Welcome to the Classy Problems weekly mash-up for Monday, September 9th – Sunday, September 15th, 2024.

Classy Problems is a daily post of thinking in motion by Dan T. Rogers. Each post stands alone as a thought-provoking piece, yet together, they create a puzzle of ideas. They invite you to see things from a different angle, rethink what you thought you knew, and explore what’s beyond your current understanding.

September 9th – External and Internal Orientation

The success of our predecessors teaches us that external orientation is key in survival moments. It’s about assessing external threats – what we need FROM our environment. It’s essential: don’t pet the furry animal, don’t eat that red berry.

But what about when we’re NOT in survival mode? Let’s call those LIVING moments.

Living moments are more effective when we orient ourselves internally. Internal orientation is about assessing our internal gifts – what we can CONTRIBUTE to our environment. It’s essential: how can I help keep the furry animal away? What other berries can I share?

Survival and external orientation naturally keep us focused on ourselves. But living gives us the luxury to choose our orientation – theboss has given us the opportunity to figure out what to do. Internal orientation requires turning inward and asking, “What does my contribution look like? What can I do? What can I be?”

Anything else is likely just another form of survival.

We can’t overstate the benefits of survival, but we can miss the chance to contribute when we overinflate a classy problem.

September 10th – Abundance and Complexity

Abundance isn’t the answer. It’s the problem.

When abundance comes in a form we don’t like, we call it complexity.

When complexity comes in a form we do like, we call it abundance.

Either way, it’s a classy problem.

September 11th – What is Our Purpose When It Isn’t Survival

We are surrounded by the success of our predecessors. When it comes to survival, we’re standing on the shoulders of hard-earned wisdom. But it’s not ours, we inherited it.

It’s unearned wisdom – which has uncovered a harsh truth: we’re lost when we’re not literally fighting for our lives. Survival instincts provide us with a clear trajectory but when we’re not in life-or-death situations, we’re left without direction, struggling to find our way.

As a result, we operate on a belief that there is a competition of resources and pursue ‘me and more’. These efforts are hollow and have us asking, ‘How can I do better faster? How do I get more out of it? How can I be done?

What happens when we shift from survival instincts to a living moment?

Our purpose shifts from survival to contribution and has us asking, ‘What is the right thing to do in this situation? What does contribution look like? What am I called to do?’

The answer I get is some version of ‘go share YOUR earned wisdom for fun and for free, with no strings attached.’

September 12th – Savings and Benefits

We frequently frame saving as a benefit. I saved $10, and I now benefit from having $10.

But at what expense?

At the expense of the opportunity of what could have been – opportunity cost.

September 13th – Photographer and Astronaut

It’s estimated that there are 7.2 billion smartphones in use by 4.8 billion unique users – that’s a whole ‘nother post – but it’s reference for this one.

Each one of those devices is more powerful than the computer that powered the moon landing.

If our phones have that much power, Mars can’t be that far off, right? But, with profound respect to the visionaries who want to get us there, I ask, shouldn’t we have already made it back from Mars by now?

Owning a device capable of taking us to the moon doesn’t make us astronauts. It’s how we use it that defines what we become.

How we use all that power is another example of when theboss has afforded us the opportunity to figure something out – a classy problem.

And what do we do? We take pictures of our food and of ourselves.

All classy problems are the byproducts of unearned wisdom. That’s why I’m much closer to being a photographer than an astronaut.

September 14th – Paradox of Awareness

Awareness enlightens with truth AND burdens with weight.

September 15th – Certainty and Clarity

Certainty is a mental construct designed to make us feel good. More bluntly, it’s a mental exercise to make us feel safe. Certainty is focusing on what we want or what we think we can get.

Certainty starts and ends with two words: I know. From experience, I’ve learned that those are the two most dangerous words I can utter. Do we really know? Maybe, maybe not so much.

Clarity, on the other hand, is the emergence of vision that frees us from confusion—an understanding that requires no further explanation. The exactness of clarity can be both exhilarating and terrifying.

Clarity is when we know we don’t have all the answers, but we still know what to do. And we do it anyway. Clarity focuses on contribution, not outcome.

The most rewarding contributions are made for fun and for free, with no strings attached. True gifts of clarity—they are given because they are indicated, not because we seek return or certainty.

Giving without expectation won’t bring certainty, but it will offer clarity.

What contribution can you make, for fun and for free, just because?

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