By Vince:
I believe one of the things that separates successful people from those that struggle is situational awareness, the ability to react appropriately and the willingness to change, when necessary. By successful, I don’t mean having lots of money and the perception of wielding lots of power. I mean living a life in line with your values and priorities. I always didn’t feel this way, but, as I grow older I, hopefully, am growing a little wiser.
It seems lately that we have a number of situations which have developed or are developing that could end up being very stressful if they are not handled with a clear understanding of the big picture, an accurate assessment of all the options available to use and a response with the best course of actions. Unfortunately, not everyone looks at matters this way. Some just want to keep doing what they have always done, thinking that things will get better, while others want to use the big stick because that has always worked in the past. In either case, the best recourse seems to be to take a step back, don’t get caught up in the heat of the situation and think about what’s best for you and your family in the long run.
This link will take you to a pretty good description of situational awareness and it even contains some links providing even more information.
Another thing I have learned is that you can’t change people. They have to get the motivation (I like to use the term “wake-up call”) to change themselves. All you can do is set the example and hopefully that will give them the foundation of an alternative mental model when they realize the need for change is necessary.
I realize this post is a deviation from my normal ramblings about everyday life but it’s a way for me to gather my thoughts and share a bit about how I look at things. I will admit that I do slip up from time to time and let emotions take control. But that’s just life! We all need to learn and grow from our experiences so we can keep moving in the right direction.
Dottie says
Very true!
vivoaks says
So true, Vince! As I read your missive my thoughts went immediately to our federal government and how things at the “big” level are working. I worry about my kids and grandkids, and what this world is going to look like in 20 years, or 40 years…. It scares me to think about it, knowing there’s absolutely nothing I, as an individual, can do about it. Have a super day!!
Lee says
I remember as a child learning a lesson from a Biblical story about the warriors who were chosen by how they drank water at a stream; as a teen a teacher asked the class what a sign at the outskirts of our town said (I didn’t know though I passed it every single school day); an uncle taught about the exit signs; co-workers said “observe/listen”, just to name a few; I left home at 18 to the ‘wilds’ of Los Angeles – a naive country girl that had rarely been out of my farming county – so those small ‘situational awareness’ things I picked up along the way, along with God’s watchful eye, kept me from harm’s way many times. Excellent post Vince, and thanks for the link too!
dezertsuz says
Good points, Vince. I had to smile because the ad at the bottom of the page was for a degree in counseling psychology – a master’s degree at that. =)