Last week I exchanged emails with a colleague who is doing what I’m doing – exploring Personal Lean – simplifying and organizing his life in alliance with lean manufacturing principles. I suspected we were going at it very differently, and I was right. He sent me his PowerPoint for a presentation he gave, and it’s excellent. Very polished, well done and interesting. In contrast, I have much less to show for my efforts. But that doesn’t mean nothing is happening here.
I attended a poetry class on Saturday, and a poem about my approach emerged. There wasn’t much to the class – it was simple, and that made it great. They gave us “prompts” to write quick poems which we shared with the group. It was fascinating! We surprised each other, and we surprised ourselves. My poem about my approach helped me clarify where I am with my process.
My colleague completely respects my approach to personal transformation, as I do his. This poem is really mainly a personal reminder. Perhaps you can relate.
Foolish
It is foolish, they say, to do it this way
When it all can be done from a script.
It takes so damn long to sing your own song,
And albums are easy to rip.
They tell me to look through a best-selling book,
And to follow steps A, B and C.
They think it a waste to not copy and paste,
And there’s no need for learning to see.
It is foolish, they claim, to play your own game,
When games can be bought in a store.
Why make it so hard and mine my own yard?
Is my own gold so worth digging for?
It is foolish, I’m told, to let things unfold
They said I should follow a plan!
So the plan that I chose is to follow my nose
My nose knows to start where I am.