Several years ago I heard a story that got my attention. It was about predicting the winner of a piano competition. The predictors were in three different groups. One group only heard the piano players. One only saw the piano players and the third both saw and heard the piano players. Since the purpose of playing the piano is to produce beautiful sound, I assumed the group who only heard the musicians would be the best at picking the winner. To my surprise it was the group who only saw them.
The story went on to explain that thirty to fifty percent of the human brain is involved in processing vision. Seeing has the biggest impact of all the senses. I kept that in my mind when I was coaching basketball. My good friend Brian told me to use any means I had to get my point across to my team. I followed his advice and showed examples whenever possible. I also applied it to a bible lesson I teach once a month for boys in the juvenile detention center.
These boys have had a lot of negative labels applied to them in their short lives. I talk about labels I’ve had, some I liked and some I didn’t. Each time I tell them about a label I stick a name tag with that word on my chest. Then I do the same for a multi-colored tshirt representing Joseph from the old testament. Those labels are, Dad’s favorite, Slave, Prisoner and finally Child of God. Now and then one of the boys will be in a group I teach months later. They’ll say, you’re the guy with the labels.
People mostly hear what they see. It’s that simple. I remember that whenever I want to get my point across to someone. Nothing more complicated than perception.
May you have enough today, one moment at a time.
THIS HELPED ME 