Three lessons that Adam Chan, someone that I am proud to call a teacher and a friend have shared with me that have changed his life are:
1) When is a chair not a chair?
2) Where is the mind?
3) Fight with equal parts fire and water.
An excerpt from his forum reads:
"when is a chair not a chair? "- this one haha cause me to relearn everything that i ever learn
" where's his mind " - this one I am still working with , sensing intent where his focus are and hit where he is not , this one change my closing and trapping approach forever
" balance combative arts with healing" - this one cause me to practice chi gung for 10 years
In regards to lesson #1 - When is a chair not a chair?
From the martial arts aspect, this lesson asks the student to reflect on that simple fact that one doesn't need 100 moves to be a master, but must truly understand the value of but a few movements to be effective. I used to believe that the more "moves" I knew, or the more "reactions" that I knew, the better off I was as I collected many different moves from many martial arts. However this was not the case as eventually too many moves clouded my mind while trying to remember the "proper" way to react to a specific attack. Studied properly, a single punch can be used in lieu of a block or a throw, defense or offense. Taken literally, the same chair that you're sitting on could be used as a weapon, a shield, or simply a ladder for screwing in a light bulb or painting that hard to reach spot on the ceiling.
From the business side, I look at different uses for the same technique, product offering, or strategy within a particular movement. Something where people see a tax benefit, you could also use to create capital which then flows into an investment where the capital grows in equity, but also pays out a dividend to enable cash flow.
Akin to making a punch do more than simply strike an opponent, moving your assets into a proper order also gives it's usefulness a magnification factor that supersedes more than the sum of the parts.
Alongside finding different uses for the same subject, movement, or opportunity - sometimes you have to take a look at the "chair" in question to realize it for what it truly is. Not to be course or rude, but to quote Adam:
Earl, the one thing if anything that you learn from me at the end of this lesson is to have a big, expensive bullshit detector for anything and everything out there that could either work, or not work.
So what I've done in my own field of business is started doing some deeper background checking, calling referrals and listening a LOT more intently so as to not make the same mistakes in the past again in the present. The only true path is listening to the arguments from both my heart, and my head instead of ignoring one or the other and making a proper decision after gathering the facts. With our new direction, I feel as though a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, but the next move must ring true with the purpose of iPoint.
To Educate
To Serve
To Profit Together
I really think that needs to find its way onto the new ipoint website once it's done...
Stay tuned for Part II - where I'll visit the lesson "Where is the mind?"
