While we are searching for our inner Dean Martin.............

Hey pallies, likes each and every day we have the powerful privilege of sharin' the deepest, purest, and truest Dino-devotion that comes our way and very very often we are awesomely amazed that more and more pallies are speakin' more and more boldly 'bout the remarkable reality that there is so so much more to our most beloved Dino then merely as entertainer extraordinare...that our Dino's life, times, and teachin's are so so much deeper then what would appear at first glance.

We have been particularly pleased at various times over the years to share incredible insights into how the Dino-way so often remarkably reflects a variety of teachin's of Eastern thought.  Faithful readers will remember that we have shared a numerous powerful, profound prose reflectin' how our Dino is like the Buddha as well as an excellent example of a devotee of Taoism and Zen as well.

Today's Dino-devotion  is 'nother remarkable reflection accentin' how our Dino is excellent example of followin' Daoism (also known as Taoism).  The post "Are You Trying Too Hard? Dean Martin, Wei-Wu-Wei and the Post Ironic Era" was discovered at the leadership blog, "leadersayswhat with David Kahn PhD."  Dr. Kahn states the purpose of his blog with these thoughts, "Through this blog, my intent is to make the theories and research accessible so you can utilize them. I like TV. I like movies. I like books. I like music. So I’m going to use my love of popular culture to simplify complex ideas and make them more relatable."

As you will read below, Dr. Kahn exemplifies  our Dino's work ethic as alignin'  itself with what " Daoists call this wei-wu-wei, or 'action without action.'"  Likes, we gotta 'fess up that Dr. Kahn's  wondrous words of wisdom are somewhat beyond our comprehension, but we stand it awe pallies of how this highly educated PhD has shown clear evidence that our most beloved Dino was a devotee of Daoism whether he knew it or not!

We are deeply appreciate of how Dr. David Kahn has shined much light on our Dino as a most powerful practitioner of "wei-wu-wei, or action without action."  Never 'gain will we see his seemin'ly unrehearsed antics as simply off the cuff.  We expresses our deepest of deep appreciato to Dr. David Kahn for this incredible insight into the life, times, and teachin's of our Dino.  As usual, to checks this out in it's original format, simply clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram.  Dino-awed, DMP

Are You Trying Too Hard? Dean Martin, Wei-Wu-Wei and the Post Ironic Era

June 24, 2015 6:05 am  David Kahn

We live in a time when appearing to try is considered off-putting. We are expected to be fully competent and act as though it all came naturally. It’s okay to be the smartest in the room, but never admit how long you stayed up preparing. It’s okay to be in prime physical shape, but downplay your hours in the gym and strict diet. And do you want to be CEO? Don’t say you’ve been working towards that goal since you were a kid.

It’s difficult to pinpoint when the shift away from trying began. Displaying effort use to be a positive trait. People would brag about the work they put into an accomplishment and be admired for their grit and labor. Then, Dean Martin appeared.

Dean Martin came across as an effortless trendsetter. While entertaining, he never seemed to be prepared, serious-minded, or particularly interested. The reality, however, is that Dean toiled and prepared to appear so at ease. He practiced delivering on-liners that sounded as though they were off-the-cuff and he honed the character of a care-free guy who’s had one Jack Daniels too many.

Like any repetitive behavior, years of pretending to “not try” led Dean to no longer have to try. The character he portrayed could be turned on and off without thought. Daoists call this wei-wu-wei, or “action without action.” Distinctly different from the post-ironic view that belittles earnest efforts, wei-wu-wei integrates the body and mind into a state of being where our actions are effortlessly in alignment with optimal effectiveness.

In the action of no-action (wu-wei), a cardinal aspect of the true creative process is set forth. In wu-wei, the mind is silenced and the work is allowed to express itself. – John Daido Loori

We are not born with a wei-wu-wei mentality. To attain it, ancient texts suggest simply relaxing into a harmony with nature. That is fine for some, but tranquility does not come naturally to most of us. Therefore, I recommend the non-post-irony approach to more actively “not try.”

For me to “effortlessly align my thoughts with my actions,” I need practice. Like Dean Martin “flubbing” the words to his songs, we need to rehearse until our actions and reactions are occurring on an almost unconscious level. Once we’ve put in our 10,000 hours, as Malcolm Gladwell famously wrote, we can then authentically “not try” to the best of our abilities and simply be.

While we are searching for our inner Dean Martin, let’s also remember our role as leader. You are doing your team a disservice if your goal is to appear infallible, unblemished, or overly nonchalant. If you’re successful in becoming “a Dean” then you won’t be viewed as approachable or relatable. If you fail, you will be seen as an insecure fraud.

Master the art of balancing Dean Martin-esque wei-wu-wei-ism with displays of hard work. Support a culture where trying is admirable and effort is rewarded. Where people can see the drive behind your “innate aptitude.” And where post-irony is reserved for one’s taste in music… while keeping in mind that there’s nothing ironic about loving Dean.