The River

You can't step into the same river twice.  Creative Insight # 4 in Roger von Oech's book, Expect the Unexpected.  Roger explains, "a flowing river constantly changes it contents.

Life is about the Road, at least for me.  Life is about moving forward and the Road is the right metaphor for me to visualize how life flows forward.  Although I've written about the Road in my journals for years, the notion regarding Roger's words came back to me when rereading some of Marcus Buckingham's thoughts on management. 

I picked up Marcus' book, First, Break All The Rules in 2001.  I didn't just read this book, I devoured it, again and again and again.  The words in this book were like the land of Oz for me.   The thought of such a magical place, the thought that management could be like this - perhaps the more I read, the more likely it would come true.   But there were immovable forces at the company I worked for.  And alas, my hope of engaging this type of management was beaten into submission.  So much that for the next few years I could hardly read books on management. 

I first stepped into the river and their was hope.  I continued to step in that same river of management and finally all hope was crushed.  Today I am stepping into that river again and the land of Oz is clear and within reach.  Presently, I am smoking and signing Marcus' latest book, Go Put Your Strengths To Work. 

The point here however, isn't about me and the days when my soul was ripped from my body, sealed in concrete and sent to the depths of the deepest ocean - sent to endure unnatural pressure until all visible signs vaporized into nothingness, no it is about reading the same book at different periods of your life and extracting different meaning.

David, the subtleness of your words hits me like a runaway locomotive. 

It is about the river, man.  Same river.  Same book.  Different waters.  Different meaning.  Try rereading a book and see if you aren't stepping into different waters.