Using Gifts

The guy who advanced modern day science by leaps and bounds was Albert Einstein. He unlocked physics for the benefit of decades of research and practical applications. His mathematical theories and calculations confounded nearly everyone but made eminent sense to those few who were able to use his ideas. Society placed Einstein on a pedestal of honor. So high up the rest of us did not interact with the genius. We revered him and told our kids that if they put their minds to it they could also arrive at theories that would propel the world forward, ‘just like Einstein’. We urged them on to study and get their educations. Of course the kids said: “I’m not an Einstein. Leave me alone!”

In recent years I have had the time to explore a number of topics on my own. Oddly enough Albert Einstein’s presence has popped up regularly. No, I have not been studying physics or math. Rather, I've poked around in logic and how its power might help us deal with weighty problems. You know those topics where people have an opinion on everything but no solution to offer? And others who place blame for nearly everything under the sun on another person? You know those people, right? Well I began to search for solutions rather than opinion and found a lot of quotes from Einstein along the way.

Such quotes like: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

That’s a gem! If the national debt is a conundrum to you and you compare it to your household debt to understand it better, you are complicating the issue greatly and taken a turn off the road into the wild. The two debts are not comparable; thus the confusion in the public forum. Speakers don’t have it right. Most of them don’t understand the issue. They speak of something else and say it is the same thing. It is not.

Because they do not understand the issue well enough, they cannot explain it or find a solution to it. As listeners we need to discern this. It would save us a lot of time and grief running down dead ends.

Municipal Finance is another topic. It has nothing to do with national finance. Nothing. Yet most pundits argue otherwise and continue to confuse the public. They don’t understand municipal finance so they make it into something that it isn't. The same with national finance. You and I need to know this before wasting our time listening to them.

Here’s another Einstein quote: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

What a beauty! Each of us have gifts to use and share with others. Some gifts are artistic talent, intellectual strengths, ability in math and science, genius in music, mechanical aptitude, organization skills, people skills…you know the drill here. So much talent and aptitude to do good work. To understand the world in bits and pieces. To put together ideas and see where they might do the most good. Sharing these ideas with others so they can use the ideas to solve a common problem. Together. Working. Together.

Doing these kind of activities, even for the fun of it, teaches us we can do much more than we had thought we could. Have you ever sat down with a group of people with different backgrounds and educational gifts, tossed out a topic to be discussed, and asked all to be positive and see if, as a group, they could arrive at a better understanding of the topic? Have you been in these brainstorming sessions and watched what they can do with minimal organization?

I’m sure you have participated in brainstorming. Most sessions end well. Participants learn a lot about a topic they didn't understand before. And it was simple. Logic made it so. The group tested some of those ideas and found ways to use them. Maybe even discovered a solution that had gone unnoticed before!

Doing these exercises is exciting. They provide refreshed energy and creativity. Intelligence is expanded. Fun results. Einstein’s quote comes alive: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

What a hoot! It is fun AND positive. It helps others understand. It helps me understand.

This quote jumped out at me from the internet the other day:

            “Try being informed instead of just opinionated.” 

This comes to us from www.knowledgeoftoday.org. Check them out. Good material that will make you think.

Meanwhile, have fun with your mind today! Learn something new. Be creative. Be informed. Use your gifts!

September 11, 2013