress-related illness in a cube somewhere working as an underappreciated contract employee but it surely seemed possible! The first thing to let go of was my willingness to absorb the consequences of bad technical decisions made by others. I didn't burn out so much as I could no longer justify repression of my instinctive nature. Some things were chosen as personal preference only. It was time for my likes and dislikes to become known. It was time for my opinions to be followed. It was time for real change. I chose to not renew the professional license because frankly I was tired of mitigating blunders; I would no longer serve in a capacity where byproducts required me to have error and omission liability insurance. I could become free again!B) When should I do it? Collapse of global economic conditions further induced my hiatus. As one who was carrying too much responsibility, I bailed out, becoming a fixture at the fitness center and devoting vast concentrations of attention to music in the church choir. Finally I reconnected with ideals of my past:
- help people
- develop spiritually
- be grateful, kind, and generous
1. choose a more life-giving field
2. update educational qualifications at school
3. transition (return) to becoming a full-time student
Absolutely I was at the top of my game before emergance as an engineer. I dug deep and rediscovered my passion came from 9th grade math (Algebra). I was a math tutor in high school and I loved it. Eureka! That's it! I would become a math teacher! Other factors made this quest appealing:
· Diversified industry experience like mine is rare
· Knowledgeable math and science teachers are in high demand
· Male teachers are in limited supply
Job-seeker awareness also applied to this career transition:
1. I have a lot to offer (everyone does).
2. We all wake up to our own mornings—nobody else's.
3. At times the solution of one problem is the start of another but it is still moving forward.
I enrolled at a community college to take a (refresher) math course. I will enroll at a local college in Fall 2012 and begin earning a Masters in Education with an emphasis in math. Here are baseline requirements:a) Earn a Master's Degree in Education
b) Qualify to teach upper grades (9th and above)
c) How shall this be paid for? Scholarship? Sponsors? Out-of-pocket expense? Loans? The financial picture always influences outcome.
Pursuit of technical brilliance is over. Time for me to set new goals.
Pertinence and Relevance
We are screwed in a global society. We do not understand pertinence or relevance.
It does no good to explain the difference. Instead, examine the noted examples and draw your own conclusion:
Impertinence is not the same as irrelevance.
A pertinent contribution is one which continues to exploration of a (going) concern at hand (locate the next petrol station when your fuel tank gague reads Empty); a relevant input explores more easily recognizable truth (the 500 km car trip will require refueling of the vehicle).
It does no good to explain the difference. Instead, examine the noted examples and draw your own conclusion:
- The neighbor commits suicide.
- It is the neighbor's turn to drive the carpool.
Impertinence is not the same as irrelevance.
- One person makes a difference for another person.
- I am not impacted by what others do.
A pertinent contribution is one which continues to exploration of a (going) concern at hand (locate the next petrol station when your fuel tank gague reads Empty); a relevant input explores more easily recognizable truth (the 500 km car trip will require refueling of the vehicle).
- Is it pertinent that we don't connect with loved ones? Is it relevant that we remain this way?
Friday
Do The Math
What do these statements have in common:
Think about it. When the very best we can hope for is to achieve our goals then fallacy lies in establishment of worthwhile goals. If the very worst we can imagine is failing to achieve our goals then we presume too much by thinking our goals are all-encompassing.
The best part of awareness is knowing you did your best.
- Do The Math.
- The Proof Is In The Pudding.
- It Ain't Over Until...
Think about it. When the very best we can hope for is to achieve our goals then fallacy lies in establishment of worthwhile goals. If the very worst we can imagine is failing to achieve our goals then we presume too much by thinking our goals are all-encompassing.
The best part of awareness is knowing you did your best.
Thursday
Tuesday
An Engineer's Perspective Of How Blogs Work And Why These Need To Be Adapted For Serving Future Needs
Facebook. Twitter. Linked In. Blogs. Each use a distinctly different approach to Social Networking.
There is value in networking. It is a way to generate camaraderie, understanding, and support. Social Networking might be of the fill-in-the-blanks form. It may take the whom-do-you-know-that-I-could-get-introduced-to-and-become-drawn-closer-to-my-objective form. It could be of the this-just-happened-and-I-am-recording-it-live form.
Now examine archives. Junk which is saved or recorded for historical purposes is not the same as data that strives to shape a culture. Think of it like this: Is its value increased or diminished by redundant viewing?
Get rid of the infatuation with the words "new content." Go for "old and boring." It may be that the best option develops out of the tired, tried, and true perspective for living meaningful lives. The complication of life is that although "we may never pass this way again" someone else with an entirely different experience-base will pass this way again.
So how should blogs become contributors to a solution in this tricky arena? It is true that a picture is worth a thousand words. But ten pictures are the same as ten thousand words: Information Overload. In order to work smarter-faster we must dumb-down our expectations. Intuitively obvious data (for some) becomes a sudden leap of understanding (for others) and an indicator of good will. What would your great-great-great grandchildren say to you if they found your ear? Do you realize your resolve will be speaking volumes for years to come?
There is value in networking. It is a way to generate camaraderie, understanding, and support. Social Networking might be of the fill-in-the-blanks form. It may take the whom-do-you-know-that-I-could-get-introduced-to-and-become-drawn-closer-to-my-objective form. It could be of the this-just-happened-and-I-am-recording-it-live form.
Now examine archives. Junk which is saved or recorded for historical purposes is not the same as data that strives to shape a culture. Think of it like this: Is its value increased or diminished by redundant viewing?
Get rid of the infatuation with the words "new content." Go for "old and boring." It may be that the best option develops out of the tired, tried, and true perspective for living meaningful lives. The complication of life is that although "we may never pass this way again" someone else with an entirely different experience-base will pass this way again.
So how should blogs become contributors to a solution in this tricky arena? It is true that a picture is worth a thousand words. But ten pictures are the same as ten thousand words: Information Overload. In order to work smarter-faster we must dumb-down our expectations. Intuitively obvious data (for some) becomes a sudden leap of understanding (for others) and an indicator of good will. What would your great-great-great grandchildren say to you if they found your ear? Do you realize your resolve will be speaking volumes for years to come?
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