Margin for Error

“Time and again, UK [football] players [1-6 on the season] saw what their new coaches had been harping on all season: how slim the margin for error is and how everyone needs to play well to eke out a win … The [one-touchdown] margin on Thursday night was the shoestring a [Mississippi State] Bulldogs defender latched onto to stop Raymond Sanders when he appeared to be breaking loose on fourth down for the go-ahead score late in the game.”

Lexington Herald-Leader

Saturday, October 26, 2013 

Well, almost a shoestring margin …  Unfortunately, there were many shoestring moments in the workings:  There were dropped passes, passes that were overthrown, passes that were under-thrown, broken plays, missed blocks, missed tackles, failed defensive assignments, penalties, 4-6 inch differences in ball placement by the officials … a lot of “little” things that ended up in a one-touchdown loss.    

Fact of Life 1: “Little” things – as well as some bigger things – are going to go against the grain of success due to outside forces … like referee decisions, the bounce of the ball, wind speed and direction, turf integrity, etc. … not to mention the trickery or tenacity of the competition.  These are “givens”.  Life’s journey to glory is like swimming upstream.  One has to have enough ammunition (skills, a cold-cocked playbook portfolio, uncompromising determination, disciplined practice/preparation, focused mental acuity and nothing-left-on-the-field fortitude) to both minimize or eliminate internal challenges and overcome external challenges.  All other things being equal, the team that makes the fewest mistakes – and it only takes ONE fewer – is going to win.  All other things NOT being equal – or being MORE than equal – requires exacting perfection in execution by the underdog.  The GOOD NEWS: Upsets DO happen! 

Fact of Life 2: We’re going to make mistakes even when we don’t intend to and don’t “mean” to.  [Check out the use of “reign them in” instead of “rein them in” in the 10/14/13 blog “Terrorizing the Demons” … thanks to Alan Bettler, who apparently knows his way around both royalty and horses, for reporting the infraction!]   In such cases, it helps to have an independent pair of eyes and ears for reference – preferably before a product leaves the cutting room floor (!) – plus a few extra points already on the scoreboard.  [If you’d like to become a cutting room floor editor for the Life Mastery Musings blog, please let the Quartermaster know!]

Fact of Life 3:  Preparation and repetition are the great equalizers.  Nothing beats a timely start, an early first draft/field test and multiple, dogged repetitions/ reformulations … applied against uncompromising standards.    

Here are some sobering insights into less than stellar outcomes where the margin for error is diminishingly small:

 

Fact of Life 4: Margins for error get smaller the higher one goes on the totem pole.  Exhaustive practice in “getting it right” will pay major dividends, whereas missing the mark – by almost any margin – will be a sanctionable liability.  Make your mark!  Quartermaster

 

Brain Neuroplasticity

“Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) lessened atrophy and led to the growth of new brain tissue.  This was the first evidence ever of a clear structural neurobiologic effect on the brain using nondrug treatment in those with schizophrenia.”

Shaun M. Eack, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh

[Pitt Magazine, Fall 2013]

 

So there is significant “plasticity” in the brain beyond early development!  Wow!

 

But note that plasticity goes both ways:

Atrophy is what happens when the brain is not used – or when abused.  

Growth of new brain tissue requires that we exercise whatever we’ve got.

 

And, while IQ may not be elevated by a large margin with CET or other interventions (yet to be fully explored), cognitive functions like attention, memory, situational behavior, problem solving and communication appear to be significantly expandable – enough so to move one from unemployable to employable … from under-performing to performing competently … perhaps even from un-promotable to promotable …   

 

How do we make that happen at street level … for those of us who have not yet been officially diagnosed with our own personal malady of the mind (which we almost certainly do have)?

 

I’ve got an increasingly compelling hunch that moderate stress – think of it as “Brain Stretching” – can be a positive contributing factor; viz., problem-solving.  In a recent article “What’s Right with the Autistic Mind” [Time, October 7, 2013, pp. 57-59], Temple Grandin and Richard Panek make the point that the management of autism-spectrum disorders has historically – and errantly – focused on understanding and compensating for cognitive problems in afflicted individuals.  They argue that more focus should be applied to identifying and fostering strengths.  A core part of the discussion is the fact that more than a few individuals with such handicaps rise to stardom once they find an appropriate “strength” to pursue.  (What color is YOUR parachute?)  However, buried in the discussion is the fact that – whether driven by strengths or deficits – all such individuals struggle throughout life to understand and make sense of the world around them.  And most of them do … eventually.  Based on results to date, one might conjecture that – up to a point – the more challenging the struggle and tighter the focus, the more likely a successful outcome.  

 

NOTE 1: Early human neurologic development is underscored by a constant struggle to understand (and influence) the world at large.  And the discordance of teenage years is coincident with one of the most fluid brain “wiring” periods.  (Perhaps there are a lot of missed opportunities here?)

 

NOTE 2: Research on Alzheimer’s Disease has produced a growing body of data indicating the value of mental gymnastics in forestalling the now not-so-inevitable decrements associated with the untended elderly. 

 

NOTE 3: Research on victims of brain trauma, including strokes, shows that substantial recovery of “normal” function can be achieved with herculean effort. 

 

So it looks like the struggle is so very important.  Most of us stop struggling to understand the world after we’ve mastered the refrigerator, remote control, smart phone and Facebook.  Then there’s Stephen Hawking who struggles to understand the universe.  (What “universe” are you trafficking in?) 

 

Whether it’s growth of new cells or new wiring connections, the effort to “lay down new tracks” in the brain can’t be underestimated.  Plowing new ground makes the entire garden more fertile.  An important caveat is that, whereas following the same tracks builds memory, it can also build ruts … like habits and addictions. 

 

A benchmark key to success is guided or focused “Vectoring” – the art of pointing ourselves and our compasses forward and upward: Toward what strength or goal is the effort targeted and with what amount of intentionality/commitment/mentoring/coaching?  It’s no surprise that the most successful autistic-spectrum individuals KNOW where they want to go and have had intensive help along the way – including a great deal of self-help.  Structure and disciplined effort in understanding the world, along with “what makes us tick”, seems to be critically important. 

 

One can’t help wonder – on the flip side – what kinds of things affecting brain plasticity might be negative influences, i.e., interfering with “normal” or “exceptional” brain development.  In particular, how do drugs, nutrition, video games, television viewing, texting and tweeting … etc., influence directional vectoring of brain malleability?  Here’s a sobering reflection:

 

“How does a child of fourteen, who has never shot a handgun before, acquire the expertise to fire eight shots and get eight hits on eight different kids [Heath High School, West Paducah, KY, 1997]?  ‘Nowhere in the annals of law enforcement or military or criminal history can we find an equivalent achievement.’  … in fact, Michael Carneal had practiced killing literally thousands of people.  His simulators were point-and-shoot video games that he played for hours and hours in video arcades and in the comfort of his own home.”  [Dave Grossman and Gloria DeGaetano “Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill” referenced in “Reclaiming Virtue” by John Bradshaw.]

 

We can “Train the Brain” to do wonderful, woeful, or wicked things.  Without guidance – worse, with conniving willful defiance – the brain will wander all over the map in search of maximum hedonistic, sensational pleasure and will develop a darkness that light cannot penetrate. 

SOBERING FACT:  All the GAINS in brain function are reversible, but a sorry number of LOSSES are not.  And “making up” for reversible losses is extraordinarily difficult.  That’s why we push!  

Which direction is your brain going?  Is it sitting idle?  Is it getting s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d?  Who’s driving the development of your brain?  Vices or virtues?  Drugs and indulgences?  Advertizing/marketing?  Tribal customs?  Political pundits?   Those of us not yet dead need to keep the pressure on for heightened, enlightened empowerment in seeing, understanding and contributing to a better world.  Quartermaster

Terrorize the Demons

The Demons that would conspire to hold us back and pull us under need to be summarily neutralized or obliterated!  Some have suggested “Tame the Demons”.  It’s not nearly enough!  Demons want nothing better than to see us wasted!

Unfortunately, most of the Demons we face moment-to-moment reside in our own psyche and we loose or reign them in as it suits our fancy … unless or until they take us beyond the brink of no return.  Demons are very clever: They use every trick imaginable to ingratiate themselves as co-conspirators with us to “beat the system”.  But give them an inch and they’ll take you miles out of your way.

The modus operandi of Demons is primarily temptation.  Our seven core vices are loaded with it:  

Lust

Avarice

Sloth

Gluttony

Pride

Envy

Anger

The key target of Demon engagement is pleasure – more specifically, lowest common denominator pleasure. 

So how does one neutralize or obliterate the Demons – especially since they seem to have cornered the market on ammunition?  

More than a few attempt to neutralize Demons by eliminating pleasure.  In fact, it works.  And, in fact, such orientation largely forms the basis for Islamic detestation of America and Americans.  We’re overtly polluting the sacrosanct austerity of their world.  [Miley Cyrus portraying “frankness”, “honesty” and "authenticity" in her “art”, which is now plastered all over the airways and internet, isn’t exactly helping here!] 

Others attempt to use willpower.  Unfortunately, willpower doesn’t work.  As long as we give ourselves unlimited choices we will choose poorly.  Such is the reason most diets don’t work.  (Is it any surprise that commercial diet plan purveyors aggressively compete to maximize choices, including offerings of everyone’s favorite dessert fare!?!)  

Discipline is another tactic used by many to frustrate the Demons.  It also works – to the degree it is applied.  Discipline is primarily exercised by delaying gratification, but, more effectively, by focusing on higher-level goals and gratifications.  Developing pride in one’s work and accomplishments above pride in oneself is a quantum leap into a whole new dimension of possibilities.  While new sets of Demons appear in higher dimension arenas, the empowerment associated with the transition affords one a significant leveraging capacity.   

And just where do Demons thrive?

Demons thrive on lack of commitment.  Without commitment, a Demon will hold that a paycheck in hand is entirely “discretionary”.  As a result, the cash will disappear in no time flat with absolutely nothing to show for it.

Creativity untapped is another favorite camping ground for Demons; fallow creativity is easily hijacked into fantasy, and fantasy is only a heartbeat away from disillusionment.     

Perhaps most of all, Demons love a void.  They feast on “free time” disengagement.  “An idle mind is the Devil’s playground.”  Work left undone and responsibilities neglected are a Demon’s spoils. 

But, still, there is hope!  Being fully and constructively engaged is anathema to Demons.*  Engagement with Total Intentionality, Purpose, Goals, Accountability, Meaningful Pursuits, Self-Searching and Self-Mastery are all perilously threatening to Demons.  Demons shudder and come completely undone in the face of due diligence, dogged determination and painstaking persistence.

Finally, there are many “Demons” over which we have no direct influence.  But if we directly influence those we CAN – to the full extent we can – i.e., to the point of “terrorizing”, neutralizing and/or obliterating them insofar as possible, it will get us at least to the horizon of our Truest Destiny.  Quartermaster

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“I’m going out to clean the pasture spring;

…

 

I shan’t be gone long – You come too.”

Robert Frost

“The Pasture”

 

I'm Only Human

A plaintive cry of the lost and languishing is: “I’m only human!” 

This declaration is supposed to cover and excuse limitless breaches of due diligence.  

So it was with the Woodford County Clerk:

Dateline: October 9, 2013 [Lexington Herald-Leader]

“The Dec. 31, 2012 [Woodford County budget] settlement submitted to [State Auditor Adam] Edelen’s office ‘was not complete’ and was not mathematically accurate ... the audit noted ‘multiple errors from failure to post transactions, transposition of numbers, erroneous postings, and multiple mathematical errors between ledgers and financial statements.  As a result of such errors, the receipts ledger was understated by $12,684 and the disbursements ledger was overstated by $196,299.’” 

These are not trivial – “I’m only human” – oversights!  While math may not be “your thing”, there is no excuse for living 20+ years on the planet and not being able to put proper numbers in their proper place and adding and subtracting accurately.   Checks and balances are allowed – even double-checks, and encouraged, and, in this case, required. 

Question: If one “human” [auditor] can identify an aberration, does it not also stand that another “human” [county clerk] could, as well (or perhaps even better, since the county clerk had the raw data and was most familiar with the records and the auditor had to comb through unfamiliar records)?

One of the things that “Being only human” includes is the capacity to adopt both internally and externally applied EDIT FUNCTIONS.  In fact, adoption of edit functions is a mandatory part of “being human” – so much so that an edit reference source – a “conscience” – is hard-wired.*  But a complete portfolio of edit functions has to be learned. 

Self-editing is crucial.  A sound and sophisticated portfolio of self-edit functions is, in fact, required to realize maximum human potential.  A brief check of daily news delineating the rise and fall of individuals across the entire spectrum of human engagement will show a direct correlation between applied self-edit capacity and outcomes realized. 

So here’s the challenge for today: Aggressively cultivate and apply your edit functionality – particularly your self-edit functionality – for optimal matriculation in the world at large.  It’s one of the most essential components of your Life Mastery survival kit.  Quartermaster 

* * * * * * * * * * *

*NOTE:  Some humans are born with faulty wiring.  Others, through medical mishaps, do not have the full capacity for comprehensive edit functionality.  These – and more subtle limitations, which include a warped, infantile, atrophied or neglected conscience – range from mild to severe handicaps.  The latter are extremely dangerous and detrimental conditions, generally requiring exhaustive external supervision, and frequently ending up in institutionalization.

Limitations

As a young woman, Meghan Wilson suffered a devastating accident that left her paralyzed from the shoulders down.  She became a quadriplegic overnight.  But Meghan persevered.  Following a grueling undergraduate course of study, it took two tries, but she applied for and was finally accepted into the University of Pittsburgh’s rigorous, competitive and highly acclaimed MD/PhD program.  In 2013, she graduated with the dual degrees. 

Meghan commented on her new role as a physician:

“Every physician brings [both the assets and limitations of] their own experience to their professional work as a doctor.  I can’t speak to what other people can’t bring [ … my own limitations are obvious … ], but I think that the particular things that make me a little bit unique and that will enrich my experience being a physician are

that I have so much experience being a patient.”

Now I’m going to ask the obvious question:

What is the nature of your personal limitation(s)?

·         Physical?

·         Mental?

·         Emotional/Psychological?

·         Constraints by family or social commitments?

·         Habits?

·         Lack of experience?

·         Prejudice?

·         Matters of conscience :: Lines you won’t cross?

·         Matters of religion :: Lines you won’t cross?

Each of us has a constellation of things we can’t or won’t do.  Some of those things involve bettering ourselves and our circumstances and some involve putting ourselves or others at risk.   

However, most of us – “Princes” and “Princesses” that we are – are patently unaware of or oblivious to our most defining/confining personal limitations … not to mention our “fatal flaws”. 

So how do we “rig” favorable outcomes with these and numerous other invisible cards (such as unforeseeable challenges/hurdles, prejudice, etc.) stacked against us?

Principally by demonstrating dogged determination and going out of our way to be useful – limitations/schlimitations be damned!

The Russell Kentucky High School academic team was honored on the Kentucky Legislature House floor March 17, 2011 for its victory in the 2011 high school competition for the Governor's Cup. It was the fifth Governor's Cup championship for the school.  Russell Principal, Alan Thompson, said. "Of the championships we've won, this probably is the surprise [since they lacked a true “superstar”].  But when you get a group that's hungry, it pays off. They outworked people."  They simply “didn’t know any better” … they did not presume how gifted or privileged or talented or predestined to glory they might be, so they just worked their tails off simply hoping to be somewhere in the running.  [Lexington Herald-Leader, Friday, March 18, 2011, Jim Warren]

The composite workings here include:

·         Having a stellar, Gold-Standard goal

·         Being “hungry” to see that goal realized

·         Withholding no effort

·         Persisting with dogged determination

·         Not “knowing any better” (than to build the strongest foundation possible)

·         Not compromising or accepting a “fall-back” option

Critical collateral synergies result.  The world-at-large aligns itself with traffic that’s obviously “going somewhere” and that has something meaningful to contribute.  Legions of people – from the Dean of the School of Medicine to faculty to fellow students to complete strangers – stepped in to help Meghan Wilson achieve her goal.  And faculty, coaches, friends, family and fellow students at Russell HS went out of their way to help the academic team …went out of their way … and came “out of nowhere” to help!    

Understand that your limitations don’t need to be all that limiting.  If you have the composite workings in order, collateral synergies will help fill in the blanks.  If Meghan Wilson and a bunch of unsung students from Russell, KY can rise to the top in their respective pursuits, you can, too.  Quartermaster