it's my island

Andy’s Strengths v2.0

// February 21st, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Points In Time

Jeff recently got me the revised Tom Rath book, Strengths Finder 2.0. Somewhere around 4 years ago I completed my first Strengths test and have since gone on to enjoy many works of optimal thinkers.

Past Strengths

Originally in 2004 I tested for the main strengths of:

* Strategic
* Restorative
* Communication
* Ideation
* Individualization

Current Strengths

Retesting in the 2008 Strengths Finder 2.0:

* Strategic
* Individualization
* Learner
* Achiever
* Futuristic

Understanding the Meanings of You

According to Rath version 2.0 includes 5,000 new combinations within the tests responses and that while some may change the likelihood is what does shift was in your top 10 all along. I also believe that we are in constant growth and as we experience new things and different ways of processing we will grow and shift these islands of meta-self around fairly regularly.

In my case I still align with my primary value of Strategic. Others are drifting place or alignment but and I can see myself within the details. Of course some will say anyone can relate to their fortune. Maybe true. Take it all as a grain of sand and build upon it what you will. I am goal oriented and having ideas of where I currently am helps me hone those further and possibly bring others to bear through natural synergies.

I recommend looking in to Strengths Finder and the Authentic Happiness questionnaires at the University of Pennsylvania. If information is vital in the world isn’t it worth your time to understand your self a bit more?

Strengths Finder 2.0 gives a real nice summation to how each strength is put in play. Here’s my primary strength, Strategic.

Strategic

By nature, you usually feel satisfied with life when your innovative thinking style is appreciated. You automatically pinpoint trends, notice problems, or identify opportunities many people overlook. Armed with this knowledge, you usually devise alternative courses of action. By evaluating the circumstances, available resources, and/or the potential consequences of each plan, you can select the best option. Because of your strengths, you periodically identify problems others fail to notice.

You might create solutions and find the right answers. Perhaps you yearn to improve certain things about yourself, other people, or situations. Maybe you are drawn to specific kinds of classes, books, or activities. Why? Maybe they promise to give you the skills or knowledge you seek. Instinctively, you feel wonderful when people value your innovative and original ideas. You are likely to help them envision what can be accomplished in the coming months, years, or decades.

Chances are good that you may pay attention to some of the things going on around you. Perhaps you listen, quiz people, read, or take notes. As you accumulate information, you might disregard what is unrelated, and pay heed to what seems important. Sometimes the more you reflect on what you know, certain problems reveal themselves, and eventually some solutions start taking shape in your mind. Then you try to select the best plan from your list of options.

Driven by your talents, you probably feel very good about yourself and life in general when you know the exact words to express an idea or a feeling. Language has fascinated you since childhood. Your ever-expanding vocabulary often earns you compliments.

Where to Go From Here

A grain of sand and a few seashells adorning the new wing of my mental sand castle. It will continue to evolve and shape, even at times may need rebuilding. This updated information provides me with some new perspectives and thoughts to digest. If you find some of your own along the way feel free to add them here so I might know you even better.

-a

Your Mind and Your Life, Fighting Irrationality

// February 13th, 2008 // Comments Off // Excursions, Life Happens

I love to experience life and the world. To many it looks like I am defiant or full of challenge but really it is a zest for the experience. Maybe I have some kinesthesia issues. Recently during a scuba trip on Grand Cayman I was to find myself in a position I have rarely, if ever, found myself in. Near panic.

When you are a child, or young adult, being locked in a dark place is probably the closet to panic you get. The overwhelming fear of the unknown, a confined space, darkness, can usually evoke a pretty good shriek from many people whereupon you are released by teasing siblings or friends from your torment.

In scuba diving many people cannot do it. Whether it’s the water, a bunch of gear on you, breathing apparatus, or something more simple many people I speak with do not have what it takes to submerge themselves.

Being a Floridian I’ve always loved the water. My mother affectionately called me part fish for my comfort and never ending joy I found in pools or the sea. I started diving in 1992 at Seacamp. While I have more skydives than water dives I have always considered diving like riding a bicycle. Once I learned it’s all fairly rote in my memory. Gear assembly and testing, signs, the only thing I have to reference is my dive tables.

Heading to Cayman this year I found myself with a sinus headcold. For the first two days on island I thought my eyes would never stop tearing due to the unwanted pressure in my head. We scrubbed a few dive days to allow this to work itself out. During which time my wife and I took to snorkeling and free diving. Free diving allowed me to test what parts of my head were clogged and not by having to equalize multiple times and varying depths.

On the third day my head felt clear with minimal if any pressure build ups. We decided to make a comfortable dive at [Eden Rock](http://www.edenrockdive.com/). Robin and I were buddies following my father and step-mother down to Devil’s Grotto (a series of little tunnels and such). Like normal I felt comfortable, breathing was zen like, everything felt good. Robin and I stayed down about 55 minutes in total.

We then went to lunch at the [Sunset House](http://www.sunsethouse.com/), calculating our surface interval we prepared for another dive. I wanted to see the Mermaid again and my new dive buddy Beth and I were going to visit the wall at about 60ft. We swam out to our marker with family, submerged, and slowly found our way to the Mermaid standing tall in waters clear to about 50-60ft. Taking pictures of my dad being a hooligan we turned and began to make our way to a sunken deployment craft.

We descended further and I began to swallow what I was thinking was salt water. I began to think there was a light leak in my mask and somehow during breathing I was inhaling water. Diversionary thoughts began to enter my head as this sensation increased over the next few minutes. My mind was starting to echo really stupid thoughts of, ‘Sure would suck to have to emergency ascend’, or ‘How do I breathe again?’. Slowly but surely my mind began to get on a tear as this fluid—drinking—sensation built. My heart began a sympathetic response and began to race.

With Beth in the lead and my father next to me I motioned that I needed to stop. I was starting to hyperventilate at about 45ft and my logical mind could not for the life of it get my emotional self under control. I knew I could breath, I knew the life line of tubes connecting me to my can of air was worthy so I sank to my knees, motioned unease and held my mask and my mouthpiece. I know stupid things happen in the moment so I just sat there with my eyes closed, letting the sine wave of panic pass through me. I motioned that my heart was racing but how it was perceived I can only guess. I was blowing so many bubbles I went from 2400psi to 1700psi in moments.

We split the group up, Beth to go with my step mother Page and I would return to shallower waters to exit with my father. We turned and parted ways. A few minutes later my heart stabilized, the fluid in my throat stopped running, and my logical self retook control of my senses. I communicated with my father and we tooled around for a few minutes more then exited for what would be a short 27m dive.

When I took my mask off I found out I had a nose bleed, my medical father thinks I had sinus rupture and I was swallowing the drainage / blood from the blow out. What an amazing and frightening experience.

When you find yourself in an alien environment, or maybe just out of your situational comfort zone, and your body begins to abreact at something it can’t internalize properly it feeds your emotional mind a lot of dark fodder. The more I try to be my rational, logical, normal self, the more tenuous the feeling of actual control is when a situation is spinning out of your control.

The best thing one can do is stop and hold on. We are a thermodynamic device so inputs will be cyclical and responsive to what is happening. If you can ride out the wave you will probably see yourself safely through to the end but going all out emotional, or reptillian mind, will only cause you harm. Can you imagine if I had bolted to the surface? I would have put myself from a bad situation to worse in heartbeats.

The next best thing you need to do is extract yourself from the situation. Once I regained some function of mind the safest thing for all of us was to abort the dive. With clear instructions and good buddies I was able to make my way back to safer waters and further regain my faculties and composure. Am I disappointed I didn’t get to see the wall this time? Sure. Am I forever happy to have my health and know I can dive another day? Undoubtedly.

The older I get the more I understand that sometimes we have very little control of ourselves. When the amplitude of panic rises you have to be ready to react in safe manners. Whether it’s deploying a canopy, diving the seas, or driving the highway, you have to be ready for any situation and be ready to try and handle it, or escape from it, like a pro.

Here’s to a safe return and a new story to tell.

-a

Puzzling Patience and Persistence

// June 15th, 2007 // Comments Off // Scribbles, Skull Sessions

I remember a sage once told me that my life was to be walking one of Saturn’s squares. Loosely translated she meant that I would need to work hard and be patient for a long.. long.. time.

It’s taken quite a long time, probably the first 26 (nearing 31 this month) years of my life but I’ve become rather good at being patient. It doesn’t mean I don’t lose it from time to time, but I’m able to swing in some Zen harmonies more often than naught.

I found my way through with many systems. Have few friends and make them the best friends. Keep the temple of yourself in check through working out. Find a way to keep your mind clean and clear.

To achieve greatness isn’t necessarily hard, but it does require patience and persistence.

Relationships

We are social creatures that get out of hand when we have too little or too much interaction. Over the years I’ve had ample friends and acquaintances; when I look back I can only see derived value from those who had similar passions and goals as myself.

If you have a ring of people who are draining you emotionally due to their needs and it’s not helping nurture you’re own needs; over time this can foster social delinquencies which usually end in spite. Who needs that?
>friend
a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection

Foster those you connect with and cherish them. Let those who do not mesh well with you fall away. In your life you will cross the path of thousands of individuals. Stay open in knowing that you will find others that will support you as you will support them.

Stay Fit

>Purity Through Sweat

I’ve used that motto for years. When I realized I was overweight—probably 9 years ago—I began what would be one of the longest things I’ve ever stuck with, working out. It began without any instruction; then when I wasn’t getting the results I wanted I became my own trainer. Going through the [ACE](http://www.acefitness.org/) program taught me so much about who we are and how we operate.

As I shed the pounds I also shed the fears I had accumulated like a rotten onion. The better I felt, the taller I walked, the happier I was. It’s been a roller-coaster of goals I’ve set over the years but when it comes down to it if I don’t get a good sweat in at least twice a week I begin to get very irritable.

We take a lot in, whether it’s our nutritional choices to the stresses of life. Keeping up a good regiment of physical activity helps purge and keep level a lot of these things. I’ve said many many times that knowing we are [thermodynamic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_thermodynamics) machines if we don’t help find balance our bodies will do very odd and generally unpleasant things to us to find it’s own accord.

Mental Clarity

Who doesn’t want mental clarity? Being trapped in a mental rat race is no joy yet most of us are doing just that. It takes a lot less work than you’d think, but it does take persistence and a desire to as the [Delphi inscription](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_thyself) read ‘Know Thyself’.

What you find is a lot of people don’t like themselves, and this creates an open loop which is filled by a lot of irrational behavior because of a fear of self and almost always a greater fear of change.

Find a way to love yourself. The words are almost cliche these days but it’s true. No one can hurt you if you own yourself. It’s hard to explain how to do this but the roots of it are taking responsibility for yourself. If you don’t like an aspect of yourself, accept it or change it.

>Be granted the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and to have the wisdom to know the difference…

That’s half the equation right there. The rest of the puzzle is just clearing the cob-webs of daily life from your mind just like working out does. Practice [Yoga](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga), [breathing exercises](http://cas.umkc.edu/casww/brethexr.htm), even a [Pzziz](http://www.pzizz.com/) moment is worth it.

If your mind is found twittering about on daily todo’s and not allowing you to find stillness you might want to look into David Allen’s [Getting Things Done](http://www.davidco.com/what_is_gtd.php) so that you can empty your head enough so that you can enjoy some peace. I’ve also found an amazing resource in [skydiving](http://www.dropzone.com). Clearing your head with a leisurely fall from 13,500ft can do wonders for you. haha!

It’s a Long Road

Life’s a crazy journey. I’ve fallen in love with it’s chaortic idiosyncratic strangeness. I don’t fight what comes my way. It’s accepted, analyzed and solved for. I encourage all of you to stay nimble and stay open to the worlds possibilities. Be honest with yourself and the ones around you.

Let’s all try and make something great with what we can. If you can look back and say, “I did the best I could at the time with what I knew”, you’re doing A.ok!

2006 Year in Review

// January 2nd, 2007 // Comments Off // Points In Time

At the beginning of last year I could not have seen what was to transpire this year. As I grow each year seems more so like that. Maybe it’s due to the embracing of chaos and knowing I can only manifest a few variables, or maybe it is just additive wisdom of the years behind me.

This year had it’s ups and downs. We transfered our ideas from building a coffee shop to working for the past 8mos on a web application. We lost our dear friend Tyson, but gained a number of new people friends. I’ve explored inwardly to the friendly skies. We’ve looked into America’s food chain (or the lacking there of) and dived right in to the Slow Food community. Knowing your farmer is gratifying. At this point we source somewhere around 80% of our foodstuffs outside the grocery store and I feel better for it.

I was good early on about working on my writing and drawing but in the last quarter lost some of my steam. I think I can revitalize my efforts at least until something hemorrhages.

It’s been another neat year exploring coffee, the community, the industry, and the strange things that exist around it all. Thanks to all those that try and make it a better place but don’t ever sit on your laurels as “cool can turn to brittle” (as a friend said) overnight.

Tidbits from things I learned or was reminded of this past year:

Self

* More confirmation that we can have indomitable spirits.
* Psychology & Neurology are built by what you think, and those who have inputs in to you. Be careful who you let influence you for the impact is farther reaching than you realize.
* Amazing gratification at the acceptance of who I am, and who I am to become.

Business

* Building a retail coffee shop in Charlotte is a challenge when the rent factor is so high it makes profitability a serious issue.
* You are what you do and you will not change that unless your actions start following that.
* Enablers continue crooked systems to exist. Bad leadership would not exist were it for kind souls who believe and invest their energies.
* Ideas are worth a nickel, execution is worth billions.
* The long-tail exists.
* People follow if you lead.

Friends

* Building new relationships takes a lot of time and energy.
* Maintaining relationships takes a lot of time and energy.
* Take care of your friends for you will have few who will be there when you really need them.
* Finding friends you can love is rare and special.

Working with Groups

* Herding cats
* Need effective passionate people in groups or the group will not move.
* Sustained momentum might require a paid position.

We will continue to evolve and shape the things to come. With passion and vigor I think this year will be grand. Like I keep preaching let’s all try and find solutions to what ills us rather than allow the debate to consume our emotional resources.

Here’s to you all!

-a

Altitude Awareness

// October 23rd, 2006 // 2 Comments » // Points In Time

I tried to get a jump in this weekend but I got on the idea too late and thus couldn’t get on manifest. I turned around and decided to continue the purging and reformation of my office. I’ve fallen out of my [GTD](http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280/sr=8-1/qid=1161623271/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-5890739-0898562?ie=UTF8&s=books) swing and I needed to reinvest the time to get back on track.

I’m working my way back into the fervor. Using [kGTD](http://kinkless.com/) (Kinkless) and [3x5 note cards](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/sets/1172352/ “Flickr pics of my note cards”). GTD is about getting it out of your head and in to places you trust. You must trust those resources or you will keep it in your head. I stopped trusting my places because I yearned for something yet undeveloped. During that pause I became again a chaortic person living through the brevity of things I could keep in my head. As we continue development however I realized I really needed to have GTD be a core methodology of my world so I could make sure development was going to do what it needed. Kind of a ‘like-duh’ moment. Again with kGTD, again with note cards, again it begins to take shape.

One thing I never really developed with my prior setups was the ‘Altitude Map’. I have a life-compass I look at for most of my decisions but I didn’t have a map (what pothole?). The compass makes sure I’m in the right direction (am I happy?), the map defines you. Definitions can be a scary thing, hence avoidance systems can try and stall this type of project. David Allen defines altitudes within 10k increments to 50k. From the runway to the top of the sky, what you see, how it is perceived, and how it guides/defines you should find harmony. If it doesn’t that’s a flag to do some serious soul searching and planning to put you in alignment. You can be happy in this world.

* 50,000 - Purpose
* 40,000 - Vision
* 30,000 - Goals & Objectives
* 20,000 - Focus & Responsibility
* 10,000 - Projects
* Runway - Next Actions

Getting friendly with 50k

In the last few months I’ve started to understand that I deeply care for culture. It is carried by the distant light of our forbearers to the creative fire of us each carving out our ways. Something that if not kept in scope I fear we end up losing to opportunists and greed. We need to celebrate our cultures, our traditions, our people, our purposes and move forward with these things in mind. I’ve never had such a position before but it rings in me and will guide me in my pursuits.

40,000 and looking good

Execute, execute, execute. It’s been said many many times of late that if you can’t execute a billion dollar idea isn’t worth spit. I’m going to work hard to execute anything I promise to. I see something I can stand on that is rock solid, a foundation, that will allow me the ability to launch from. No longer yolked by an oppressive force but free to be the entrepreneur. Opportunity knocks on many fronts and must be answered.

As I continue to fall through the layers I see how much is to be done but it’s not overwhelming. I feel like myself and my cadre have had much worse put to us in the past. This is just careful thought and thorough execution. We can do that. I can do that. The ground looms closer and next actions begin to stream by me until….flare flare flare… did I just walk that off? I did. (No pink elephants remember?!)

I like working with [David Allen’s](http://www.davidco.com/) model. It really is dead simple. If it has any complexity it is because we make it complex. I’ve about got some systems up that will keep me moving forward. I’ll let you know how they pan out after I trial them a bit. Least to say, keep it small, keep it simple, keep it up.

-a