37

“Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.”

 — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Goethe created a continuum with this quote. Knowing is the point when you arrive at the finish line. It’s the end of the game. Thinking is more interesting than knowing, because you are engaged. It’s enjoyable to allow your mind to turn over ideas and create new solutions. The best of them all is looking. Looking contains a surprise factor. You can never be quite sure what you’ll find when you look. It’s exciting. It also takes the pressure off you. You are not creating what you see. You are simply taking note of it.

Observation is not a difficult task. It is a discovery. Enjoy your chances to observe what’s going on around you. They will be exhilarating, and they can lead you back down Goethe’s continuum. Looking is thought provoking, and thinking will help you to become more knowledgeable. It is a continuous cycle of learning.

You give yourself more ammunition for success if you increase your observational skills. Observations are fuel for thought and knowledge. Your assignment today is to continue to collect observations in all aspects of your life. Observe how your son brushes his teeth; observe how the woman at the bus stop holds her packages and sighs while she waits for her ride; observe how the tips of your boss’s ears turn red right before he starts yelling at his employees.

Again, this task is not drudgery. Make it fun—but avoid making others uncomfortable. Your goal here is not to become a stalker. Just pay attention to what goes on around you.

DAY

38

“Speak little, do much.”

 — Benjamin Franklin