We've all heard the Lao Tzu saying, "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with the first step" but is it really that easy? Dr. Maurer believes it is. He introduces us to the concept of "kaizen", the Japanese technique which was derived from post World War 2 American leaders faced with manufactures who would need to quickly step up their production and quality. Instead of demanding that companies dramatically change their ways, the concept of "continuous improvement" was used to promote slow, gradual change adopted by every worker in the organization. The Japanese adopted this idea readily, naming it "kaizen".
In Chapter 1, Dr. Maurer talks about change and fear. He proposes that many emotions, such as stress, anxiety, depression, tension, and nervousness... are all actually rooted in the basic reaction of fear. He talks about our brain's natural fight or flight reaction to real danger, and how this translates to our every day emotions. We are all familiar with stress and most of us admittedly have some stress in our lives, but is this really fear of change? I found this concept intriguing. Can you bypass all of these negative emotions by tricking your brain and avoiding the flight reaction?
In Chapter 2, we are challenged to begin the process of big change by taking the first tiny step, asking little questions. The idea is that questions, such as, "What would my ideal mate be like?" are much less threatening than being overwhelmed with the thought of dating someone new, as an example. Dr. Maurer gives more examples of ways we can break down a daunting task into very small pieces, and pose fun and creative questions to ourselves, therefore bypassing the part of the brain that elicits a fearful reaction. For example, rather than asking yourself "Why am I so fat?" he suggests asking, "What is one thing I like about myself today?" Asking this questions elicits positive thinking that starts to be come routine, and reprograms the brain.
What small questions could you ask yourself every day, in a whimsical way, that would start to move you toward a larger goal ? More importantly, what color is the car you parked next to at work today?
Next week we will discuss chapters 3 and 4. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving- and happy reading !
Dell- a Lumen