Ideas That Immobilize

Knowledge that you possess, and are not using, only gets in your way and becomes a stumbling block to real and meaningful contribution.

What follows are some observations I have made as I have worked with groups of people through the years, in work arenas, team building, missions, and also in physical training.  There are many, many ideas that immobilize, and I am sure I have these in my own life that I have yet to see.  Nevertheless, these are some that I have seen in my life and declared war against, as well as some I have routinely encountered in others.  I offer them here as an encouragement to you.  Consider if any of these ideas are holding you back, and if you find one, ask for God's grace to make you free.  He is faithful to answer the call.

Specialized Knowledge

As we are learning, sometimes our level of knowledge exceeds our involvement into the thing we are learning about…. Somehow we acquire very specific knowledge that causes us to feel a certain way or perceive things a certain way that actually functions as a disincentive for action into the thing we are observing.  One such piece of knowledge is how, in exercise, getting your heart rate into a certain zone and holding it there will actually burn fat more aggressively than if you get your heart rate higher, closer to the maximum heart rate.  This little piece of knowledge actually causes people not to work out, at all, because they feel unable to get it exactly right.  We have to avoid this trap of majoring on the minors and get past the threshold of perfectionism.

Comparing Current to Optimum

We were once at a certain level, a higher or graduated level of accomplishment in a certain area, but over time we have slid far below this level.  Comparing where we are currently to the place where we were at our best is a real disincentive for being engaged again.  Instead of being inspired at what is possible, we are de-motivated by the gap.  We need to realize our opportunity for current progress and also know that progress is good, and desirable, no matter where we currently find ourselves.

Comparison Against the Less Talented

Some who have large potential or capacity in certain areas are satisfied to compare themselves with the crowd who are less talented, and strive only to be a little better than the ones around them.  this doesn't take much effort, seeing that their potential and talent can FAR exceed the others.  they are content to edge out the highest of the average and never go on to reach for and realize all they potential that they have been given.  while the group may be getting excellent results overall with smaller endowments of opportunity, the one with the most potential is only mediocre.  a vision of excellence and the responsibility of stewardship will help us avoid this pitfall.

Knowledge Gratification

Knowledge is tricky, because it brings a gratification of it's own.  If we are going to take action with what we know and see, we must avoid taking the gratification that knowledge alone imparts as final, or enough.  This is a struggle as old as humanity itself.  Unless we take knowledge through it's paces, prosecuting it by action against the context that we are in, we will never know anything as it can and should be known.  We must avoid the immediate surge of gratification that comes with knowledge, and press pass this to test what we think we know by putting it to work.  Greater gratification awaits those who make become useful.