Rowing harder doesn't help if the boat is headed in the wrong direction.
Kenichi OhmaeRead
It is hard to let old beliefs go. They are familiar. We are comfortable with them and have spent years building systems and developing habits that depend on them. Like a man who has worn eyeglasses so long that he forgets he has them on, we forget that the world looks to us the way it does because we have become used to seeing it that way through a particular set of lenses. Today, however, we need new lenses. And we need to throw the old ones away.
Interpretation
Letting go of old beliefs is challenging but necessary for growth and change.
The quote highlights the difficulty of abandoning long-held beliefs and the comfort that comes with familiarity. It uses the metaphor of eyeglasses to illustrate how our perceptions can be shaped by outdated perspectives, and emphasizes the importance of adopting new ways of thinking in order to view the world differently and embrace change.
In practice
In a personal development workshop, one might use this quote to encourage participants to challenge their outdated beliefs.
Rowing harder doesn't help if the boat is headed in the wrong direction.
What business strategy is all about-what distinguishes it from all other kinds of business planning-is, in a word, competitive advantage. Without competitors there would be no need for strategy, for the sole purpose of strategic planning is to enable the company to gain, as efficiently as possible, a sustainable edge over its competitors.
I remember clearly, when I was about 4, my Aunt Linda said, 'I'm not babysitting him no more. He's bad.' It was one of the first conscious shifts I remember making. I decided, 'I'm going to be good now.'
I felt Nigeria didn't have to succumb to the image of being a corrupt country; we didn't have to let the economy stagnate.
What were once only hopes for the future have now come to pass; it is almost exactly 13 years since the overwhelming majority of people in Ireland and Northern Ireland voted in favour of the agreement signed on Good Friday 1998, paving the way for Northern Ireland to become the exciting and inspirational place that it is today.
Remember, each one of us has the power to change the world. Just start thinking peace, and the message will spread quicker than you think.
Churchgoers in America are notorious for jumping into movements, even ideas that are hard to listen to. But when they actually have to change their lifestyle and do something about it, it rarely translates into action.
Looking at the past is like lolling in a rocking chair. It is so relaxing and you can rock back and forth on the porch, and never go forward.
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