Yesterday, one of my colleagues (Bill O.) was giving a brief welcome speech to this year’s incoming freshmen in the school of business, and one part caught my attention:
“There are only seven colors in the rainbow, but look at what Michaelangelo and van Gogh were able to do with those colors. There are only seven musical notes, but look at what Bach and Beethoven were able to do with those notes. There are only ten numbers, and look at what Bernie Madoff was able to do.”
It got the laughs he was looking for, including from me, but it also got me thinking.
Think of all of the art you’ve ever gazed upon, it was all created with the same basic seven colors. Think of all the music you’ve ever listened to, it was all created from the same seven notes.
Sometimes all it takes to create magic is working with what you’ve got, and even then, you don’t need much.
*image from PhillyVoice
🙂 We might as well use what we have at our disposal, Jim.
Great topic, my friend!
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And we probably have more at our disposal than we realize. Thanks for your comment, Renard!
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Great post! Never thought of that before!
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Thanks, Janet. I had never thought of it that way either. The examples the speaker used were simple, but powerful.
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Ah, but it isn’t about what you’ve got, is it? It’s what you do with it that matters.
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That sums it up perfectly, Cathy. It just took me a few extra words to say that!
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Great point!
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Thanks, Norah!
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So very true! Thanks for pointing it out!
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thanks, Joy. the analogy used by my colleague is what really brought it home to me.
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You are welcome and thankful for the friends who can shine the light on things for us, for sometimes the most simple concepts we just don’t think about.
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great point!
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🙂
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Makes me think of Einstein’s thought experiments. Thank you for a thought-provoking post!
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glad you enjoyed it; interesting comparison to Einstein’s thought experiments. I’ll have to read a bit more about those!
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It’s always important to work with what we have. Great post Jim
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thanks, LaShawn!
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Thanks for the entertaining reminder that we are all building with the same blocks. Sometimes it is hard to believe!
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what a great way of putting it; thanks Marsi.
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Very true!
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Real, but true. Well, maybe not Bernie Madoff. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks, Richard. I guess my title should be modified – Doing the Right Thing with What You’ve Got!
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Jim, it is all good. Sometimes I need to post my humor to the humorous accounts ledger.
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But then you’d have to balance it out with serious stuff – that doesn’t sound like fun! (sorry for the delay, this comment was somehow in my spam folder!)
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Great post- very inspiring! This is really something to think about.
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Thanks, Pooja! Have a great day.
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You too!
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