David, Goliath, and Cows Looking at new Gates
Dairy cows walk the same path, following each other. The grass wears away. The ground grows hard. They know where to go.
Every morning and night, when I was a kid, I opened the gate in the electric fence to let them into the barnyard and then into the barn. When they left, after being milked, I closed the gate.
Everything runs smoothly for cows, as long as gates stay in the same place. But, move the gate and the lead cow will walk to the place where the old gate was. Drive her to the new gate and she’ll dig in, fearful to step through.
Cows run from new gates. There’s no path. It’s unfamiliar.
People are like cows looking at new gates, when it comes to opportunities.
Opportunities aren’t continuities
and that’s the reason you run from them.
Portrait of an opportunity:
- Bigger – great opportunities feel bigger than you. It’s worrisome.
- Uncertainty – you haven’t been here before. Well worn paths are continuities not opportunities.
- Confusion – clarity and opportunity don’t mix, at least at first.
- Fear – confusion creates doubt. Doubt inspires fear. Fear makes feet run.
- A step – opportunities aren’t opportunities until you step toward rather than away.
- Learn
- Adapt as you go.
Throwing stones:
David and Goliath is the quintessential story of overcoming the odds. Everyone saw a problem. But, David saw an opportunity. It was bigger than him. He wasn’t prepared.
David did what he could. Others advised him to use traditional methods of warfare. But, he wasn’t a warrior. He was a poet, musician, and shepherd. So, he picked up a stone and threw it with a sling.
The whole David – Goliath story.
Is it time for you to throw a few rocks, to step through a new gate?
Ooooooh, Dan! You’re on fire with this. I love the imagery of the cows with the new gate. Having grown up in a pretty agrarian part of the country myself, I can completely identify with this. When it comes to cows, we think “How dumb! Can’t they see there’s nothing there anymore?!” But when it comes to ourselves…
Thanks Justin,
Yup… when it comes to ourselves… 🙂
Would somebody just pick up a few rocks and start throwing them!
Hi Dan, You did it to me again with your farm reference!! Reminds me of a poem I read years ago that;s still one of my favorites. It’s called “The Calf Path”, by Sam WalterFoss. It was written in 1895 and in my humble opinion it’s amazingly still relevant today. Thanks for shaking the “memory tree” !!!
Don
Thanks Don,
So your comment motivated me to look for “The Calf Path.” Pretty cool: http://bit.ly/18fvrL9
Here’s to good memories
Fear of the unknown keeps people with great potential from realizing thier dreams, ambitions, and possibilities. When I’m faced with unknown challenges wheather it be a promotion to a new position, or working on personal shortcomings, I remind myself of my ‘never say die attitude’ of my youth. “Age tends to keep us locked in the security of our comfort zones”. If it’s that promotion, or an important project superiors have laid at your feet, anixious uneasy feelings of inadaquacy can often creep in. At this point remind yourself that who and what you are got you to where you are. RELAX be yourself, seek the council of those you trust who have insight regarding the issue at hand. Never be afraid to ask for help. Good networking skills are extremely helpful now. The answers and insistance is out there, you just gota get up and find it. “You don’t have to do it alone”. Cheers Dan
KaChing!
I especially like the hope that we don’t have to do it alone.
Best for the journey
Great post Dan. People are very much like cattle in sleepwalking through life and balking at change.
In terms of David, we most often have the stones, or tools we need already in our possession. It is the fear that we must overcome.
And, yes, it is time; to stop being a cow, not using the stones I’ve picked up along the journey, and tilt a few windmill.
Thanks Martina,
Much appreciate the addition that the use of stones by David wasn’t a new thing to him. He had develop some skills and in the story, used them in new, unexpected ways.
Cheers
Leaders need to be willing to throw a few carefully directed, aimed, stones and break a window to show the opportuntiy(s) that are waiting.
Thanks Lucy,
You reminded me of the bullets before cannon balls approach. Shoot a few bullets and when you find your target, bring out the big guns.
Best
Yo Dan, are you really suggesting, encouraging little ole me to throw MORE rocks!!!!!!! LOL
I think I throw a plenty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barry Wehmiller, Simon Sinek, Start With Why, Frank Kern Our Education results in America are TERRIBLE, our existing Leadership Paradigm is disgraceful, based on their results? yada yada yada! Wanna encourage me more?????? hehe
Thing is even though not maybe 100% pleasant, are all those stones TRUE? So if they are true then how about no thumbs down and help me shift those paradigms!!! HOW BOUT IT??!!
For me the Chinese besides being a great source of money to loan to the great ole USA has some great wisdom to learn from.
Their idea of Crisis in hidden opportunity. I like that! You?
I know when you speak of cows you mean people. I see people wanting to do the SAME thing over and over!
Guess what, WHY is VITALLY important.
My experience shows why people do the same thing over and over is for a sense of comfort and ease. They just want things to stay in place. FAMILIAR.
Problem is being spiritual beings having a human experience is our reality is constant change.
I know I know taking it a bit deep here, but BIOLOGY of the human/spiritual condition does apply.
I am a totally different human/spiritual being RIGHT NOW typing this than I was last night when I fell asleep. All kinds of stuff went on on a cellular level. I aged, just a bit is one way to understand.
The point is in conscious thought, mind, body and spirit I have never been HERE at this moment before. So EVERYTHING is really NEW although folks usually do not look at this in this way.
If I choose to all day everyday, every moment to experience a new adventure in a place I have never been before, its COOL!!!!! Practicing to stay in the moment and watch the show unfold is a GREAT VIEW but MAN IS IT HARD!
My mind is so undisciplined I have discovered. Jumping from imaginary fears over here to glorious victories of the past to resentments, to fear of losing what I got to not getting what I imagine I desperately need to feel ease and comfort right now!!!!!!!!
It can be exhausting and disturbing till I decide to do what every Spiritual Master has always said! Try not thinking dummy!!!!!!!!
So yeah I am all about shifting paradigms, shifterp, get it?
And the only paradigm I can shift in reality is my own perception.
Geraldine, “what you see is what you get”. Who knew she was a Spiritual Master?????
If you really work that quote you can’t work yourself out of its reality. No matter what you get, you gave yourself the understanding and meaning to it. Pretty cool really cause it means I got a choice of how I am gonna interpret everything that happens.
Only it comes with great response-ability, or should I say reveals my level and skill of response-ability. If I am pretty miserable and grumpy or fearful my response-ability pretty much sucks.
I really hated it at first when I stumbled across what “what you see, is what you get really means. The full extent of it.
Then again it also gives me THE way to be joyus, happy and free! Just BE that, SEE that, give myself THAT!!!!!!!
Thanks for another thought provocker!
I Concur with my ability to respond! I rock if I do say so myself!
Shifterp, back to shifting my paradigm all day long by focusing on staying in the present. Good Day!
Thanks Scott,
Well, maybe some of us should throw fewer rocks… 🙂 hahaha…
Cheers
Not till every child is fed, not thirsty, not taught incorrectly(correct way to teach, google Khan Academy for the way)every employee is treated like they worked for Bob Chapman at Barry Wehmiller, not till all Why’s are Connected.
Then time for a day of rest. Till then fight stupidity and injustice every moment, every day!
Hey it is a tough job but if I don’t volunteer, whose gonna? People who won’t even admit our results STINK?
Right, it if is gonna be looks like it is up to me and those who believe what I believe and THANK GOD I am not alone or we would all be screwed!!!!!!!! LOL
SP back to NOW!
Wow 2 folks must like the idea of hungry and thirsty kids, teaching methods that rank us like 24th and 36th worldwide in math and science. Not working for a fella that 72% of the employees love and getting whys connected .and standing firmly for what one believes in.
Ain’t that something?
Could cause one to ponder if they ain’t for what I said what they must be for????
Really? Really? Thought that was a skit on SNL.
Ain’t that something?
SP back to the present
Dear Dan,
I agree that problems and opportunities are integral part. Where there is more problems, there will be more opportunities and vice versa. And in the process comes, fear, uncertainty and will power of course. I also believe and is quite apparent that it depends what we want to see around. There are opportunities, there are problems and there are fears, and other factors as well. So, getting what we want depends upon the way we see the things. The person who see all the negative things, may find it difficult to even throw some stones to get what he or she wants. And the one, who sees the positive side of the things, my dare to throw rocks to achieve what he or she want to get.
People have different definition towards life. And this determines their willingness to either attempt or leave to get anything. There are people who derive satisfaction in making great effort. They do not worry much about outcomes, but they keep on enjoying. There are people who make judgement about result before making effort and hence there effort is decided by their assumption about the possibility of the result.
Therefore, I believe that such assumption based on certain parameter decides the level of opportunities one might see and achieve.
Thanks Ajay,
I find that you can ask someone what they want to do but they end up telling you what they don’t want. This isn’t leadership!
I appreciate your ideas about the way we see things.
I’m hopeful this post will remind us that fear isn’t always a bad things.
Your statement about making judgments about results challenges me. We shouldn’t do things we truly believe will fail. But, I think you indicate that we shouldn’t rule things out just because we are uncomfortable.
Best
Ajay – I believe your thoughts are summed up in ” as a man thinketh so is he.” Thanks
Yes and James Allen’s book of the same name describes it well!!!
Also Geraldine, what you see is what you get same thing.
SP back to now
Much more left brain today Ajay!!!!
Horray Ajay more left brain today!!!!!
Good Onya mate!!!
SP back to the present!
Ajay- Liked the way you interpreted and compared the simple story with a better way to live life. Look more at opportunities than problems and go through the journey of new enjoyment and learning irrespective of outcomes. Great! Yet, one needs to visualize what can be achieved and its worth before jumping in and putting focused plan efforts. Assumption is one part what I refer is the worthiness of new things taken as opportunities.
Don’t go the herd way! Always have the courage to be different and the willingness to stand out in a crowd with possible newer ways.
Cows are smart. They have to be shown that the benefit of adopting or forging a new path outweighs the danger to them. Their place on the food chain makes them conservative. When they are convinced by a leader they trust, they will follow and adopt the new way. A lot of our job has to be getting our herd to imagine the path and want to build it.
I liked that image of your childhood and thinking about how cow calculus can be thought of in human terms.
cheers!
Catie – Well said. Leaders have to show a better path.
Thanks Catie,
You are right. Once the lead cow goes through the new gate the rest will follow.
Good one
Hey Catie,
Well I have not met a human being convinced by another human being of anything. Human beings convince themselves, convincing is an inside job.
Proof, even in the worst circumstances like concentration camps people were not convinced to believe what their captors believed. Nelson Mandela convinced of anything while in prison?
So once I got that part of the issue understood correctly I can proceed. Till then nothing cause I am barking up the wrong tree and just showing I don’t know much about how the human mind works.
Next, connect the whys. Why? Big neon light shining on everyone’s forehead…..WIIFM. What is in it for me
That is ALL at the end of the day anyone really cares about. Makes sense your whole life is not going to focus on taking care of them, they got to do that. Their hopes and dreams are their WHY.
Then connect their WHY to successful completion of agreed upon company goals. When why’s then connected they see what contributing to accomplishing company goals are in effect helping them get closer to THEIR dreams and hopes being fulfilled at the same time. Then they work 50 hours a week and don’t complain cause they see what is in it for THEM.
Make sense yet?
So maybe a better potential job is connecting their whys to the agreed upon goals of the company and letting them know you are with them to help them in any way you can get theirs!
Zig said it a million times, help enough others get what they want, you get what you want in the process.
So start with figuring out what THEY want and help them see working together will get them there. Then do any and everything you can to help them. Talk is CHEAP, DO!!!!!
And heap praise every time u catch them doing something right, let them feel your support. Folks will DO lots more for appreciation and praise than for more money. Egos and all, so know it and work it girl!!!!
So maybe get the herd to see the path we are all on gets them theirs and see how much they give to help get there.
Or work completely against the way human beings actually behave and see how far that gets ya!!!
Just suggestions, take what u like and leave the rest.
SP back to NOW!!!!
Good Dan,
As an educator, we are in transformation. A term that confusing many. Maybe transformation is just “throwing a few stones” at some a very established 20th century Goliath school system? Transformation or reformation?
Thanks kostiukg,
transformation or reformation…powerful question. I think reforming something that currently exists is safer…transforming or perhaps invention and innovation seem like opening a new gate, rather than making existing gates bigger.
Thanks for the thought
I love when something as basic as a cow and her behavior resonates as a pan-applicable concept. Thanks, Dan.
Thanks bimuse,
pan-applicational!! Now thats a pantastic word.
Cheers
Dan – Excellent post on forging new paths and throwing a few stones. To forge new paths requires confidence and the ability to not worry about what others think of us. Easier said then done as we all like the comfort and security of being liked and thus we conform. It take ‘heart” to go against the grain….but we must try by taking little steps in that direction until we gain the confidence and momentum.
Chris-Well said! The confidence and momentum come only with good thinking and the habit of expressing your own feelings with bold communication and action.
Good leaders create such good environment where subordinates have the freedom to think and act differently keeping the organization goals in mind. A healthy competition is always desired from all those who break the routine and work productively. They need to be encouraged and motivated for showing the new ways of working.
Cowabunga Dan! I am surprised no one has commented how moooving your post was! Udderly visual yet again.
Because my Arcadian knowledge base is more analogous to skim milk, doesn’t the lead cow were a bell sometimes? That does help the followers keep the course and direction. (Also heard they wear a bell because their horns don’t work–rim shot)
Wonder if that lead cow might be more similar to a manager’s role doing the work on the ground level. (cow with no legs-ground beef)
Your #5 point, step toward or lean (no beef joke here) into it is one of the prime cuts that makes life worth living. You do not feel more alive than when you reach what you perceive as the edge of your safety fence and actually step beyond. That may be because it was just a perception in the first place.
Some lyrics to consider…
We should change our way of thought
More if we do not, the way ahead
Is dangerously fraught
And if we did the things we all know to be right
Left would be the childish fears
Of danger in the night…………… The Mooooody Blues! 😉
Hey, it’s Friday, what can I say!
Having just moved out to the country, and having cows that are getting out of their pasture and wandering onto our property (several times in the past few weeks), this imagery was very timely for me! And leading a team of sometimes hesitant (new) sales people makes this message perfect for me right now. THANK YOU!
ABSOLUTELY! Loading up my sling shot as we speak!
Dan, to learn and appreciate psychology by studying the behaviors of animals is so prophetic. I too have been there and done that…
I like you Dan… this is (packed with vitamins) food for thought!!! keep them coming. Gwendolyn
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Great post, coming at a meaningful time for me
David and cows and Goliath and freedom? weird but nicely tied together. Thanks Dan for the information. I appreciate what you do. Too bad more small business owners don’t care enough to read your blog.