You probably can have enough of some things, but I don’t think information is one of those things. I do not agree that you you can never be rich enough or thin enough. Greed and anorexia are both real. I am more concerned with the definition of enough. I have always loved the saucy essence of Bob’s First Law, or maybe it is Third Law, “You never know how much is enough until you’ve had too much.”
I believe that information is life itself, even more than breath. As long as information is flowing I am alive. A great thinker of the 20th Century, Gregory Bateson, said, “Information is any difference that makes a difference.” Truth is a heady topic, but I operate from the perspective that the information and vitality link is true for people, communities, and businesses.
New York Public Library
Photo credit: imelenchon from morguefile.com
ASK
There are two questions I would like you to ask yourself:
- How are you bringing information into your environment?
- How do you maintain a vital environment?
DO
Suggested ways to in gather information:
- Read, browse, and vary your sources. Ruts are destructive.
- Scan primary interest areas (somewhere between 5 to 9 interest areas) via an app or news aggregator.
- Attend a lecture, seminar or webinar at least once a week.
- Work from a place where you do not usually work such as a different coffee shop, a different room in your house, a coworking space or even a library.
- Talk to someone with whom you would not usually engage . Listen to what they say. What advice is embedded in what they say?
- Play and laugh.
You do not have to do things that find dangerous, but if you are not making yourself uncomfortable once in a while, well, you are probably stagnating. To have a well functioning system you need to put substantial material through it. This is as true for information as it is for dietary roughage. Add some spice and variety. It keeps your brain or business healthy. You do not have to act on everything, but you do know it is there to act on if you wish.
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