Thursday, May 15, 2008

Thoughts on 7 1/2 Habits by MajickCat

As a cat I feel qualified to comment on your list of 7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Lifetime Learners. It is a list of great value even if the name is a bit cumbersome.

Begin with the end in mind.
No cat could ever catch a mouse without knowing exactly what the final result should be. You wouldn’t know what to look for or what to chase if you hadn’t identified what it was you wanted to accomplish.

Accept responsibility for your own learning.
Humans must raise their young differently than cats do. As soon as a kitten can get around and play with its littermates, mom goes back to her own life.
You either take responsibility for getting your own food or starve. You quickly realize it is up to you and you alone. However, the really clever cat gets itself adopted by a human, insuring a constant supply of food with no more effort than being your charming self.

View problems as challenges.
If humans thought like cats, they’d see the play potential in everything. That makes problems easier to deal with.
The dog next door runs along the fence and barks at me every time I go out.
It’s not a problem…it’s a challenge to see how much fun I can have with the silly drooler.
I start by making him run back and forth as I release my morning madness by racing in long circles. Then I slowly walk across the top of the fence making him try to jump as high as I am. The poor creature simply lacks my innate agility.
I spend hours playing with my dog neighbor. If I viewed him as a problem I might hesitate to go outside. But viewed as a challenge, he’s proven himself to be endlessly entertaining.



Have confidence in yourself.
Only humans would have to be reminded to have confidence. Every cat is positive it is the smartest, best looking and cleverest feline ever to grace the planet.
Humans claim their place at the top of the food chain, but if they have to be reminded to be confident, they must not really believe it.

Create your own learning toolbox.
I presume a learning toolbox is similar to a toy box, in which case it would be an invaluable collection.
Include things to remind you your limitations are imaginary- you can be a tiger even if you only weigh 5 pounds!
Maintain good relationships with neighbor cats- the two of you may need to work together. The whole world is there to help you if you are open to it.

Use technology to your advantage.
How could anyone hesitate to use something that has a mouse as its main interface device?
Talk about user friendly!!!!

Teach/mentor others.
Not every cat ‘gets it’. And when you’re a perfect feline you owe it to those younger to share your wisdom and tricks of the trade.
I know I learned a lot about surviving in the world at the paws of an old Tom. Now I spend time with younger kits trying to give them a paw up.

Play.
Excuse me… but not only did you put the most important thing last, you only assigned it half value. No wonder humans have problems figuring out how to live successfully.
Play should be integral to everything you do. It reminds you not to take yourself so seriously- and to enjoy each moment while it’s happening.
Humans could learn a lot from cats. Like stop worrying about what hasn’t even happened yet and start appreciating this majickal moment you’re in right now!

2 comments:

Allie said...

That was hysterical!! You are so creative!

Sunbead said...

WOW! An artist & a writer too!!