I was surprised to hear that some had difficulty conjuring these cones. For me, this was the easiest of all the mental exercises so far in the course. Not a boast, just an observation. I was pulling cones off the wall before I even closed my eyes, lining up 10″ cones of every color and material along the wall of my conference room.
The first day I simply produced a set of four plastic cones; black, white, red, and yellow. On the following days the collection expanded. ultimately adding every color of the rainbow and a whole variety of materials. I produced wooden cones as well as glass, metal, ice, vapor, clay, marble, wax, play dough, and fabric.
Something I learned as my kids were growing up is that two of the three of them inherited my hard wiring, which is ADD. I chafe at the label as I don’t see it as a disorder at all. It’s just the way a large segment of humanity happens to be. The best description I ever heard is that it’s “all channels open all the time.” That is true. And while people say we’re easily distracted, we are also very creative problem-solvers. In fact, most CEOs are ADD. Maybe that’s why I enjoy working with them so much.
Anyway, I enjoy these exercises; first the battleship, then the flowers, now the cones. I’ve always known I have a fertile imagination. Reminds me of the Stones tune, “It was just my imagination runnin’ away with me…” THAT, my friends, happens all the time!
I’ve lived most of my life in Oregon. Birth and the first ten years were in Nebraska, but my parents and eight kids jumped on the Oregon Trail and never looked back. I grew up skiing the volcanoes of the Cascade Mountain range; hiking and fishing the high lakes and endless rivers and streams, exploring the Oregon Coast, making hay in the summers and feeding it in the winters, riding horses, and building muscle cars. After high school I spent six years in the US Navy, which included extensive travels around Europe, Asia, and South America. I then spent four years in college, which included international study in Latin America (Ecuador and Peru.) My professional career started with a Fortune 50 company, which included a stint in London as a broker in Lloyd’s. College years re-connected me with my beautiful brown-eyed girl from a rural Oregon community where we met when we were ages 12 and 14; now married 28 years.
We’ve now lived 20 years in Lake Oswego, Oregon where we raised three crazy, wonderful, bright, beautiful kids, all of whom are scholar athletes. Our oldest daughter, an All-American track athlete, competed four years at Duke; the second, a D1 women’s soccer goalie at Butler University, was on the Big East Championship team, now pours her heart into Athletes in Action at Oregon State; and our son is presently a pole vaulter and graphic design major at Northwest Nazarene. What a trip!
I spend much of my time helping owners of well-established, thriving businesses plan and execute ownership transitions. There’s nothing better than keeping a good business in business, maintaining good jobs for great employees so they can raise kids, pay mortgages, and contribute to the whole incredible economic machine. I’m still happily growing and serving after all these years. God, I love it so!
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One thought on “Week 10 – Conjuring Cones”
Congratulations! Fantastic way to bypass the “negative”, as most think of ADD, and channel your abilities into something positive.
Traction Distraction 
Congratulations! Fantastic way to bypass the “negative”, as most think of ADD, and channel your abilities into something positive.
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