Week 2 comments to Ali

Ali's original post:
This book had my attention from the first line when discussing the two marketing scouts sent to Africa to see what business opportunities were their for their company. There were two different opinions, the first one basically said that they don’t wear shoes there is nothing here for us. While the other one saw it as a fantastic business opportunity. This has my attention right away because it was so true. This could’ve gone either way. If they don’t wear shoes they might not be interested in the product. Or maybe they don’t wear shoes because they have no means to get to them. When talking about business it’s very important to have this view and sometimes take that risk. I completely understand this because I myself have recently started my own company and took a risk.

Possibilities are endless and this is discussed in chapter 2. The fact that you will sometimes win as well as lose is important to reach the goals you want to reach. It’s being aware of this that will make one successful and achieve all the goals they want to achieve. Staying positive is the key to success and not letting things around you get in your way or discourage you through the process.

I love the line where the author states, “Michelangelo is often quoted as having said that inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess material to reveal the art of work within.” This statement is so true and we are all individually great at something we just have to figure it out and everything falls into place. Having this shift in thinking will affect you in the universe. Everyone is good at something and once someone realizes what it is they are meant to do, so to speak, and stops comparing themselves to other people they can then be who they are meant to be. In school we are graded constantly and this can affect peoples potential. Students can get down knowing they received a C when they know they studied or put in a lot of time to do what they needed to do. It’s these thoughts that people have that they are always trying to get the grade or pass the test or class. We are brainwashed as a society to compare ourselves or reach these expectations that sometimes cannot be reached. Once you accept and see it isn’t about that, you actually create your own positive place in the world without limits.

My response:
Ali, I too found it easy to read this book right from the get go. I have to admit the line about Michelangelo is one of my favorite things I have heard about him. I do feel like that there is a beautiful piece of art inside each one of us. I also believe what the author said in hi Ted talk that nobody is tone deaf. The authors and you are spot on when you said that until we stop trying to reach the expectations that society (and governments) have set up for people to reach, we will still have students that get down when they study their butts off and only get a C on a test (or in some cases worse). When it is realized that those limits are not really about "you" then you do find your place in the world. I could not have said that better than the way you put it.