Dr. John Trent has written a fascinating book "The 2 Degree Difference." He is primarily known for his books on marriage (along with Gary Smalley) and his book "The Blessing." I had the opportunity to hear Trent speak this past year at a marriage conference in Austin.
The premise of the book is "how small things can change everything." The 2 degree idea comes about from driving a car. A driver makes 2 degree changes with the steering wheel. It is the 2 degree changes that keep your car between the white lines.
He relates a story about Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City. He served as mayor from 1994-2001. One of the things that faced Giuliani before he became mayor was the murder rate in the city. In 1990 the homicide rate was 2,245. In 1993, the year before Guiliani started as mayor, the murder rate was 1,946. His first year as mayor it went down to 1,561. During his last year as mayor the murder rate was 642. What brought about this change in the murder rate? Repairing broken windows.
Giuliani started making the minor changes of repairing broken windows around the city. He determined that "someone who wouldn't normally throw a rock at an intact building is less reluctant to break a second window in a building that already has one broken."
Trent's idea is we can begin to make positive changes in our lives and in our relationships by 2 degrees - in small changes. What would happen in 2009 if we made these small changes?
1 comment:
good thoughts. I might have to pick up this book.
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