How Actors, Zookeepers & More Are On Standby 24/7 To Help You
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Conflict resolution, Creativity & innovation
As a little girl I learned a key lesson about magical kingdoms being hidden in plain sight from my beloved Nana (that’s a picture of her as young woman). Later I learned to look at resources that were right in front of my nose that could help me get out of sticky situations.
Sometimes the solution to a pesky problem is staring you in the face.
Which is all fine & good but you may be saying to yourself, ‘nice story Lee-Anne, but how do I actually do that?’
I’m glad you asked.
Here’s a fun, fast way to practice.
- Pick an issue you need some new insight on
- Now pick 2 numbers between 1 & 701
- Match those numbers to the numbers on this list (which is a list of occupations)
- Now imagine two people from those professions meeting you for lunch to give you advice on said issue you need some insight on. Imagine what they would have to say to you. Let your imagination roam. Have fun with brainstorming.
Still not sure how to do this?
How to find resources that are staring you in the face (in this case your imagination)?
Here’s an example.
- My example issue is how to be patient with myself as I’m in the depths of creating my new website, which is at once exhilarating, wildly creative & fun, while also being overwhelming, scary & frustrating.
- I picked numbers 1 & 701 from this list.
- I matched those numbers to the numbers on this list & came up with actor & zookeeper.
- Then I imagined going to lunch with an actor & zookeeper & asking them for advice about how to be patient with myself as I’m going through the process of redeveloping my website.
What would an actor & zookeeper have to say about my issue with being patient?
- The actor, playing off improv comedy, might tell me to be prepared but to also delight in the huge amount of learning I’m doing & the opportunity to rethink & re-craft my offerings.
Actress Lupita Nyong’o
- The zookeeper, who deals with cages, which is a type of boundary, might say to keep things simple & not get overwhelmed by trying everything under the sun. To focus. She might also suggest I focus on care & feeding – to make sure I get enough sleep, exercise & good food while I’m working so hard.
Photo Credit: davitydave Flickr via Compfight cc
Get the picture?
Annnnnnnd take action:
- Go on, pick a pesky problem & take two professionals to lunch to pick their brains for advice, so you can get some new perspective.
- Then hit reply & let me know how it goes.
- And don’t forget along the way to discover the magical kingdoms hidden in plain sight.
I can just imagine my Nana grinning with delight for you now.
Tags: Conflict resolution, creativity, decision making, magical kingdoms, perspective
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