One of the great truths in understanding people is that we are all different. When we set out on the journey of understanding we will quickly find different ports of call. Some of these can seem strange at first, with different languages, cultures, and ideas. We may find these places somewhat intimidating on our first visit. There may be communication problems with words and phrases we don’t understand. The customs may be completely different than we are used to. The architecture of the buildings and the sights and sounds on the street may be unusual.
The key to understanding is to celebrate the differences. As writer John Maxwell puts it, “Instead of trying to cast others in your image, learn to appreciate their differences.” When we can accentuate the differences in a positive light we end up with synergy. Where the result can be greater than the sum of our individual effects or capabilities.
As I have sailed around the blog-o-sphere I have encountered many strange new worlds. I’ve found blogs with different colors, graphics and navigation. Different ideas abound. I would like to take you on a short journey of adventure today to some of the best destinations that I have experienced.
As I set sail from this tiny blog, I soon discovered rough waters. As I peered from the boat I saw a huge monster in the distance, wrecking havoc with peoples lives and businesses. As I sailed closer I discovered that it was the E-mail monster with words and phrases spewing forth from its fiery beak. Who could tame it I wondered? I wanted to change direction but something caught my eye. It was a caped crusader by the name of Bert Webb. He had on a bright yellow shirt with the logo “Open Loops” on the front. He was single handedly battling the monster with knowledge and insight.
I had to know more as I had personally experienced this monster myself. I pulled into port and read his manifesto. It was compelling. His weapons of organization and deletion were powerful and I noticed he was quickly subduing the beast. I picked up a copy of his manifesto and left a note thanking him for the weapons of mass instruction.
As I left Bert’s port I headed for open water, where I quickly found myself aimlessly adrift. I seemed to lack direction. I found that the more I tried the more I went in circles. It was getting dark and I knew that I needed to seek a safe port for the night. I noticed a reddish glow in the evening gloom and sailed towards it. I soon found a reddish island that had a huge arrow pointing to the top of a small mountain. The arrow had the words To-Done on it.
I entered to bay of To-Done and noticed it was actually a cluster of islands. As I docked in the shelter of the main island a small boat approached. It pulled up alongside and a young man with a captains hat emerged from the galley. “Hi, I’m Captain Robinson,” he exclaimed as he reached out for a handshake. “Welcome to To-Done.” I was immediately taken in by his hospitality. He gave me a list of the surrounding islands and encouraged me to visit each one. He pointed out that each had a different culture and purpose.
“We have a great experience awaiting you here,” he said with a smile. “There are 10 islands that form a large shape that looks a lot like an asterisk. We call the large island Asterisk and the others each have different names. There is one dedicated to music known as the Ipodarmy, one that specializes in books, another with DVD’s. It’s a pretty varied place. Feel free to explore the islands. The natives are friendly.”
I was amazed at the variety of cultures and found myself sailing to each one over the course of a week. It was a wonderful place. I soon found that my visit had encouraged me to organize my life and after a week I sailed off with a direction and a purpose. As I left, Captain Robinson encouraged me to head in the direction of Hawaii for a place known as the Ho‘ohana Community.
We’ll continue our journey of understanding tomorrow…
