Puzzles, Patterns and Predictions

August 11, 2020

Marietta, GA – Puzzles, Patterns and Predictions

Being a lefthanded student in primary school during the sixties wasn’t easy.  My mom attended teacher conferences where she had to insist that I be allowed to “write from the wrong side of the desk” and have my paper slanted differently from the other students.  It didn’t click with me until much later (in college) that us lefties think very differently from righties.  Being a good student was easy for me as long as I didn’t get distracted and daydream too often.  What made school easy for me in the classroom was seeing information as “patterns” and looking at problems as “puzzles” rather than linear equations that most of my righthanded classmates used when solving problems.  Using puzzles, patterns and predictions, I was able to be a good student with very little effort.  Looking back now, I wish that I would have applied my mind to pursue loftier goals for myself but that is another story for another time.

We can use this mental mind technique today in our careers.  When you see a problem, visualize a jigsaw puzzle where pieces can be moved around and put into different places until the solution appears.  What makes this type of thinking really cool is that the puzzle can always be further tweaked and improved upon.  Predictions change as better information comes into focus to be applied to the pieces.  Parts of the puzzle may have absolute answers but the entire solution can become better when individual pieces or “components” are managed differently.

I encourage you to try this type of intuitive or “integrated” thinking when looking at solving a problem.  Take a step back and visualize what you want the solution to be (prediction) and then work backward with the different components of the problem and arrange them in such a way that each “component” can be compartmentalized, segregated and solved independently before reassembling them into a complete puzzle.  Drop me a note and let me know how it works out for you.

Bryan

bryanewilson@gmail.com

#EncourageExcellence

Progressing to A New Perspective

July 30, 2020

Marietta, GA – While Bryan is away, today’s article is written by a special contributor, Kasey Eister.

Perspective: a mental view or prospect to gain a broader perspective on the international scene (Merriam-Webster)

As the months go on and the world continues with the ramifications of a worldwide pandemic, people begin to settle into a normalcy with what has and is happening.  We can wear masks, wash our hands, and social distance, but in the larger picture we must still wait out the virus.  I have heard and seen countless individuals complain about the “new normal”, how this pandemic has destroyed all they have known.  Yes, things are different, but does different always mean something bad?  COVID-19 is bad, definitely, but what is has done to our world as we know it is not all evil.

Before the pandemic, our countries, cities, people, were known to never stop.  We always had somewhere to be and something to do.  All that was forced to a standstill when the virus went worldwide.  Families are now spending more time together; nature is able to breathe from the lack of emissions with people having nowhere to go.  Now, as some of the restrictions pertaining to the virus are lifting in certain areas, I urge people to remember what we have learned.  Slow down. Breathe.  Instead of seeing all that has gone wrong from your known life before COVID-19, see instead what you can learn from it instead.  I hope for businesses to bring a better work-life balance into practice and for everyone to remember that all work is not always the answer.

Changing perspective can be difficult, but all it takes is a single thought that is expounded upon and put into practice.

Remember to slow down and breathe.

Kasey Eister

Embracing Change

July 28, 2020

Marietta, GA – While Bryan is away, today’s article is written by a special contributor, Kasey Eister.

“The only thing that is constant is change.” -Heraclitus

Our world is constantly changing.  This has been a known fact for thousands of years and it has been taught that to survive in a changing world, one must adapt to the new standard.  While some of this rings true, it is not always the case.

With LGBTQ+ rights rising more strongly in the past decade, the Black Lives Matter movement once more taking the front stage, and a controversial president at the head of America, things couldn’t be controversial.  In order to “stay with the times” numerous people have disregarded their personal beliefs and morals in order to fit into a societal stigma in our changing world.  

While those were just a few examples, they fit onto a larger scale.  Most times it is personal, community based bias that convinces groups of people to disregard their personal morals to be on top of the change.  It is important to remember one’s beliefs and morals so that despite change, one can still remain firm in what they know is right. There are always opportunities to learn, and perhaps one’s beliefs were not what was thought, but proper education and research is needed before following what the world dictates as correct.

Kasey Eister

If not now, when?

July 23, 2020

Kennesaw, GA – If not now, when?

Sometimes it’s difficult not to procrastinate. We get distracted, bored, or maybe frustrated. Maybe the first question to ask ourselves is whether or not the task which we are delaying is worthy of our precious time in the first place. Is it?

The second important question is when. Because if it’s worth doing at all, then it’s worth doing well. And if it’s worth doing well, why not begin working on it now. In the present. Don’t wait to do something the right way, the first time.

Bryan E Wilson

#Encouragement

#EncourageExcellence

If you ain’t growing….

July 21, 2020

Kennesaw, GA – Always be Growing

“If you ain’t growing, then you be dying” was a phrase I heard growing up by a wise daughter of a share cropper from Mississippi. I didn’t quite understand it at the time but later realized the wisdom from such a comment.

We need more Miss Lorettas in the world. She may have had very little formal education but her wisdom was immense. If we aren’t striving to become more productive and to contribute to our society (Village), we will become consumers of other people’s efforts.

We’ve heard that it takes a village and everyone in it plays a part but let’s make sure we are on the giving side of the equation and not the taking side. When too many people expect others to provide, the village becomes a ghetto.

Encourage everyone to contribute and give of their time, talents and treasure for the benefit of the village and it will come back to each of us in many different ways. Make the effort to make good choices and let every small decision stand on its own as an excellent one. You will be an extraordinary person.

Bryan E Wilson

#Encouragement

#EncourageExcellence

The Discipline of Education

July 16, 2020

Marietta, GA – The Discipline of Education.

We should all read Stephen Schwarzman’s (www.Blackstone.com) autobiography entitled, “What it Takes – Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence”.

A brilliant read about why hard work, constant education and being process driven is so critical to our success. Wisdom is a process that incorporates knowledge and experience.  Even when we feel that failure is insurmountable, the lessons learned during the process can be applied to future success.

Here is a quote from the book that sums up everything that I would like to say but he puts so much more eloquently than me.  Schwarzman wrote this as a high school senior to his fellow students after he was crushed when waitlisted at Harvard, and accepting his second choice, Yale.  He would later attend Harvard Business School for his MBA.

“I believe that education is a discipline. The object of this discipline is to learn how to think.  Once we have mastered this we can use it learn a vocation, appreciate art, or read a book.  Education simply enables us to appreciate the ever-changing drama fashioned of God’s own hand, life itself.  Education continues when we leave the classroom. Our associations with friends, our participation in clubs all increase our store of knowledge. In fact, we never stop learning until we die.  My fellow officers and I just hope that you will become aware of the purpose of education and follow its basic tenets, questioning and thinking, for the rest of your life.”

Stephen, I couldn’t agree with you more. Thank you for sharing your life’s experiences with us.

Bryan Eric Wilson

#EncourageExcellence

#ExtraordinaryEducation

Monopoly on Creation

July 14, 2020

Marietta, GA – Monopoly on Creation

If you are reading this article, then you are part of the human race. Or perhaps an Artificial Intelligence robot that is digesting this as data collection to be analyzed and processed by humans later. 😁

What separates us from the animal kingdom is our soul and the ability to think creatively in a way that applies our minds to form ideas that will stimulate action.

God created the matter and the raw materials but we have the ability to have dominion over the environment and create things using our minds.

There is no monopoly on creative thinking. Brilliant ideas stimulate action and we have the authority to create brilliantly. Let’s us this ability wisely.

Bryan

#EncourageExcellence

#MindCraft

Pay it forward

July 9, 2020

Kennesaw, GA – Pay it forward

Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote a brilliant novel that was based on a middle school student that was given an assignment by his social studies teacher to change the world.

The plan that the main character, Trevor, presented would be to create a flywheel effect of kindness by helping 3 other people in some big way. The 3 disconnected strangers, would each do the same again for 3 other random people and to have this process repeat over and over creating a better world.

We need folks to initiate such a plan today. Challenge yourself and a friend to do a few random acts of kindness this week for strangers that have no reason to expect anything from you.

If they ask why you might want to help them just mention that you are only paying forward kindness that you have been shown by someone else.

I would love to hear any reactions you might receive.

Bryan

Bryanewilson@gmail.com

#ExtraOrdinary

#EncourageExcellence

Special contributor, Kasey Eister

July 7, 2020

Marietta, GA – While Bryan is away, today’s article is written by special contributor, Kasey Eister. 

Some of you may have noticed that lately the articles have been a mix of mine and Bryan Wilson’s.  I plan to continue writing more articles, and so that you get to know a bit about me, I’d like to share some things about myself.

I grew up in a military family, traveling around the world.  This has instilled both a strong sense of patriotism and an urge to travel that has remained constant as I’ve grown.  When it came to choosing a major in college, I selected criminal justice as my area of study.  While I did not want to join the military, I still wanted to help out in a way that served our country.  For me, majoring in criminal justice was a path that could lead me to help out in the judicial circuits and ultimately the communities around me.  Starting in 2016, I put a lot of time and effort into my degree program, learning and thinking about ways I could help change the judicial system for the better.  This past December, I graduated with a B.S. in Criminal Justice that I hope to do great things with.

Due to COVID-19, I have been unable to find a full-time job, but still hope and pray that I will be led to work where I can do the most good.

As stated before, another passion of mine is travel.  While that is also currently not accessible, I plan to try and see more of God’s beautiful creation whenever international flight restrictions are lifted.

As my friend Bryan Wilson would say, it is all about perspective.  This year has been one of struggle for many people, but by helping others whenever possible and utilizing a positive perspective, we will come out the other end better for it all.

Pursuit of Happiness

July 3, 2020

Atlanta, GA – Pursuit of Happiness

I believe that the pursuit of happiness is a moral responsibility that we each have as members of our human race. The phrase was written by Thomas Jefferson as found in the Declaration of Independence and was originally written by the English philosopher John Locke in the early 18th century. In order to achieve greatness, we have to be passionate and driven to reach our potential. We need to work toward something. Aren’t we truly happy when we pursue our dreams and reach our capabilities? And happiness isn’t an instant feeling that comes and goes. Happiness is felt inside as you live.

My friend Edwin Luis Mendoza Alvarez writes that even losing while attempting big things can bring happiness. How? By embracing the process of the pursuit. Happiness is not just a present state but a mindset that is determined when you pursue something with your heart, mind and soul.

Now for the secret that I want to share with you. Something so simple to understand that millions of people spend years trying to accomplish but never find the happiness they are seeking. If you follow this simple rule, I guarantee your life will be changed.

“In the present, do every little thing well.” That’s it. In other words, “Do good work” or as phrased by Greg Norman’s teacher, “Do it now, do it proper”.

Or found in scripture as, “Do all things decently and in order“. If we consciously perform every action, choice or decision as perfect as possible, we will continually get better at the process of achieving success. You will not fall behind by making good choices. The process gets easier and the rewards will follow. I guarantee it.

#EncourageExcellence

Bryan