SMART Living 365

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Remembering That the Map Is Not the Territory

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware

Lately I have been absorbed with planning an extended adventure this coming summer. I enjoy the process of charting out where I want to go, where to stay and what I might want to do.  But this morning I heard a great quote that reminded me of something that applies to not only our vacations, but our lives as well.  That quote is by a philosopher named Alfred Korzybski who said, “The map is not the territory.”  In other words, my “trip plan” is not the adventure any more than a menu is the meal.  And while it might appear obvious that our “models” of situations, circumstances or reality are not the real thing—many of us unconsciously confuse the two and then forget we are forgetting!  Remembering why it matters could clear up a lot of misunderstandings and disappointment in our world.

 

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How Spiral Dynamics Helps To Explain Why It’s Hard To Get Along

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

One of the problems with being endlessly curious is that I sometimes forget about something interesting and helpful that I learned in the past. The concept of Spiral Dynamics is just like that. This last week my husband Thom happened to mention it, and voila!, the light bulb went on!  I instantly remembered what captivated me about the theory years ago.  In my view, Spiral Dynamics is a good explanation for why some of us have a difficult time getting along with other people.  Not only is the country polarized in many ways, but so too are some friends and even family members. To me, Spiral Dynamics offers an elegant understanding for not what we think, but why we think so differently. [Read more…]

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Kathy Gottberg is an author with seven published books and hundreds of articles covering dozens of topics in the last 35 years. Along with her books, her passion today is SMART Living 365 where she explores ideas and experiences that help to create a meaningful, sustainable, compassionate and rewarding life for herself and others. Beyond that, she lives with Thom, her best friend and soul mate in Tucson, AZ.

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