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EVERY PATH NEEDS A FORK

Friday Mar. 13, 2015

If you were invited to do a ‘TED talk’, what would you talk about?

Would your learning, your expertise, your slice/view of the world be worthy of that TED stage? Not a TEDx stage, but that REALLY BIG TED-stage (Technology, Entertainment, Design) show?

Does our insight qualify? Does your viewpoint warrant that level of attention? Does mine?

TED talks which moved have me most were neither T, or E or D.

They were self-revealing, insight-giving, life altering advice speakers gave away – they (Hans Rosling, Brene Brown, Martin Seligman to name but a few favs) moved me to thought, to action.

Free – TED-talk e-mals every day, I’ve often forwarded to friends. Unsolicited advice – to nudge them. Being nosy, or helpful? Some of each, which brings me to this point today: I’ve given some advice recently – to two young men I like. One solicited, the other not – in both instances, appreciated.

Both engineering types, both single, both looking for work in Calgary.

One, out of work.The other, out of inspiration.

I’ve been pondering – not whether they take my counsel – but whether I should. I gave away some ideas.

When we give away good ideas, we still have them left.

When we give advice we still have that wisdom, that learning, which gave rise to that advice.

When we give ideas away, we still have them. When we give advice away, we still have that.

We ARE our great ideas and we HAVE our great advice – sometimes, we should take it!

Like Yogi Berra, said in his infamous fork in the road quote: “when you come to a fork in the road, take it”.


Mark Kolke

P.S.: MB asked last night – about these columns, wondering if I’ve generated much business as a result. Obvious to me he wasn’t just saying he liked Musings, which he did. He is asking for a reason, assuming this column began with a business motive. Seems he is pondering whether doing something similar might generate business for him, whether he should try. There was no time or opportunity last evening to address his query. I gather he, a self-employed very smart guy – is wondering if doing something similar is a good business promotion strategy. My partial answer: I’ve had some people seek out my services as their real estate agent – to sell their home, or help them buy one. I’ve had people seek me out to help them lease office, retail or industrial facilities – or to off-load their surplus ones. Some of that has happened – but has never been my reason for writing Musings, never a consideration in continuing this morning ritual.  In fact, as a direct result of this column I’ve had far more coffee/lunch meetings with curious readers, far more opportunities to discuss issues, personal problems and having fun than I’ve had business opportunities from it. That isn’t why I do it. MB, your other curiosity – about why I do this, how it got started, will have to wait for another day. I might tell you here, or your could call. Lets do coffee. This is 4,573rd consecutive free daily Musing column – still giving it away, every day. Still happy to do that. Some people, along the way, told me it helped them. Who needs more reason or reward than that?

column written/ published from Calgary, AB

morning walk:  8C/46F, Chinook cloudiness, arch in the west, sunrise painting the east as no artist could; Gusta walking happily – and I’m so thrilled for consistent non-mucky non-slip places to walk (I’m certain winter isn’t fully over .. but it is nice to think it might e) in spring conditions.


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