Switch

I'm trying to encourage people to read/learn/share more at work.  I just finished a book called "Switch: how to change things when change is hard".  It's a wonderful book.  It ties much of the things I have been learning together.
The ironic thing is that I can't seem to get a good presentation together.  My hope is that someone (ANYONE) will be motivated to read this book and have the same conscious-raising I experienced.

Maybe I'm scared that no one will be that inspired and maybe I fear that situation will be viewed in my eyes as a failure. hmmmm.

Well, to the book.

For a long time we have looked at the person as two disparate selves: Our rational self and our emotional self.  Someone came up with the metaphor that each part can be represented by an elephant (emotional) and its rider (rational).  The interaction between the two are surprising.  When the elephant is denied something it wants or needs, the rider has less chance to control the self for unrelated things.  Willpower diminishes.  Awareness evaporates.

The take away for me is that if we want to change something we have to make it meaningful to our elephant and give the rider some direction.

I think it will be better if I blog about specific AHA moments in the book as opposed to writing about it all at once.

If you're really interested in it, read it.  It's great.

MCTM math contest

My son is taking part in a math competition today.  I am so proud of him. It has been fun watching him interact with all of the kids he knows from his EEE classes.

Let's hope he knows that regardless of how he does today, he makes me proud.