Fine Tune Your Antenna

We are all antennae for creative thought. Some transmissions come on strong, others are more faint. If your antenna isn’t sensitively tuned, you’re likely to lose the data in the noise. — Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being

When I was growing up in the 1960s, I discovered the amazing power of having a finely tuned, high-performance antenna.  In those days, amateur radio was the equivalent of today's social media.

One could broadcast or listen for a signal in the ether and discover interesting people to chat with from all over the world. And here was the fascinating thing I discovered, my favorite way to communicate was by using Morse Code.

I had viewed learning Morse Code as a necessary evil to get my license. I never imagined how fun and exciting it would be to communicate this way. After several months of practice, tapping out code became as natural as speaking.

But as I was to discover as a high school student with a small budget, I needed to fine-tune every component in the system if I wanted my equipment to perform at its best, so I could reach people around the globe.

One of the easiest, low-cost areas to improve was the antenna. One day while visiting with another amateur radio operator, I discovered a whole new world that was right there and all around me that I didn't even know existed. I was using the same short-wave radio receiver he was, but his receiver was alive with signals I didn't even know existed. He had a fine-tuned antenna.

Antennas are much more than simple devices connected to a radio. They're the transducers that pick unseen radio waves out of the air and convert them into electrical currents. And as I was to learn, fine-tuning the physical dimensions and layout of the antenna would magically make more of these radio waves come alive on my receiver.

Discerning Signal from Noise

Later in life, I learned it works the same way with our minds and brain. If we fine-tune our system, we, too, can pick up more signals.

This idea of quieting the mind to allow more signals to come through first came alive for me in 2017 when I discovered The Three Principles of mind, thought, and consciousness by Sydney Banks. While watching a TEDx talk by Michael Neill, a new understanding of how our minds work based on the Three Principles suddenly resulted in a huge decrease in noise inside my head.

The results of this change were immediate and very noticeable. I suddenly became much more productive and creative. Colleagues and friends noticed and asked what had changed and what was happening.

I was so struck by this experience that I read dozens of books on the principles and interviewed seven experts. You may not have the sudden realization and results that I did, but I think there are few things more valuable to do than to pursue this understanding until you do.

Fine Tuning the Environment

When the pandemic engulfed our world in 2020, our family relocated from the city to the more remote countryside. Partly to isolate us from being around so many people and partly to help care for an elderly family member.

The move to the countryside was challenging. I loved working in the city. My typical day started with a 10-minute train ride into the city and a 15 to 20-minute walk to one of my favorite cafes in the old part of the city. It was my morning meditation because I would time it to miss the rush hour. Then I was somehow most productive sipping my latte amid the cafe buzz and the coming and going of people.

It was so quiet in the countryside. Too quiet for my mind to even think. I struggled for weeks to get started working, let alone get anything done. Unable to get my mind working and questioning the purpose of my work in light of the pandemic, I just stopped. I started living, observing, and enjoying nature, which I was now immersed in.

In time, my quiet period was punctuated by the passing of a great leader who had influenced me and my work. I received the sad news that Dr. Marilyn Jacobson, author of Turning the Pyramid Upside Down, had passed away.

Her death prompted me to read her book again and dive deeper into her work. I discovered that her work touched me even more deeply in light of what was happening in the world.

I published a presentation as a tribute to Marilyn and her work, which seemed to open me up. I started writing again, and it was no longer a task to be done. Somehow an idea would come up, and it would just flow out of me into something more.

I was motivated to include a simple design on a dark background to help express my ideas. To my amazement, I was now getting more personal emails from readers who were sharing how my writing was impacting them. They encouraged me to do more. I had no idea if I could!  

It's now three years later, and no one is more surprised than me. Each week I show up with an empty cup, and my antenna pulls in something new I didn't even know existed.

How does it get any better than this?

— Bill

P. S. This spring, we will launch the LeaderONE learning and workshops, where you will learn dozens of new ways to fine-tune your antenna. If you want to explore living and leading where life and greater intelligence flow through you, I'd encourage you to upgrade your membership to the Sponsor level before March 31, 2023, for the best deals. If you'd like to learn more or set up a meeting to discuss any of the above, please email me at bill@billfox.co or schedule a 20-minute call on Calendly. What else is possible?