A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink

I was moved to take some notes as I read my book yesterday. I am old enough to know that there have been millions of "how to" books for how to be better people, better employees, better companies, better anything and I have gotten on many of the bandwagons as new thoughts and ideas have been presented over the years. But I think all this history of ideas boils down to a line on page 72 of the book - "I've learned how to work with people and how to be inspired by other people". This was not a written line by the Mr. Pink but a quote from a student in a high school program that works with concepts that fit into the “Whole New Mind” thinking. But it is a line that sums up what makes life worth living to me.

I am not crazy about the words, "High touch, High concept" - but page 51 summed some things up for me. But I liked the author's summary of where this R-Directed Thinking is about - "But let me be clear: the future is not some Manichean world in which individuals are either left-brained and extinct or right-brained and ecstatic - a land in which millionaire potters drive BMW's and computer programmer scrub counters at Chick-fil-A. L-Directed Thinking remains indispensable. It's just no longer sufficient. In the Conceptual Age, what we need instead is a whole new mind." His emphasis was on "whole". But I am going to keep my eye on Mr. Coster, Debbie and Grace - sounds like artists have the keys to the new kingdom!

Mr. Pink (no wonder he wrote a book about how to rethink the world, he is hoping his last name will be “re-framed”...) played into my thoughts about abundance versus reducing my carbon footprint/keep my "stuff" to a minimum; health insurance versus wellness; and the East versus West thinking that was so well framed by the Confucius Lives Next Door book I just finished. I did finally give up my health insurance coverage (my company said they will have a catastrophic coverage next year, so I will jump back into the health insurance pool at that time if that happens) but I thought I had to take a stand as to how will the health insurance and health care change if we continue to "feed the health insurance company beast" and feel the only solution is $20 co-pay health insurance coverage and doctors testing their patients with an eye to litigation avoidance not wellness creation. Now that my wellness is my liability not an insurance company's, it will reinforce my concept that my health is up to me and my wellness will be supported by the holistic/"narrative" approach. I believe the concept of our society right now is big on "means" for life development for so many, but leaves a big gap in "meaning".

Some of my thinking as I was reading the book turned a bit more frivolous...I was thinking that maybe an offshoot of reading the book as a school community - we should have "Right Brain Friday" events during the year where discussion of how we are exercising our Right Brain is followed by an alcohol related event at local establishment. I was also thinking that one place I wish people would shut down their Right Brain is when they are looking at my face - maybe if people saw me through their left brain, I would look like I am smiling as my "normal face"? I always wonder why my inner peace can't "make it out"... oh well. I guess all those years of meanness and angst did prove out that old saying - "don't do that, your face will stay like that".

Right will not always be "right" but I think it can be one more thing that we keep in mind as we develop strategies to effectively deal with a changing world so that we all keep moving forward for meaningful corporate and personal growth. People of means are able to buy their way to satisfying some of the needs - yoga, Drawing classes, luxury vacations - but we need to find a way where we open up the potential of R-Directed thinking to all citizens. The story of CHAD is a great example of a start. But the extreme inequity between rich and poor in our country right now makes it hard for some people to get to the "boundary crosser", "the inventor", and the "metaphor maker" level - that should be a major mission of our country. But that will be a process that needs lots of focus to take the majority of our population who are thinking about life as a "Me" or "My Family" thing (looking at life through a pin hole) to "Big Picture" world community thinking.

My age might also have played into my liking the book so much - "As people mature, their cognitive patterns become less abstract (left-brain orientation) and more concrete (right-brain orientation) which results in sharpened sense of reality, increased capacity for emotion, and enhancement of their sense of connectedness." So I guess I am naturally in a receptive mode for this kind of thinking. I loved the visual of "Indeed, two researchers have argued that this fleet of empathic, meaning-seeking boomers has already starting wading ashore." (All us old people wading ashore – interesting visual) I finished the book feeling like I was in the cat bird seat, except for the missing item in my life from the author's list of what is present in people who have all the pieces for happiness - marriage (page 226)...as I have shared a lot, that is the only thing I feel I have not done well in my life, and really the only tangible goal I have not accomplished. But even if I don't get there, I hope I reinforce for others that the most important decision one will make is who they chose as their life partner! Job, money, house, car - forget all that because that and good kids will all come into one's life in a meaningful way (maybe not BMW or McMansion way but that will probably a good thing) based on the life partner decision and the life built as a result of working as a member of that life forming team.

Sidebar: As a visual person - I do want help seeing the reverse image/negative space on the Hershey deal - if anyone can help me.

I also loved the line that "Design is the difference between love and hate." So much of life is how we shape it rather than what is on the surface or what we label it. I also wonder if we "CRAP-ify" our graphic design at Ethel...and to go along with the letter deal - SAT-ocracy? We are in the thick of that issue! I think our school could look at how performance, environment and inspiration can work together in a meaningful manner for employees and students.

As I said in the beginning, no one book or one approach answers all of our world's ills or take us to the life we are destined to live - but I love to be inspired to challenge my current thinking by what I read, see and feel and take what I like and leave the rest in a way that will keep me moving forward. As someone old enough to have entered the work place in a time where there was no FEDEX (negative space/reverse image or not) or fax machine, I have lived through lots of changes in how work is defined and done - but I agree with the author when he says, "What will distinguish those who thrive will be their ability to understand what makes their fellow women and men tick, to forge relationships, and to care for others." I know I am not personally known for my touchy-feeling side, but I label my deal as more of the "change agent" aspect of what the author discussed.

I am curious about how my life would have been different if I was a post video game person - I have never played a video game in my life...but when looking at what generation I might have fit into best if not born into the Boomer generation, I feel I might have fit in better in the caveman days than the video game days. And as this aging boomer wades ashore, "meaning is the new money". Why else would I have left behind what I had in money and position to come to where I am...some days I wish I had my old balance sheet...but that old way was my totally and completely left brain thinking.

I am a labyrinth walker, a writer, church goer and laugh-er (when I am not scowling); I do "take a Sabbath" (as in yesterday when I read this book cover to cover as I sat by my brother's pool...) but I have lots I can do to take each of these aspects of my life to a new level and lots of "portfolio" items I can work on. And I loved the "Be Like Karim" list (page 92).

Lots to think about - and that is always a good thing for me.

I am glad this was the summer reading book!