The Lemming Dilemma

"The Lemming Dilemma" is a lovely little illustrated book, for all ages (you can read it in about an hour or less). The book follows the principles of "The Fifth Discipline" by Peter Senge and (I think) explains the concepts more clearly than the original work.

Lemmings jump off cliffs. Why do they do this? No one really knows. Some scientists, having nothing better to do, have puzzled over this question for decades. Maybe this behavior is instinctual. Maybe it's culturally conditioned. Whatever the answer, thousands of lemmings the world over continue to march to the edges of cliffs and simply leap into the great unknown.

Among lemmings, this behavior is considered normal. Take, for example, the annual "Great Lemming JumpFest." Rarely witnessed by scientists, this eagerly anticipated event features dancing, barbecue, and Elvis impersonations, and culminates in the "Big Leap."

Lemmings never think about why they jump off cliffs. They just do it.Until one day Emmy the Lemming questions "Why?" And Lemming Life would never be the same again.

The story is engaging, but what I liked most was the explanations and questions for introspection at the end of the book. And it ended with a light bulb moment for me : I know what I want to do the rest of my life! The clarity is so clear (what a sentence!) that I wonder how I was muddling through all these years. Everything falls into place suddenly and the path ahead is all at once clear, visible and familiar. I know what I have to do now; it's just a question of when. I have the answers to The How's and The Why's. It is the 'When' that will put me on the road to what I'm meant to be doing...

And that better be soon *talking to myself here*

It's a good moment when you think you know what you're here for on this planet. Life suddenly looks brighter. I have Options and a way to get this dream out into the world.

Options and Dreams are a good thing to have.