Not too Late to Innovate

On the morning of April 8^th, 2013, I begrudgingly woke up to begin my morning routine.  Glazed with the lack of sleep, I pummeled my alarm clock undeservingly three or four times to get a few skinny minutes of interrupted sleep.

I stumbled to the coffee maker and hit the magic button to percolate the life-giving four cups of coffee that I pre-loaded the night before.  I then hit the button on my radio that sits on my living room floor with my big toe. It too is pre-programmed to NPR at a volume I am sure my neighbors don’t appreciate at that hour.

I need to be on autopilot most mornings to get up and out, so the less I leave to chance the better! 

In disbelief, I stared in the mirror to look upon a much older imposter.  After I got over my disappointment that he was really me, I brushed my teeth, shaved, showered and sipped some coffee, all the while listening to NPR and the local public radio station.

I enjoy the slow paced news reporting and comprehensive featured stories that replace the rapid fire, repetitive TV or typical radio news delivered by talking heads being constantly interrupted by annoying commercials.  Besides getting updated on the latest world crisis and the daily reminders of how our constipated elected officials can’t make decisions, the broadcast helps to facilitate the waking process and slowly turn me into a human being.

This particular morning, I was listening to an interview by Jeremy Hobson in his syndicated Market Place Morning Report.  It was with Tom Agan, managing partner at Rivia, a firm specializing in innovation and brand consulting.  The topic was innovation and, more importantly, what is the best age for innovation.

The refreshing message, clear and straight, … it is never too late to innovate and, in reality, those that are most innovative are a little long in the tooth.  So there’s not only hope but proof that folks in their forties and fifties can and do create new products,  … and to take it further … change careers, begin a new life, do something great or become someone they always wanted to be.

The key thread through Mr. Hobson’s story and the critical ingredient for innovation according to Mr. Agan’s research, is experience.  Once again, I go to my trusted counsel, Mr. Webster.  Experience means “a practical knowledge, skill or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity”.  More over, experien”ed” means “made skillful or wise through experience”.

My good friend continued to feed my frenzied search for confirmation by adding synonyms such as accomplished, consummate, crackerjack, expert, masterful, and my favorite … virtuoso.  Wow!!!   To think I was just getting older!!

“The real innovators average about age 40” stated Mr. Agan during Mr. Hobson’s interview.  He went on to say that the image of a young college kid in his dorm room concocting the next big idea like Mark Zuckerberg is a “total fallacy”.    Agan provided a true example of Steve Jobs who created the iPod and iPhone after many years of working in the industry.  His successes and innovations came after years of experience (aka trial and error) or graduating from the “school of hard knocks” as by grandma Julia used to say.  I am sure we all can come up with many, many more men and women who have mastered their trade and accomplished great things.  There are many, many more just waiting to explode with the next big idea or simply to make a foundational shift in their lives.

Now that I have proven without a shadow of a doubt that all of us baby boomers have the potential through extensive experience and knowhow to be innovative, why aren’t we?  Why aren’t we bursting into the boardroom with a company saving concept, or convince our spouse to move to Paris, or get that PhD we always wanted, or write that one great book that is in us?  Why? Why? Why?

Glad you asked!  Over several months, I wrote three bogs, titled “Catapult for Sale”, “Settling is for Rocks” and “Fear of Falling”.

In each, I tried to share my own reasons through personal experiences as to why I didn’t, on multiple occasions, cross that ocean of molten lava from wanting something (aka “State of Desire”) to making it happen (aka “State of Being Cycle”).   There are so many reasons and for each of us the reasons are so very personal and so very real.

In “Settling is for Rocks”, I contemplated my comfort with complacency and the usual.  In “Fear of Falling”, it was the gut wrenching, sweat drenching anxiety provoked by the unknown and potential failure.  

In “Catapult for Sale”, I shared my belief that if you do not engineer your own mechanism for change in the way you want, someone or some event may make a change for you and one that is not of your liking.

The moral of the story, according to this casual observer and “virtuoso” (Don’t laugh!!), is that experience and knowledge is only part of the equation for innovation and creation.  There needs to be that bee in your bonnet, thorn in your side, pebble in your shoe and/or burr under your saddle that makes you take the leap and begin your journey.

So, my graying friend, if you find the words “I am too old to be doing this” rolling off your tongue and passing through your lips …. think again, long and hard … while listening to your favorite tunes on your iPod!

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In case you don’t believe me, here’s the link to hear Jeremy Hobson’s interview with Tom Agan.

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/what-best-age-innovation.

“It is the Journey, young grasshopper”

“It is the journey, young grasshopper ….not the destination”, I would imagine Master Po counseling Kwai Chang Cain (aka David Carradine) in the 70’s popular “Kung Fu” TV series.

My buddies and I were always impressed by the flowing rivers of wisdom bestowed upon young grasshopper by his kung fu master and Shaolin monk. This was almost as cool as the jumping roundhouse kicks.

If only I had my own Shaolin monk to advise me through life as Kwai Chang Cain had. He was fortunate to have two! … Masters Po and Kan. I could have used just one of them from time to time to help me answer some of life’s questions in such poetic and calming ways as:

“Grasshopper, be yourself and never fear thus to be naked to the eyes of others. Yet, know that man so often masks himself. That what is simple is rarely understood. The dust of truth swirls and seeks its own cracks of entry and the tree falling in the forest, without ears to hear, makes no sound yet it falls”

Wow!! Feel enlightened?

I often would utter …”it is the journey, young grasshopper, not the destination” when a path to completing a project seemed blocked by boulders and bandits. Also when personal problems seemed bleak and insurmountable, this mantra would work well. Obvious meaning ….the true value is the learning and personal growth gained as we deal with the obstacles and challenges encountered along the way … regardless of whether we are successful or not.

There is a wonderful Greek poem written in 1894 by Constantine P. Cavafy (1863 – 1933) titled “Ithaka”. It speaks to this subject very nicely. It is based on a Greek classic, possibly Homer’s Odyssey, about a journey to Ithaka, a small island off the west coast of Greece. The writer offers a traveler, possibly Odysseus, advice about crossing paths with angry and vengeful gods. Besides the warnings, the writer encourages the traveler to make the best of it. “Ask that your way be long” and visit as many ports and markets as possible, buy luxuries and seek the wisdom of the learned. Good advice? You bet.

Although the spirit of the poem speaks more to positive experiences and triumphs, the contrary would also apply. There has to be something gained from unpleasant experiences. There has to be some meaning to it all.

Want a real example? A dear friend’s wonderful wife was diagnosed with a form of cancer a few years ago. It was a very difficult and emotional journey they both embarked upon. They traveled from discovery through treatment and then to a blessed recovery. Besides the heart warming updates he would email to friends and family on behalf of his wife, he recapped the lessons of their ordeal. To me this was a beautiful demonstration of the journey being as important as the destination (i.e., remission).

To summarize a few …
• We are stronger then we think
• We are loved by more people then we may realize
• When in doubt, give it to God
• God does have a sense of humor
• We need to forgive ourselves and then forgive others
• Living in the past can be filled with regrets, living in the future can be filled with fear, living in the moment can make me happy.
• Sometimes it is just best to do nothing
• Nothing lasts forever – good times or bad
• Everything I have done in my life has brought me to this place. I am the sum of my experiences, good and bad.
• I want to laugh more

Of course there is a moral to these random tales of Kung Fu fighters, Greek mythology and personal triumph. There are actually two.

First ….. Too often we focus on the end …… cashing the bonus check, hanging the diploma on the wall or hearing the audience’s applaud.

Those are only important if they serve to remind us of the journey we took to get there and how the journey made us better people. If it is only for the ego, they will collect dust on a mantle, end up tucked away in a closet or as a temporary fix that needs to be satisfied again and again with less effect.

Second …. Even in the darkest moments, we learn, grow and become stronger …..if we will only let it. Those obstacles and “sideliners” can open unknown pathways to help further our own enlightenment ....... young grasshopper.

I leave you with my favorite verse from Ithaka …

“Ithaka has given you the splendid voyage.
Without her, you would never have set out,
But she has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor,
Ithaka has not deceived you.

So wise have you become of such experience,
That already you will have understood
What this Ithakas mean.”

Bon Voyage ….. and buy as many sensuous perfumes as you can!

Extra Credit: Reading of “Ithaka” by Sean Connery

Settling is for Rocks

If you ever had the privilege of standing before the majestic Grand Canyon, you will witness a jaw-dropping display of intense natural beauty. The layers of red, orange, green, brown and tan create a rainbow of earth tone colors spanning every corner of sight. The senses are shocked by its magnificence and fooled into thinking it is only an illusion.

The Grand and its many smaller branch canyons were formed by millions of years of shifting and colliding tectonic plates, raging rivers and punishing winds, revealing dramatic rock formations that chronicle the history of our world.

Diving deep into the canyon, you can touch and feel the passage of time through each layered ribbon composed of rocks, sandstone, and sediment from ancient seas that settled over the centuries with the help of crushing gravity and enormous pressure.

As the canyon’s rocks have settled, people settle too. We settle for things material and for matters of the heart.

Settling for the material is easy to understand. It is either a Lexus or a Toyota, an apartment or a house, a suit or a pair of pants and a sport coat. We settle the material for convenience, cost, fit, availability, a deadline (Sale ends at midnight!!) or we just can not make up our mind and forced to decide.

Think of the last time you settled for something material. Were you relieved and happy or disappointed and feeling shorted. If it was the latter, fear not for it is easily fixed. Just trade in the Toyota for that Lexus or buy that house when your lease expires. Easy right?

Settling for the matters of the heart is very different. Settling for matters of the heart have long lasting affects, creating a feeling of loss that often cannot be regained. After all, it is a dream and a passion that has been diluted, leaving you hungry and unsatisfied.

In the context of the State of “Be”ing Cycle, settling is not taking those affirmative steps toward “be”ing someone or something . It is not even a “sideliner” that knocks you off the cycle you were on. Settling is much more painful.

If that is true, why do we settle on matters of the heart? Why do we trade in huge dreams for those with less loft? (Hint … this is the part where you pause, reflect and say “hhhmmm”!).

Now for the multiple choice quiz.

We settle because we:
A.) Fear making the leap,
B.) Underestimate our ability or conviction,
C.) Hear those “encouraging” comments such as “You’re too old (or young)”, “You can’t possibly do that!”, “It is just a phase that you’ll get over”.
D.) Are just too damn tired of the fight and simply give up,
E.) All of the above.

Now for extra credit. There is another ….. that of being “comfortable”.

Lots of us make the safe bet. We don’t loose but then again we don’t win. We stay in place like swimming against a strong current. There’s lots of spent energy, a feeling of doing but in reality accomplishing little. Another way of looking at it and tying back to the Canyon introduction (at last!), is gravity and pressure. The gravity of comfort is relentlessly pulling us to make the safe decision and there is enormous pressure exerted to keep us to it.

Take that local job and not hold off to pursue the one where you dreamt of living, get that 30 year plaque and not start that business when you knew you had the perfect idea, stay in a familiar relationship that’s safe and not take the risk by following your heart and passions. The list goes on………

Although, these are not bad or wrong decisions and there can be many positive outcomes. However, the most unsettling reality is regret, even when you convince yourself there is none.

In the quiet of your room as you lay awake at night staring into the darkness ..…. you know the answer…. hhhmmmm

HOLY SIDELINER, BATMAN!!

Wow! I never thought it could happen to me. There I was back on track from “used to be” to “be” when WAMM, BAMM, ZAP … I get the news.

My gi was finally loosing the smell of mothballs and I was getting back in some kind of shape both physically and mentally by returning to the dojo. However, the persistent itiotibial (IT) band and hip flexor muscle aches were not getting better after a year of doctor visits, physical therapy and massages. A new sports medicine doctor made the discovery through his x-ray eyes that yours truly, mister physically fit, backpacking martial artist has osteoarthritis of the hips. It took a quick glance to determine that the pain I experienced were caused by this “degenerative disease”. Even my untrained eye could see the compressed cartilage and the compensating bone spurs as he pointed to the illuminated film. It showed the varying tones of gray bone, but I only saw one huge red stop sign.

“Degenerative disease?” hhhmm …. Each of those words alone is daunting enough but together they were deeply devastating in so many ways. First of all, I have never had a disease before. Colds, flu, strep throat and pink eye were the extent of my medical afflictions. Most of my conditions were self-inflicted by overdoing what ever I did evidenced by sprains, bruises and muscle pulls. However, I never broke anything except when my first love, Suzie Schmidt, broke my heart in high school, but I digress.

Couple “disease” with “degenerative” and just crash my dream of trekking the foothills of the Himalayas against the rocks of despair. I didn’t even need to consult WebMD or my friend, Webster, to know what “degenerative” means …. incurable, terminal and progressively getting worse. The visions of competitive sparing again, bagging the Grand Teton or running a marathon were replaced with staggered stepping in a walker with lime green tennis balls on its rear legs or speeding along in a shopping mall on a mobility scooter! This is not what I ever envisioned at age 53.

The problem with this whole shock-to-the-system event, is realizing that I am no longer immortal. I was just a “use to be” for goodness sake and with a little effort, I knew I could be a “be” again. I did it many times before and I certainly could do it again. Why not now? I got the answer I didn’t see coming.

The other realization, and perhaps a classic “I told you so” moment, was that my past actions brought on my own downfall. Simple cause and effect. My years of intense training and doing what I love may now be the reason why I can no longer. Would I have given up the feeling of flying during a run or bowing to the raising sun in gratitude for a perfect kata or the fulfillment of an all out workout when every inch of my cloths were soaked? Probably not. Toned down? Probably.

It gets one thinking though. I guess I am working through the steps of grief that will eventually lead to acceptance. In a real sense, it is coming to grips with a loss … the loss of my identity ….. who I am or thought I was.

Stay tuned … SAME BAT TIME AND SAME BAT CHANNEL.

Sidelined and now a "Use To Be"

Achieving my Shodan was a bittersweet moment and perfect example of the classic Chinese definition of duality, "ying yang". In Japanese, it is "in yo" and in Korean it is "um yang". No matter how you spin the chop stick, you can not experience true joy unless you have experience true sorrow and, conversely, you can not be truly sorrowful unless you have experience true joy. Just the week after I was awarded the Shodan and days shy of my 46th birthday, my job was eliminated. I was “Side lined" and it instantaneously made me a "Use to be". It took the wind out of me more then a front kick to the stomach. The effects of a kick lasts a few minutes but this was a vacuum that had much more serious implications. It crushed my ego and filled my world with fear. Things like mortgage and utility bills had new meaning.

What I did discover as result was that my work life was not going as well as my life as a martial artist. Talk about one of life's lessons!!! There were many that I relived over and over to this day.

After many years of humiliation and regret, I realized that receiving the honor of a black belt was far and above more grand and meaningful then struggling with an unfulfilling job.

It was getting more and more difficult to continue the intensity of the training. My priority changed to the basic of all Maslow’s hierarchy … food and shelter. My job search was the next “be” that had to be. There was no choice.

Now I truly was a bona fide “used to be” as both an employed person and a martial artist.

Silver lining time ........ Thankfully after 4 months of searching, I finally landed. That landing led to several years of earning different kinds of belts … those earned by 10 to 12 hour days and 6 days a week. Doing what it took to do well, be respected and stay employed. This left time for little else, especially my training. My moments with my family were less, but they gratefully understood. At that time, nothing beat meeting my mortgage payment!

After my job settled down somewhat and my suits no longer fit, I slowly tried to get in shape. I worked my katas and basic karate moves. This kept me going and maintaining, even at the bare minimum, my skills. If I couldn’t pass the Black belt test, I at least knew what it would take and I wasn’t so far off. I even dabbled in other martial arts styles … aikido and tai chi to keep me involved in the art. I kept reading related books and even self taught the use of some weapons such as a bokkan, jo and katana (aka Samurai sword). All to keep one toe in the martial arts water hoping to dive back with my full body..... to become a somebody once more.

“Used to be’s” can come back. They often do…..then again …. they often do not.