“Inventions have long since reached their limit, and I see no hope for further developments,” said Roman engineer Julius Sextus Frontinus in 10 A.D. This end-of-progress view has been echoed many times, including by Charles Duell, commissioner for the U.S. Patent Office, who in 1899 said, “Everything that can be invented has already been invented.”

It’s worth recalling, especially in a gloomy year like the one drawing to an end, that the opposite is true: The more we invent, the more we invent. Knowledge grows on itself.

So here are the rest of my Top 10 Worst Technology Predictions, which prove that when it comes to tech, optimism pays:

“The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys,” Sir William Preece, chief engineer at the British Post Office, 1878.

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” H.M. Warner, Warner Bros., 1927.

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers,” Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

“Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night,” Darryl Zanuck, 20th Century Fox, 1946.

“The world potential market for copying machines is 5,000 at most,” IBM executives to the eventual founders of Xerox, 1959.

“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home,” Ken Olsen, founder of mainframe-producer Digital Equipment Corp., 1977.

“No one will need more than 637 kb of memory for a personal computer—640K ought to be enough for anybody,” Bill Gates, Microsoft, 1981.

“Next Christmas the iPod will be dead, finished, gone, kaput,” Sir Alan Sugar, British entrepreneur, 2005.

via Gordon Crovitz: Technology Predictions Are Mostly Bunk – WSJ.com.

So I see this entry for “Stroke of Insight: Jill Bolte Taylor “, a neuroanatomist — she studies and maps the brain and its functions. Here’s an excerpt from the TED page:

One morning, a blood vessel in Jill Bolte Taylor’s brain exploded. As a brain scientist, she realized she had a ringside seat to her own stroke. She watched as her brain functions shut down one by one: motion, speech, memory, self-awareness …

Amazed to find herself alive, Taylor spent eight years recovering her ability to think, walk and talk. She has become a spokesperson for stroke recovery and for the possibility of coming back from brain injury stronger than before. In her case, although the stroke damaged the left side of her brain, her recovery unleashed a torrent of creative energy from her right. From her home base in Indiana, she now travels the country on behalf of the Harvard Brain Bank as the “Singin’ Scientist.”

Watch how a scientist describes what happened to herself. If you’re not intrigued by what she has to say and the enormous possibility it implies, then IMHO you ought to check your pulse…

There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which, in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe.

A thought in this substance produces the thing that is imaged by the thought.

Man can form things in his thought, and by impressing his thought upon formless substance can cause the thing he thinks about to be created.

In order to do this, man must pass from the competitive to the creative mind; otherwise he cannot be in harmony with the Formless Intelligence, which is always creative and never competitive in spirit.

Man may come into full harmony with the Formless Substance by entertaining a lively and sincere gratitude for the blessings it bestows upon him. Gratitude unifies the mind of man with the intelligence of Substance, so that man’s thoughts are received by the Formless. Man can remain upon the creative plane only by uniting himself with the Formless Intelligence through a deep and continuous feeling of gratitude.

Man must form a clear and definite mental image of the things he wishes to have, to do, or to become; and he must hold this mental image in his thoughts, while being deeply grateful to the Supreme that all his desires are granted to him. The man who wishes to get rich must spend his leisure hours in contemplating his Vision, and in earnest thanksgiving that the reality is being given to him. Too much stress cannot be laid on the importance of frequent contemplation of the mental image, coupled with unwavering faith and devout gratitude. This is the process by which the impression is given to the Formless, and the creative forces set in motion.

The creative energy works through the established channels of natural growth, and of the industrial and social order. All that is included in his mental image will surely be brought to the man who follows the instructions given above, and whose faith does not waver. What he wants will come to him through the ways of established trade and commerce.

In order to receive his own when it shall come to him, man must be active; and this activity can only consist in more than filling his present place. He must keep in mind the Purpose to get rich through the realization of his mental image. And he must do, every day, all that can be done that day, taking care to do each act in a successful manner. He must give to every man a use value in excess of the cash value he receives, so that each transaction makes for more life; and he must so hold the Advancing Thought that the impression of increase will be communicated to all with whom he comes in contact.

The men and women who practice the foregoing instructions will certainly get rich; and the riches they receive will be in exact proportion to the definiteness of their vision, the fixity of their purpose, the steadiness of their faith, and the depth of their gratitude.

Do you even care?

I mean, let’s face it: for most of us, life is a series of events that happen to us, strung out over a period of years. We’re born, we struggle, we die. What’s my purpose for the day? To get through until tomorrow. One day at a time, one day to the next. Some high points, more than a few low points, but mostly just . . . surviving.

If that resembles you, and you’re tired of it, here’s a book that can help: Life on Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life, by Dr. Brad Swift.

As I read the book, something that I’d heard Neale Walsch say in the movie The Secret kept popping in my mind. He said people look around for the big blackboard in the sky, upon which is written their purpose in life. If they can just find the blackboard, everything will be all right. But, he says, the blackboard doesn’t exist. So, your purpose is what you say it is.

And you have a purpose, whether you realize it or pay attention to it or not. Your purpose, the meaning of your life, is what you say it is, every morning when you get up. It’s what guides you through the day.

Is your purpose a meaningful one? What if you could change your perception of your life, revise your focus, make changes in the way you think, feel, and act, and do it in a step-by-step methodical way? What if you had a roadmap to guide you? What if you had someone sitting there in the passenger seat as a guide, showing you the way, teaching you how to slow down and actually live for something? Dr. Brad is just that–a coach that can help you rediscover your reason for being, if you want to.

Dr. Swift not only shows you how to clarify your purpose in life–the step-by-step roadmap–but also gives the “why” of what you’re doing. When you understand why something works, you can adapt and reapply that same concept in other areas of your life, in other situations. Instead of just memorizing a step, you’ve learned a technique.

The first step is to take the first step . . . and the first step is to read Dr. Swift’s book, and act upon what you read. The rest will unfold. . .

This is Stop #6 on the Book Blog Tour, a special event highlighting Dr. Brad Swift’s new book, Life on Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life.

This post was not a paid review. I was furnished a complimentary copy of Dr. Swift’s book for the purpose of review.

I really like seeing discussions like this, because when I start to think about the questions, I notice areas in my thinking that could use improvement or even complete overhaul.

Take success, for instance. When I first thought about how I would respond, my initial thought was, “I can’t answer this. I’m not successful.” Then I proceeded to list to myself all the reasons why I don’t think I’m successful (remember—the mind will give what you ask of it): there’s bills that aren’t paid because I’m not taking the actions that I should take business-wise because my brain is so messed up and there’s so much baggage that I can’t get around because I’ve tried everything I know and nothing’s worked because I’m no good at this stuff because I don’t try hard enough because I’m not worth anything…

Short story is I let myself go way off the deep end. After I realized what I was doing (it took a while, I’m not perfect), I made a herculean effort to change my internal conversation. “When I am successful, what do I do?”

“Nothing. You’re not successful.”

“Shut up. I am too. Get back in your cave, little man. Brain: what do I do when I’m successful?”

After some back and forth, the angelic little man on my other shoulder (remember the football field scene in ‘Animal House’?) told me things that I do when I’m being successful. So here’s my list, in no particular order:

1. I am.

This is the ‘being’ part of the have, do, or be anything you want in goal setting. It’s not exactly what most goal-setting coaches have in mind when they say it, but I think it comes first. Before you have and do the things that the person you want to be has and does, first you have to be that person in your mind. If you don’t know how that person would be, find someone you can model. Or find several people and take the best qualities of each.

2. I read daily.

I read constantly. Books, blogs, etc. Used to be, before I was successful, I read fiction books. I was absolutely hooked on action/suspense books. Tom Clancy, Dan Brown, J.D. Robb, etc. I still read those occasionally, when I want a little break. But now I read things that help me reach for new possibilities. As a matter of fact, part of my herculean effort above was to read. I read, front to back, a book named The Greatest Networker In The World, by John Milton Fogg. It was intended as a training tool for network marketers, but is more of a training tool for life and life changes. I highly recommend it.

3. I exercise regularly.

Lately, irregularly would be a better description, but I still do. My little spider-bite ordeal kept me from being as active as I like to be, but I have substantially recovered from that so it’s not as inhibiting. I go to the Y a minimum of 4 times a week; more if I can get there. Sometimes I work on the stair machines and treadmill, sometimes walking on the track, sometimes swimming. When the kids go, it’s all swimming. That’s the best workout I get, truthfully. My kids could wear me out!

4. I spend time with my goals.

I’m building on my vision board, which resides on the wall to the left of my computer monitors. I have my goals written down (do you?), and I spend some time throughout the day visualizing them, sometimes modifying them if they’re not quite right.

5. I spend time with myself.

In the morning, I make a special point to think about the things in my life that I’m thankful for. If I can’t think of more than 4 or 5, I know it’s time for an attitude adjustment. I also take an hour or two each day to read, to work with a Neuro-Programming program I picked up, and some time in my version of meditation. I’m not very good at the meditation thing yet, but the NP program is helping that. I’m finding it challenging to quiet my mind. It seems like it’s always going. During meditation, I accept the thoughts that enter, dismiss them, only to find that another has taken its place. Meditation is a work in progress for me.

6. I do something to promote my business.

One of the areas that I could do better in. This, truthfully, is where a lot of my personal work is taking place. Talking to people, learning to be comfortable in selling situations, just doing something. My comfort zone has not included direct interaction with other people. So, I’m improving that, little by little.

7. I spend time with my family.

Part of this is necessity: we homeschool our kids, and that does take a chunk of time during the day. There’s also piano lessons, recitals, nightly reading, RC airplanes, and of course our twice-weekly jaunts to the YMCA. I used to be a hermit in the computer room, and my family life suffered. Now it’s better. Focus, you know.

So…

…while I’m not yet what most would term wildly successful in some areas, that will show up in it’s good time, when I’m ready for it. I understand that. All I can do is what I know — then watch, and adjust.

That’s all any of us can do.

Thanks Pam and Aaron for the shoulder tap. I’m not going to tag anyone specifically, but I would enjoy comments and linkbacks telling me what YOU are doing to be successful in your life. If you don’t think you are, tell me what you would be doing if you were successful.

I don’t remember those days as well as I would like.

Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up in the morning and actually look forward to the day with wonder and amazement, with barely controllable anticipation of what’s in store for you before you go to bed tonight?

There are people who live like that, you know.

Many times, it’s not the people we’d think. It’s not necessarily the people who are rich and famous–in fact, most times, it isn’t them at all. It’s not the people who value comfort and security over adventure and uncertainty.

Do you know who lives like that?

It’s people who live outside themselves. Their focus is on what good they can do in the day, the people they can help, the things they can build. They’re not concernced for themselves, because they know ‘themselves’ are taken care of. They’re not focused on what to eat for breakfast, or whether their car hasn’t been washed in 3 whole days. They’re guys like Sam Walton, who drove an old truck until the day he died. They’re women like the 80-year-old lady down the street, who spends all her time going around to ‘older folks’ (as she puts it) to keep them company and bring treats.

They’re the people who spread happiness when you see them. They always have a smile for everyone, a heartfelt laugh, a thank-you for something little, appreciation for what they have–appreciation for life.

Are you one of those people? Am I?

]]> http://www.thefastlane.info/what-planet-are-you-on-anyway/feed/ 0 http://www.thefastlane.info/the-amazing-secret-to-success/ http://www.thefastlane.info/the-amazing-secret-to-success/#comments Mon, 04 Dec 2006 03:20:51 +0000 Steve http://www.thefastlane.info/2006/12/03/the-amazing-secret-to-success/ All I can do is shake my head in wonder. How could I have read all those books and listened to all those people over the years and not seen this? Though they all say it a little differently, most of them are saying the same thing–practically yelling it at me:

Thoughts become things

How much more simple could it be?

Sure, there’re a lot of aspects that need to be mastered, and that’s where a great many of the lessons are of use. The underlying premise, though, is there–like an invisible thread, and once you find it, once you’re aware of it, then you begin to hope that what they’ve been saying is true. Then, the more you work with and learn the principles, your belief deepens so that before very long, you know that it is true. You develop the deep-down, core, knowing that you can be, have, or do anything you can imagine.

It is so mind boggling and exciting, and I’m so thankful and grateful that I finally saw it!

I played the lead in Gigi in a summer stock production at the Laguna Playhouse south of Los Angeles. The excitement of finally being a real actress was painfully short-lived. All the interviews and all the reviews focused on my father. Would I be as good as my father? Was I as gifted, as funny? Would I be as popular? I was devastated.I loved my father; my problem was Danny Thomas.

“Daddy,” I began, “please don’t be hurt when I tell you this. I want to change my name. I love you but I don’t want to be a Thomas anymore.”

I tried not to cry during the long silence. And then he said, “I raised you to be a thoroughbred. When thoroughbreds run they wear blinders to keep their eyes focused straight ahead with no distractions, no other horses. They hear the crowd but they don’t listen. They just run their own race. That’s what you have to do. Don’t listen to anyone comparing you to me or to anyone else. You just run your own race.”

— Marlo Thomas, The Right Words at the Right Time (Atria Books)

Run your own race. Don’t listen to anyone comparing you with someone else–especially your ‘inner critic’. Is that not sage advice?

I picked up this book in Barnes and Noble the other day. She asked a number of people if there were any phrase or saying that impacted their lives in the way that her father had with her. Some of the answers she received are insightful and thoughtful; some are eye-rollers. All in all, though, it’s a good read.

How about you? Are there any words of wisdom or inspiration that you can say have had a profound impact on your life?