Yesterday TPP was pottering in the garden weeding and getting parts ready to plant some vegies, which was a great feeling after the last week of very little activity.
It was a nice warm, sunny day – perfect for aimless pondering while working away on the inane task of weeding (inane because, just like the lawns, the weeds win when you die).
With only the quiet hum of rural life in the background, TPP’s mind definitely wandered all over the place. Figuratively speaking many miles were covered but the wandering stopped when TPP remembered a comment from a blog that struck a cord. It was this:
“You can get a person to ponder but you may not get them to think”
The whole idea of TPP is to help get your mind active and thinking about things from many different perspectives to help in every day life, both personally and professionally. So you can understand why this struck a cord.
Now maybe the comment was based on just pondering what and how everyone tells you to, so you fit the “norm” – you know, as per the saying “be a team player”. But in fact what being a team player really means is you are only allowed to think as the “collective” does.
TPP has been told many, many times to “be a team player”, which was used as a put down, because TPP very rarely towed the line in the same direction as the team. This is partially what has led TPP to help others to use the concept of pondering to become independent thinkers.
To become an independent thinker take a topic and ponder on it a personal way and how it totally relates to you, not others. As it is personal, no thoughts are right or wrong, they just are and they are yours – everyone is different – it is the differences that make the world an interesting place.
Initially it may be hard for some as they are so used to thinking how they believe everyone wants them to think. But with practice you will become stronger in and of yourself. Then as time goes by it gets easier to be different to others in how and what you ponder.
Your homework today is to ponder on what makes you different to the others around you and, do you embrace that difference or do you try to be part of the collective.
Ponder away!
