Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much I dream can I be” [Karen Ravn].
I’m currently attending a two-day staff retreat at Oglebay Resort in West Virginia. Monday was team building; Tuesday is slated for meeting and planning time.
As everyone gathered for our first session, we were handed a list of items we needed to locate for our “photo scavenger hunt.” As we read over the paper, you could hear groans all around. The space is vast — more than 1,700 acres.
The 10-item list was complicated. One example: In the gardens, locate a “critter” and snap a photo of the entire team singing to it. Another requirement: everyone on the team needed to climb a tree and act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet.
You get the idea. Large areas to search for specific items, lots of effort required.
The last instruction the teams received was to be creative in our approach.
My team embraced creativity!
We questioned.
We imagined.
We created.
We discussed.
We investigated.
(What we didn’t do was trek all over the place, wasting valuable time and energy, in an attempt to find exactly what was written on the list.)
Much to the chagrin of the other teams, we used brains over brawn, got creative with the requirements, discovered new possibilities, and completed the scavenger hunt in about 30 minutes.
We spent the next hour relaxing in rocking chairs on the lodge porch, enjoying the mild Autumn weather, waiting for the other teams to return. Which they eventually did, tired, sweaty, out of breathe, and a bit annoyed with our creative approach to rule interpretation.
All this “hunting” started me thinking about all the things we “hunt” in life.
The perfect Christmas gift. The best price. A government bail-out.
Meaning in life. A fulfilling job — well, in some cases, any job. A piece of advice.
A soul mate. A restored relationship. A day off. A misplaced key.
Love. Peace. Joy.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Justice. Kindness.
Health insurance. The fulfillment of a lost dream. More money.
A new idea. An open door. A boost of confidence.
An answer. New clients. A short-cut. A miracle.
It doesn’t really matter what thing you are hunting. If you keep searching for it using the same old routine, you’re probably not going to find it. You’ve probably heard one of my favorite quotes by Albert Einstein:
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Maybe what you need is a shot of creativity. Consider what could be. Think about things differently. Try a new approach. Think, as they say, outside of the box. In fact, why don’t you just blow the walls off the box, challenge the rules, break through the barriers, jump over the obstacles, and run full steam ahead yelling, “Catch me if you can!”
Read a different author. Make a new friend. Ask some unusual questions. Start a blog. Learn a new skill. Paint with a different color. Mix stripes and florals. Develop a “non-traditional” approach.
Take time to imagine the possibility that implementing one new idea could create.
Your goals are within reach.
You might just need to take a different route to get there.
A truly creative person rids him or herself of all self-imposed limitations” [Gerald Jampolsky]. Interesting to think about it . . . many limitations are self-imposed. Creativity in thought, action, and approach will help you demolish the restrictions that are keeping you from finding that thing you are seeking.
Whatever you are, be a good one!
Deanna
Whatever You Are, Be a Good One 