Teamwork Synergy

"Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people." -Stephen Covey

Our world today is a wired, full-on technology wonder. We go about our day texting and being able to look up information at the click of a mouse button. The invention of the computer, Internet, cell phones and all the other gizmo and gadgets have changed our world dramatically.

But there was another huge invention that profoundly changed human existence by illuminating the night and making it possible for humans to experience the night time. Something that seems rather odd to imagine, but imagine a night without the light bulb. It is one of the every day conveniences that most affects our lives. It was invented in 1879 by Thomas Alva Edison.

He was not the first nor only person trying to invent an incandescent light bulb. At one point after being successful in bringing light to the night, many considered him an absolute genius. They marvelled at how he alone was able to achieve this great success. When asked though why he had a team of twenty-one assistants, he would say, "if I could solve all the problems myself, I would."

As it is, we are all brilliant in our individualism, think of how much greater that brilliance is as a group of people supporting and helping each other. So it is in life that if you make connections with other people, building friendships, when something needs to be solved in your life, collectively the support network is there.

"Teams share the burden and divide the grief." ~Doug Smith

There is a great story told by ex-Navy pilot Charles Plumb. On his seventy-sixth combat mission, he was shot down and parachuted into enemy territory. He was captured and spent six years in prison from which he survived.

One day, a man in approached Plumb and his wife in a restaurant, and said, "Are you Plumb the navy pilot?"

"Yes, how did you know?" asked Plumb.

"I packed your parachute," the man replied.

Plumb was amazed - and grateful: "If the chute you packed hadn't worked I wouldn't be here today..."

Plumb now refers to this story lectures he gives about his experiences. He refers to it as his realisation that the anonymous sailors who packed the parachutes held the pilots' lives in their hands, and yet the pilots never gave these sailors a second thought; never even said hello, let alone said thanks.

Now Plumb asks his audiences, "Who packs your parachutes?..... Who helps you through your life?.... Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually?....... Think about who helps you; recognise them and say thanks."

Collectively we can make a big difference in life. We can make change happen as a group of people moving together, helping each other. Alone you can cause a ripple effect in the water that touches others. Together we create lots of ripples and much bigger waves upon the shore of life.

So give yourself forgiveness to know that we can not always do it alone. Especially as men, we fight with pride and honor in our attempts to master all that happens in our life. Take that forgiveness and allow yourself to connect with others. Max Depree, writer and former CEO of the Herman Miller furniture company said, "Without forgiveness, there can be no real freedom to act within a group."

Take your life and the lives of others to a higher level. There is so much left to do and we can accomplish a lot if we do it together.

Telling Stories

"Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." -William James

Many times we go through life believing that the path we are on was pre-chosen for us. All we can see is one narrow vision of a road that leads off in a direction that we simply are not happy with. So we try to adapt to the road, to the scenery and make the best of our travel.

We may pass an intersection along our way and wonder. We stop at this crossroads and see something different on the horizon of the other path. Our interest is heightened but the Garmin in our mind tells us to 'stay on our own path'. So we continue down the same path, but with a growing sense that this isn't the correct one.

The feeling grows until one day you are standing at another 'crossroads of life' and make that decision to make a change in life. It is this change that I want to hear about. I want to hear your story of change in attitude, in personal revelation or change in direction.

These stories of change can impact other people and that's what we can do together. We will impact others with our stories of what we did to change the course of our lives. I have heard some say things such as, "no one would want to hear my story", or "it was such a small and insignificant thing." Those are precisely the stories I want to hear about. They are precisely the stories that other people need to hear.

Leave a lasting impact for all of time for others to hear. Send me your story of change, the thing that happened which changed it all for you. We are gathering these stories to share with those that might be standing at their own crossroads and are unsure.

Send your story to me at josephprimm@bellsouth.net.

These stories will become part of a book that will impact others. You can find yourself helping others with something as simple as your own story. If you are unsure, then guess what...you may very well be standing at that crossroads looking down the path at a new horizon.

Make a difference, make a change, tell your story....

Finding Happiness

Happiness depends upon ourselves. -Aristotle

The trailer for the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" was on the other night and it was a great reminder to me. It is only yourself that can determine your happiness in life. There are great obstacles and circumstances in life that can make it very difficult. Yet it is up to the individual.

Happiness as defined by Harvard social psychologist William McDougall is that "people can be happy while in pain and unhappy while experiencing pleasure; To understand this, two kinds of happiness must be distinguished: feel-good and value-based. Feel-good happiness is sensation-based pleasure. When we joke around or have sex, we experience feel-good happiness. Since feel-good happiness is ruled by the law of diminishing returns, the kicks get harder to come by. This type of happiness rarely lasts longer than a few hours at a time."

Value-based happiness is a sense that our lives have meaning and fulfill some larger purpose. It represents a spiritual source of satisfaction, stemming from our deeper purpose and values. We experience value-based happiness when we satisfy any of the 16 basic desires--the more desires we satisfy, the more value-based happiness we experience. Since this form of happiness is not ruled by the law of diminishing returns, there is no limit to how meaningful our lives can be.

So the clinical view of happiness can be examined and debated, but the one thing every study shows is that happiness is individualistic. Those that were experiencing this 'value-based' happiness were much happier for a much longer time. The 'feel good' happiness was short lived; much like the sugar rush from a candy bar.

So find something longer lasting for your life that makes you happy. Choose to find 'Happyness' in your life.

Change To Move Others

Things happen in our lives when we 'step out in change'. We each have a story we can tell about what it is we did or what happened that changed our life. I would like to hear your story, those of life changing events, the ones that either moved you or caused you to shift things in your life.

You may think that "no one would have interest in MY STORY." But you might be surprised and I'd like to collect these stories to share with others. If your story moves even one person to make a change for the better, that 'ripple' from your life has again done something good for another.

Our own humanity is a community of people learning from each other. The stories we tell each other come from the past, recent past, the young, the old and everyone in-between. These stories could have been moved by faith or circumstance. Even the smallest story of success or inspiration will touch many others.

Email your story to josephprimm@bellsouth.net and I will do the rest. I'll collect these stories and make them available to everyone. Don't worry, I won't use your full name but will let you know that I received it. You can pass along this request to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers or others that may have a story to share.

We can touch others with our stories of break-through. Each of us have a story that can inspire or encourage others. There are others out there waiting to hear your story which will move them to make change in their life.

Thank you and let's effect change for others.

Joseph Primm
Atlanta, GA
josephprimm@bellsouth.net