This post will
discuss some general thoughts on:
1. Teaching, Writing, and Posting;
2. Motivation;
3. Higher Level Motivation and the Brain;
4. Why I Encourage Learning the Uniform Commercial Code
Introduction
I believe that the
best investment anyone can make is in her or his brain. Better brains process information at higher
levels. Better brains see more variables which impact decisions. The bottom
line is that better brains make better
decisions, ultimately raising an individual’s plane of existence. Those renewable rewards clearly justify a
commitment to mental development. Law
school is certainly a great opportunity to make this happen, but there are
infinite ways to acquire intellectually challenging material and challenging
life situations from which growth can occur.
1.
Teaching, Writing, and Posting
When I began this
blog less than a month ago, it was a positive experience but somewhat detached
because there was no audience to whom I could relate and therefore interact.
The only responsibility I felt was to put out short pieces of quality information
about the Uniform Commercial Code. At
this point however, there are real people involved who have read the blog, and some
of whom have made comments in the groups to which the links were posted. That
dramatically changes the dynamic for me.
The impact of having people read and comment
on the posts crystallizes the teaching aspects of this process and everything
that goes with that role. This involves
at the very least, two things: first, demonstrating
why the area you are teaching is important and has relevance; second, to
motivate students to learn it.
As to the
former, one motivating element has already been stated in an earlier post:
there are tremendous job opportunities for someone who has a thorough knowledge
of the Uniform Commercial Code.
Additionally, from an entrepreneurial stand point, a knowledgeable Code
person could cultivate relationships with many small businesses, particularly
start ups. At last count, there was a
reported 29.4 million small businesses in America, many of them functioning
without the benefit of legal counsel.
There are no guarantees, but a knowledgeable UCC person could speak at
Rotary Clubs and business organizations and with a few powerful pieces of ‘look
what could happen to you’ information, that person could start to generate
business which would benefit the business and the lawyer. So, the first piece, on a very practical level,
is satisfactorily in place. Job
opportunities and tremendous new client potential establish importance and
relevance to someone focusing on a career path.
2. Higher Level Motivation
The second
piece—higher level motivation—is an integral part of my approach to teaching
and life in general. In addition to the
tangible rewards which can be achieved by mastering content, a still higher
level motivation will result if higher level rewards are available. By way of illustration, I am highly motivated
in the teaching setting, on a personal level as well as a professional
level—because I know that if I put in the right amount of effort, I will emerge
from the classroom experience smarter and better than when I went in. This is always true. I want students to understand that the same is
true for them, and hence I want those of you who are sharing your valuable time
with me to understand that as well.
I explain my
basic system to the students so that they can understand the process. I approach the brain as a muscle and create
teaching strategies based upon the principles of aerobic, interval and
resistance training. It works quite
well. If you would like to see some of the components of that system, they are
available at www.pathwaystoexcellence.us. A ‘mini’ version of that content can be
accessed at www.2ptpe.com.
I
want students to understand that if they buy in to the system and content I am
presenting, the same level of improvement will happen for them. Components of that system will be integrated
into this blog.
To bring this
point home, I do my best to communicate what mastering a large block of the
Uniform Commercial Code will do for their overall intellect as well as
preparing them for the opportunities noted.
It’s simple: mastery of a block of intense, compact information such as
that contained in the UCC, significantly increases the power of your
brain. Think of it as adding a knowledge
application to your phone. All of a
sudden it can do things it could not previously do. That is a wonderful payback for putting in
the work.
3. Higher Level Motivation
and the Brain
There is another
element to this, and that is demonstrating, beyond any doubt, that everyone in
the class has the ability to master the topic. In this regard, I am passionate
and firm in my belief that everyone with moderate intelligence can elevate his
or her mind infinitely and become masters of major content in the process. For
example, I am 100% certain that everyone reading this could become an expert in
the UCC, or one of a dozen areas with the right effort focused on the right
content. There are certainly enough open
circuits in the brain to accommodate anything you might want to learn.
From a physiological standpoint, we all have
same basic brain. That brain has been
estimated to contain 100,000,000,000 neurons. Neurons process and transmit
information. Your brain structurally is no different than Einstein’s. His may have been activated at a higher
level, but he had no more circuits available than you or I do. The point of
this is that there is infinite room to expand, so the notion that anyone is
limited in any mental way from accomplishing complete mastery of the UCC or any
subject is false. The only question is whether
or not an individual has the motivation and passion to make that happen.
4. Why I
Encourage Learning the Uniform Commercial Code
There are many
reasons why I encourage people to learn the Uniform Commercial Code. The first is quite simple—that is an area I
truly enjoy and the area in which I have taught for over twenty years. One of
the primary reasons I encourage mastering the subject matter is the relative
freedom that accompanies having a valuable level of expertise in an area where
there are few experts.
That stated, it
certainly does not need to be the UCC for that to happen. It could be the Tax Code, issues relating to
cyber currency, intergalactic torts, or any area generally not understood by
the majority, and who further, typically want nothing to do with the area. That is where you can find a spot with the
autonomy to have a much better existence.
This is important to me because autonomy through knowledge increases the
likelihood of preserving positive core values intact. I think it is a good
thing when positive core values stay intact, and therefore, I encourage this
level of mastery. I have shared this sentiment at the beginning of every law
school class I have ever taught.
Another reason I
encourage learning the Uniform Commercial Code is the fact that it is a
pervasive force throughout the United States and we interact with it all day
every day. There are literally billions of commercial transactions occurring in
the United States every working day, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions at
this instant. It is very nice to have a
solid basic understanding of how the entities involved in these transactions
are impacted by the law governing them, and what one’s rights are as a
consumer.
I hope this post has been of some value. The next post will return to The Uniform
Commercial Code. Periodically, I will
integrate some of the brain muscle strategies with explanations in the posts.
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