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Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Outliers means that something is situated away from or classified different from a main or related body. What has brought success to some may be due to outlier conditions as much as anything. Gladwell brings this to light. The story of success is more a story than some great secret weapon someone had in his business quiver. We must look beyond the individual. They had to understand the culture he or she was part of, and who their friends were, and what town their families came from. The values of the world we inhabit and the people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.
Society plays a big role in who succeeds and doesn't. When a person is born, where a person is born, and starts school has a big impact in sports and many other areas. Just a three-month age difference as a child can put one child ahead of his peers.
Practice can be a defining factor. Those who excel at something put in at least 10,000 hours in that field, it seems 10,000 was the number that separated those ahead of others. People don't work harder, they work much harder to be out front, at the top, recognized the most. No one has come up with a case where world class expertise was accomplished in less time. Achievement is less about talent and more about opportunity.
Intelligence and achievement are far from perfectly being correlated. The reason many very intelligent people may by pass a lucrative job in private industry and take a professorship at a university is the university gives them more freedom to do what they want to do and what they feel is right. Practical intelligence is knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it with the maximum effect. It's procedural: it is about knowing how to do something without necessarily knowing why you know it or being able to explain it, it's knowledge that helps you read a situation correctly. The presence of analytical intelligence doesn't assure the presence of practical intelligence. Social knowledge is a set of skills that have to be learned. And many times ti comes from their families. For example some working class or poor children didn't know how
to get their way, or how to customize the environment they were in for the best purposes. It comes from a cultural advantage, painstakingly taught from the nudging, prodding, encouragement and showing them the rules of the game from mother, father, his family.
Intelligence is rated more on what we think others want us to think, how to think, rather than thinking fluidly itself.
Successful people don't do it alone. Where they come from matters. They're products of particular places and environments. It's about a skill they have been working on for years and suddenly it becomes valuable.
For work to be satisfying, three things are present... autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward. It's not how much money we make, but what makes us happy between nine to five. When these criteria are present, it is meaningful.
There's a culture of honor. Some people fight, not for money or achievement, but for their honor. The culture of honor means a man's reputation is at the center of his livelihood and self worth. For instance in the south, when you can avoid arguments and adultery you are as safe as anyone. In the back country, violence wasn't for economic gain. It was personal. You fought over your honor.
Up to this point, success rises out of a steady accumulation of advantages, when and where you were born, what your parents did for a living, your upbringing. Taking legacy seriously rates as well.
Planes are safer when two people fly a plane. One to check the other and both are willing to participate. When one ranks over the other, planes aren't as safe when the lesser ranking person is not flying. He is less likely to be direct in telling his superior when he sees a problem, and give direct orders in an emergency. In serious situations, politeness can mean disaster.
Rice patty farming is more productive than raising crops in America. Small areas of productivity and constant attention keep the rice growing. Chinese learn math faster because it is more systematic in its process. it all relates as it expands. Pattern learning makes sense and can be processed faster in the brain. Whereas, rote learning, common in America, takes more time and makes less sense to the normal brain in how its processed. Chinese math has patterns, with a system, English math is not.
.In rice paddies you work hard. Working hard is what really successful people do. The students in a south Bronx school learn to work hard and steady in a very poor environment. Shorter summer vacations and staying in the education flow, positively affect their cultures learning retention and growth. The result is higher achievement even in a recessed area, among poor families. They learn the miracle of meaningful work.
This interview with Gladwell gives more insight to Outliers:
http://www.gladwell.com/
What David and Jesus had in common was that their best men were the outsiders, or should we say outliers.
What made the difference? They weren't the society cream of the crop. They were actually considered not real significant. They didn't have cultural connections except in their somewhat deprived communities. They were not educated, or considered worthy of attention by their peers. Actually David's men were a bunch of bandits, and Jesus had some despicable followers known to extort money from people.
Although, they were the ones used to be world changers. How did they do it? The answer is in the end of Matthew, the first of Mark, the end of Luke and first of Acts in the Bible.
In Matthew 28 Jesus instructed his motley crew to "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
And then Mark in his Gospel, John the Baptist said he would baptize in water, but Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit.
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!" (Mark 1)
In Luke, Jesus said they will be flooded with power from on High, the High order of Spirit, God's Power over all the universe, that all this power would fall on them.
"And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven." (Luke 24)
They hung around for a few days after Jesus said this and whoom... it came. They were all inundated with this power and everyone was so impressed with the transformation that came over them. “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1, 2)
Well, they are not educated, so how do they know so much many wondered. People are getting healed, even by their shadows following on them. Everyone was in awe of them. They knew something special come over them. They naturally loved everyone among themselves. They loved everyone so much, they didn't think twice to assist those in need. They seemed like one group, and how could this happen, when they were all so different.
It boiled down to the unexplainable. When the Spirit of God comes on you, you are totally different. The shy become bold, the quiet are articulate, the poor act rich, and the rich are humble. They all become the very character of God. They had the power of God on them. No one could keep them in jail as when they all prayed and worshiped God, the cell doors opened to release them to continue sharing this wonderful new power, love that is now among us.
Was it just for then. Some of faith say it was. But, what if it can be, is, and is available to us now. Wouldn't it be fun to check out if this could happen again.To investigate the Scriptures about this possibility being available to us now.
It's all in our faith, and investigation of God's word from the perspective it could happen again. Why don't we give it another run, and see if it just won't show up, like in the Acts, and rest of New Testament.
If God could make it flood in the old days, and archaeologist point out that this is verifiable, why couldn't the same happen again, and maybe even better than before.
The answer is... our time and relationship to become One with God and our time and relationship to become One with each other, releases the power. Let's give it another run, and see what God comes up with this time.
God's Spirit Power is released in us and our circumstances around us when we worship Him. Read the Psalms... try 20 to 30... God's power is released when we worship Him. Knowledge is given, locked doors are opened, demons flee, bodies are healed, relationships restored. It all happens in worship with our prayers.
Jesus said to go, pray, and great power, the Power of Spirit will come pouring down on you, springing up from within you and you will be transformed examples of "who I am." It will be self evident as power will be oozing out from all parts of you.
The 10,000 hour rule to excellence, when applied to our Spiritual strength, will show even greater results than for anything else we attempt to master. Over 10 years, that's about 2.7 hours a day. Start at 12 and by 22, wow, or at 35 and by 45, wow. By 60, you probably have many hours already under your belt so in a years time, doing double time, you will be flying again. And if retired, make it your regular job and in a short time you will be a world changer.
It is not restrictive to a certain age, culture background, but the time you spend in His Spirit will be released proportionately in demonstrations of exceptional power, boldness, influence, love and kindness through you.
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