Bits and Pieces from Black Elk

After I finished the reading, I decided that I'm way too much of an optimist! After all the failures in the story, I asked myself about what I could learn from this? I just automatically responded to this question with positive examples. Maybe it's just a mental model that developed because in a practical environment a failure can not stop you. At most, failures are speed bumps, so I'm absolutely driven to get over these bumps, so even within Black Elk's story, I found a ray of light, three rays to be specific. They're kind of practical lessons that I've taken by really taking the whole sentence in the intended meaning; these are lessons of interdependence, adaptability (change and creativity) and the concept of cycles and roles.

Pragmatism


Let's start off with interdependence. In today's day and age, nobody can succeed in any field without the help of those that are already established within that industry. One person is only one person, so everyone needs to rely upon one another. Plus, there is a certain sense of accomplishment that is achieved through an interdependent group. I know in theory this sounds like a sweet and square chocolate cake, but there's another advantage of this process. Interdependence is the key to confidence. When someone leads, they have a vision and people buy the story! Black Elk puts this with great simplicity, "When I was still young, I could feel the power all through me, and it seemed that with the whole outer world to help me I could do anything" (xxi). When it seems as though the power of the cosmos is driving you forward, then nothing is impossible, no bar is too high, and greatness transforms into a trivial trait.

Adapt like the Chameleon


Another practical lesson that fills me with enthusiasm is a reference towards change and creativity. Basically, Darwin hits the home run again with his 'survival of the fittest!' People that are able to adapt have an astonishing quality to succeed. So let me share with you a portion of Black Elk's story while he's lamenting, "Then suddenly the butterflies changed, and were storm-driven swallows, swooping and
whirling in a great cloud behind the charging riders" (xxiv). The first point of observation is to notice that change is unpredictable and guaranteed. So, now I know that butterflies can change into anything at whenever so now the butterflies in my stomach are making me sick! The obvious hits me, "What now?" And, there Darwin triumphs with his notorious 'survival of the fittest.' Adaptation is the key to success. When events take an unexpected turn, adaptation is required for anybody to even expect success or, as Darwin insists, to survive.

There's Always a Bigger Fish!


The last pragmatic lesson to take from Black Elk is the concept of roles and cycles. So, "Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle" (xxvi). This is like the headline from this part of the Black Elk story. There are a copious amount of cycles within the world, and within each cycle, people play different roles. This is kind of deep, and I don't know if this was the intended meaning, but this is what my optimistic mental model picked out from the whole cycle of life scenario that Black Elk portrays. As people live their lives, they have to change their roles to fit the cycle of their life, to change their role to play the character of their lives. This character can be whoever you need it to be... mean, angry, happy, ecstatic, enthusiastic, appreciative, dumb or brilliant!

A Few Different Roles..


So let's see how all of these three lessons come together. People change their roles throughout their lives. In a sense they are adapting to the unexpected changes that have come about during the course of their lives, but how do people change themselves without affecting their entourage? Everybody has connections, people are interdependent, so when one person changes roles, it affects everyone in their entourage and they affect the other people in their entourage, and so this change spreads like a contagious disease, and there's no cure! Change happens. Black Elk carries the stories of lessons that are most practical and most useful for life!

Adapt to Your Own Needs