The Caring Catalyst

Who Cares - What Matters

YOUR LIFE: A Billboard

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What would it say. . . ?
Pen in hand
ready to go
what would you
Q U I L L
u p. . .
What would the
B I L L B O A R D
of your life say
for the World to see
for the World to react
because of
YOUR LIFE: THE BILLBOARD

Just not only what kind of
L I G H T
but how much would shine through
YOUR WINDOW
Would it match this
from a landlord in
Canada:

Image-1.JPG

RENT FREE~~not could,
WOULD YOU SEND SUCH A MESSAGE TO YOUR TENANTS—
ARE YOU EVEN NOW. . .
BECAUSE YOUR MESSAGE IS
Most definitely been sent
the question is what’s the
m e s s a g e. . . ?

Let me ask you,
Go Waldo on yourself. . .
WHERE ARE YOU AT IN THIS PICTURE?
Can you find yourself. . .
(l i t e r a l l y)?

T H I S ?

T H I S ?

or would you have a few missing
L E T T E R S
but still get
the point
a c r o s s
?

Psssssssssssssssssssssssst of the Day:
It’s past time
to not only get your message across
but to be
THE MESSAGE
someone needs
YOUR LIFE IS A BILLBOARD
and maybe
it’s not so much as it what it says
as if it’s completely
B L A N K

What’s In It FOR ME?

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It’s a fair question
(normally)
and many right now would say
It’s a FOUL question
(way out of bounds):
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
B U T:

Helping Others Can Help You Cope with our current
Lockdown. . .

In the time of coronavirus,
turning outward
is a win-win prospect. . .

 ELIZABETH SVOBODA, author of, WHAT MAKES A HERO? THE SURPRISING SCIENCE OF SELFLESSNESS has a few ideas about what we know, what we know we know, what we’re especially most afraid of proving what we know
e s p e c i a l l y
when we’re unsure of
NOW
as much as any
TOMORROW
or next week
or next year
or just
N E X T

It’s easy to feel, these days, that we’re swirling in a coronavirus-induced vortex of helplessness. In many regions, COVID-19 case counts are jumping dramatically. Health care workers face impossible decisions about who to disconnect from ventilators. And those of us who remain well must comply with “stay at home” orders, which anchor us in place as the needs of people around us keep growing. 

Our first instinct may be to hunker down and protect ourselves and our immediate families. But to get through these times with our sanity and well-being intact, we may need to push back on this initial impulse—to turn outward, not just inward. Research shows that when we put a high priority on reaching out to others, our own mental and physical health flourish. 

It’s a rare win-win proposition in a bleak landscape: In helping other people get through this crisis, you can help yourself in equal measure. “It’s a way of reframing your existence,” says bioethicist Stephen Post, “getting out from the negative vortex and feeling free to do something that is meaningful.”

Helping buoys the helper,
not just the recipient. . .

While we’ve never faced a foe quite like COVID-19 before, doctors and scientists have studied what happens when people pull together and help others after a setback. About a year after the 2008 financial crisis, when thousands of people lost their jobs and homes, Post and his Stony Brook University colleagues surveyed 4,500 Americans about their volunteering habits and their mental health. 

In the wake of the financial downturn, rates of volunteering were higher than they had been the year before—and that bump came with clear psychological benefits. 

Eighty-nine percent of people felt happier overall thanks to their helping efforts, and 78 percent reported that volunteering helped them better deal with disappointment and loss. About three in four volunteers felt less stressed. Many respondents reported making deeper friendships by connecting with other helpers. 

“When people feel vulnerable, they can take their mind off the self and the problems of the self, and just experience the simple gratification of contributing to the life of another human being,” Post says. “That’s how people were coping.”

Helping also buoys us mentally because it directs our focus away from scary abstractions and back toward concrete, solvable problems. One of this pandemic’s defining features is the numbing parade of numbers—new cases mounting by the thousands, hospitals inching closer to capacity overrun. 

Psychologist Paul Slovic has long contended that our brains check out when we consider the abstract fate of large populations: We aren’t fully equipped to process what it means when a small town’s worth of people dies each day. Concentrating on what individual people need, on the other hand, motivates us to help—and we then reap the benefits that come with that decision. 

At the height of a pandemic, it seems especially relevant that helping promotes robust physical health, as well. 

In a 2013 study of adults over 50, those who volunteered regularly were 40 percent less likely than non-volunteers to have high blood pressure years later. And incredibly, frequent volunteers have lower mortality rates across the board. A Stanford University team reported that, over an eight-year period, people who volunteered occasionally had a 25 percent lower risk of dying than those who didn’t help—while people who volunteered frequently were 33 percent less likely to die. 

Creative stay-at-home helping ventures about. . .

But how do you help people when you’re stuck at home?

Social distancing and shelter-in-place restrictions do put some volunteer opportunities out of reach, especially for members of high-risk groups. It’s enough to make you want to give up; just throw your hands up in the air and literally walk away or just hunker down deeper. . .However, motivated helpers have found plenty of creative ways to serve others remotely. 

When doctors and nurses in the San Francisco Bay Area started running out of personal protection equipment (PPE), thousands of people donated surgical and N95 masks, face shields, antiseptic wipes, and other materials to Kaiser Permanente and other health care organizations. 

After medical students around the country were pulled from clinics, fourth-year University of Michigan student Marina Haque launched an online community under the hashtag #students_against_covid to support and amplify the helping efforts of future doctors. Some students, Haque says, are caring for the children of doctors on the front lines, while others are reaching out to local labs that can donate PPE to hospitals. 

In Boston, high school teacher Randi Stern has created an uplifting newsletter called The Daily Drop, complete with suggested lockdown activities, book recommendations, and inspiring quotes. She sends it regularly to her friends and family. “It calms me for a couple hours each day,” Stern says. “It’s also nice to get emails back in response to what I’ve written.” She enjoys fostering social connection at a time when so many are hungry for it.

On an even more individual level, Kara Loewentheil, a life coach and host of the Unf*ck Your Brain podcast, is offering free web meetings and coaching calls to help people stay grounded and optimistic during the coronavirus pandemic.

Efforts like these are “the key to staying sane, I think,” Loewentheil says. “When we focus on others, we get connected back into the community and big picture and out of our stress-response brain.” 

Matching your strengths
to the right opportunities. . .

We tend to get caught up in thinking that only medical personnel and first responders can make a meaningful difference during this crisis. Yet in the coronavirus era, “simply reaching out to people is being helpful and heroic in small ways,” says University of Richmond psychologist Scott Allison. “Each of us can make a positive difference by tapping into our strengths and sharing them.” 

In a shelter-in-place context, that might mean teaching a free online math class to kids who can’t attend regular school, or a few minutes a day doing Skype check-ins with lonely members of your social circle.

You don’t have to commit full-time to these practices to make a major difference in others’ lives—and your own. In Post’s study, most volunteers “weren’t overdosing. They were volunteering on average 100 hours a year,” he points out. “If you wanted to space that out, you’re talking about a couple of hours a week, more or less.” 

Thinking about helping as an incremental venture, rather than an all-or-nothing one, may help you overcome any initial inertia. Even making a donation to a helping organization whose mission you support—which may take less than a minute—can boost your well-being measurably. 

If you live alone and you’re in good health, you may be eligible for essential helping roles that involve a higher degree of risk. Food banks around the country desperately need volunteers at community centers to distribute produce and pantry staples to households in need. Opportunities like this require you to weigh the positive impact you can have against the likelihood of contracting the virus.

In stepping into a helping identity in times of hardship, Post observes, you can embark on a kind of inner journey philosopher Martin Buber described: the transition from an “I-It” mindset, in which you see other people as peripheral objects in your own universe, to an “I-Thou” mindset, in which you relate to others as worthy, complete beings in their own right. This journey mirrors Joseph Campbell’s vision of finding your highest self in the act of helping others. It’s also a productive alternative to waiting impatiently for a coronavirus vaccine.

“‘They’re gonna come up with something’ is passive,” Post says. “Volunteering is an active form of hope.”

So back to that question:
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
SOMETHING
always equals more than
NOTHING
It’s the simplest
the easiest kind of Math
to ever understand
and it’s universally
u n d e r s t o o d
without fail
What’s in it for me?
E V E R Y T H I N G
or absolutely
n o t h i n g
YOU
CHOOSE

A Helpers Helper

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We have to hit the rewind button on this
but even all the way back into the early 70s
I remember there was a product
which is still out there today
HAMBURGER HELPER. . .
The reason this was invented
and used
and still popular
is because it takes a little bit
and makes a whole lot;
it enhances. . .
In this upside-down-topsy-turvy-earth-literally-on-its-axis-time
we kind of need a helper
well. . .
to help
don’t we?
I’ve been working in healthcare since about 1988
as part-time chaplain at several area hospitals
and full-time now since 1994 with hospice. . .
I’ve always seen myself as an auxiliary
Helper
I, in no way
have ever seen myself as the main guy;
FRONT LINE
. . .In fact,
I’m almost embarrassed to say that I work in healthcare
when everybody’s getting free coffee
extra special shopping hours
and even free burritos
because they are
F R O N T L I N E
Even though I’m still working in an inpatient unit
and seeing patients and families
I, in no way,
 see myself as a first responder
or as a helper
or even a Final,
a Last Responder
even though I’m still doing funerals and graveside services. . .
I have always first
and foremost
seen myself as a
Helper to the HELPER;
It literally has not already
defined my entire life
it is severely enhanced it. . .
Aren’t we all THAT:
H E L P E R S
Have we failed to notice
what is so recognizable before each of us. . . ?
Not only to be a Helper
but at the very least
H E L P E R S
to the Helpers
That’s what it means to
HOLD SPACE
That’s what it means
especially at this very moment
To not only be significant
but also to make some sense
out of why we are all really
here now at this very
i n s t a n t

I have never performed brain surgery
or mended together broken bones
. . .at the very best
I’ve held hands
and cared for broken hearts
held space for tired spirits
listened to what a heart shouts
but a mouth can’t ever imagine whispering;
I literally
have tried to be
all things to all people
not that I can save them
so much as serve them
not always as they deserved
but but always as they have needed. . .
To help bring some light to the darkness;
To be for them–
patient
family member
or first responder
final responder
what no one else
in that very instant
could ever be for them. . .
Now the not so big Secret:
We all have the capacity
To be Helpers
To Be Responders. . .
I have the upmost respect
not just for the medical doctors
not just for physician assistants
not just for nurse practitioners
 not just for the nurses
not just for the social workers
not just for those most blessed health aides
but for all those who recognize
and see themselves as
Helpers to the Helpers. . .
Who isn’t THAT person?
A First
A Fair to Midland
A Middle of the Roader
A Near the Ender
A Final
R E S P O N D E R
. . .label me what you will
but for the sake
of us all
I hope to never be known as a
NON-RESPONDER. . .
THIS THING
we are all dealing with right now
is not by Chance
(no accident)
It’s the Beginning
of one of the possibly
Biggest-most-epic-world-wide-challenges
in our lives
so far
. . .or it isn’t
It’s time to be a
A RESPONDER
A HELPER
A HELPER’S HELPER
It’s time to play Nice
at a not-so-nice time. . .

Who will be?

Who won’t be?

WHO WILL YOU BE. . .

It’s time to be more than a
MASK WEARER
it’s now
O U R
T I M E
to be
HELP-BEARER


Making a S P L A S H

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“When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”

Can you
DO YOU
Dare Imagine
that we were created for a time like this;
not for a time 359 years ago
or 3500 years ago
or 680 years in the future
b u t
NOW
HERE
THESE MOMENTS

Y O U
are more than a single drop in the Ocean;
YOU ARE A RIPPLE-MAKER

The best
S P L A S H
you can ever make
requires no water. . .
Drown us in goodness

Hey. . .
Try practicing being selfless everyday,
Just a thought. . . .

THRIVING Surviving

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EVERYTHING THAT’S BEEN UNRAVELING
OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS
AND NOW FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. . .
well, it’s enough to make your head explode;
S O :

How DO YOU Keep the Greater Good in Mind During the Coronavirus Outbreak

In the midst of our panic around COVID-19, we must look to each other to help us get through it.

Recently, journalist  JILL SUTTIE wrote an article that gave us a peek about how we can do better doing better. . .

Should we expect more cooperation and compassion in the face of an epidemic? Because, contrary to popular belief, crises often tend to bring out the best in people. A report that looked at how people responded during the September 11th Twin Tower attacks showed that people bent over backwards to help others escape, sometimes at great personal risk to themselves. Other reports on the aftermath of natural disasters show that strangers will stick out their necks for each other to help.

While it’s true that sometimes disasters can lead to a minority taking advantage of the situation—for example, stealing people’s possessions when they have to leave their house—this is not a common response, much as it grabs headlines. Instead, when we face a common enemy, like an epidemic, we are more likely to pull together for the benefit of everyone.

Notice how many young and healthy people are taking seriously the need to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when they cough, stay home when sick, or wear masks when in public. Sure, no one wants to get sick—but, at the same time, no one wants to be responsible for making others sick. 

In fact, research shows that protecting others is a huge motivator for doing the right thing. For example, one study looked at what prompts handwashing behavior in hospital doctors and nurses. Researchers found that signs saying, “Hand hygiene prevents patients from catching diseases,” were more effective at prompting handwashing than signs simply saying, “Hand hygiene prevents you from catching diseases.” In other words, appealing to the health care workers’ altruistic care for their patients was more effective than appealing to their self-interest.

In fact, it may simply be human nature to be kind and helpful when others need us. In one recent study, children only four to five years old who were told that resisting a treat would benefit another child were better able to delay gratification than children told their actions would only affect themselves. Similarly, babies as young as 19 months old were willing to give food away to someone who appeared to need it, even when hungry themselves. 

Of course, not everyone acts altruistically in these situations. So, what makes it more likely they will, and how can we use that to our advantage? Here are four ways we can encourage more altruism for fighting the virus.

1. Look to the heroes

There will always be heroic efforts in a disaster—people who sacrifice themselves for the good of others. Think of the health care workers who are treating people infected with this virus at great personal risk. Or those infected with the virus who voluntarily isolate themselves for weeks to protect the public.

When we hear stories of these people, we feel what is called moral elevation—a warm feeling inside that inspires us, fueling optimism and a desire to act altruistically ourselves. While the temptation might be to focus on fear and everything going wrong, we can redirect our attention to those who are doing the right thing, which will lead us to be better citizens ourselves. 

2. Stay calm and focused

It’s easy to be lost in fear when disaster strikes. However, it doesn’t help anyone to stir up panic about the situation, because we don’t think as clearly when we are in emergency mode. You can see how this has played out already, as people have been stockpiling masks and creating a shortage that could affect the people who truly need them—those who are sick and need masks to avoid spreading the disease to the rest of us.

How can we stay calmer and make wiser choices? One way is to use whatever tools you have at your disposal for keeping a cool head—like practicing mindfulness, which has been shown to both lessen emotional reactivity and help us make better decisions. We might take a walk in the park or nearby woods and let nature soothe us. Or we could talk to a friend—a calm friend, that is—who can help us reduce our anxiety.  

Of course, our normal ways of connecting socially—like singing together at a concert or going to large parties—may have to change. But whatever we can do to maintain an air of calm, and to spread it to those around us, the better. After all, our emotions tend to be contagious in our social circles, and we should do our best to keep fear and panic contained. 

3. Show gratitude

One of the kindest things we can do is to say “thank you” to those who are doing what they can to fight the outbreak. As with my son’s university, it doesn’t hurt to send a message of thanks to people and organizations that are doing the right thing—whether it’s a tour group that offers refunds for cancelled trips, the neighbor who delivers a spare mask to you, or viral experts who give you straight-up information on how to stay safe.

When we show gratitude toward others, we let them know that their actions matter, which encourages more of the same kind of behavior—not only toward the grateful person but to others. Creating a cycle of altruism is helpful when we are faced with a challenge that affects us all, helping to foster trust in each other and care for each other’s plight.

4. Remember our common humanity and show compassion

When we are fearful, our first instinct might be to cast blame on others or to indulge in prejudice toward groups we see as responsible. News reportsalready show that some people of Asian descent in the United States are finding themselves shunned or the victims of racist profiling, simply because the virus appears to have originated in China. Though we might rationally know that no one person or country can be blamed for a viral outbreak, our minds still seek simple explanations. 

Research suggests that when we recognize our common humanity and show compassion, we are more likely to pull together and to solve issues that may be complex in nature. You can start by giving yourself some compassion, which can help you become more willing to admit mistakes and take steps to correct them. This is important, as human error can be costly when there is a viral outbreak, and we need to work together to learn from our mistakes. 

Of course, all of these guidelines don’t supplant the importance of practicing good hygiene. We need to continue to frequently wash our hands and avoid touching our faces, so that we can lessen the chance of infecting ourselves and others. But we also should remember our
 social hygiene—looking for the heroes, staying calm ourselves, being grateful, and remembering our common humanity. In this way, we can help to make the world safer for all of us.

Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst:
You don’t need a crystal ball to know that
it doesn’t matter what you hold in your hand
so much as how you extend what you hold
to others. . .
DO THAT
and the immediate
the most intimate
World around you
not only becomes richer;
you become priceless
Y O U
T H R I V E
S U R V I V I N G

In the MEAN time

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meantime (n.)

also mean time, mid-14c., mene-time, “interim, interval between one specified time and another” (now only in in the mean time), from mean (adj.2) “middle, intermediate” + time (n.). Late 14c. as an adverb, “during the interval (between one specified time and another).” As a noun, properly written as two words but commonly as one, after the adverb. In the mean space “meanwhile” was in use 16c.-18c.

Have you ever done that. . . ?
Thought
. . .Actually used a word or a phrase
thinking it to be one thing
but having it literally have a different
d e f i n i t i o n
. . .u s e

Maybe it’s just all about
P E R S P E C T I V E
of not just how we see things
but how
YOU
see them
and more,
SHARE THEM. . .
“IN THE MEANTIME,”
I’ve said that a million of times
seemingly using it in the right way
as defined from above
but these past two weeks
with the World
literally being turned on its axis
it’s taken on another
a not-so-great-new-meaning:

In the
M E A N
time
See it?
GET IT?
BELIEVE IT?
Are we living in the
MEAN
time
and by
M E A N
I mean
Nasty
Evil
Low
Vile
Stingy
Despicable
Contemptible
Cruel
Wicked
Vicious
Malicious
Immoral
Unethical
Hateful
Unkind
Wretched
Selfish
(Did I miss any?)
Over toilet paper
Hand sanitizer
Bottled water
Food
Cleaning equipment
Personal Protective Equipment
Attitudes
Beliefs
Prejudices
(Did I miss any?)

But in the
MEAN
time
I choose to be
kind
loving
forgiving
accepting
compassionate
brave
hopeful
grateful
sympathetic
empathetic
caring
inspiring
aspiring
faithful
friendly
confident
motivated
motivating
serving
giving
healing
happy
inclusive
(Did I miss any?)
Then. . .
Help me fill in the
BLANK
but in the
M E A N
time


WORRIED

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ARE YOU WORRIED ?
It’s a honest question
with all that’s been cancelled
and Changed over the past
few days. . .

So. . .
are you,
ARE YOU AFRAID?

My 401K account; my retirement funds have taken a severe hit over the past month. . .
Should I be worried?

My wife and I and a great many of my friends and family fits the profile of the most at-risk list for COVID-19. . .
Should I be worried?

Our global panic led three out of five groups yesterday to cancel planned speaking engagements for later these next two months. . . Should I be worried?

What about you? Was the past couple of days terrible for you? Are you having to face the prospect of suddenly home-schooling your kids? Canceling a trip? Losing sales? Letting go of several team members? Quarantining (or hospitalizing) a family member?

Should we be worried?

There are many ways to answer the question, but in the spirit of the “novel coronavirus,” let’s try a novel approach. . .

LET’S BRING LIGHT TO WICK

Back in the late 80’s
I was working as a part-time-on-call-chaplain
at an area hospital
(which meant that I worked from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.)
and I remember
getting called in around 3:30 in the morning for a patient that was actively dying in ICU from AIDS;
he requested a chaplain
and when I arrived
I could see he was agitated and restless;
After introducing myself
I asked him the routine questions of
if he was in pain or uncomfortable;
When I asked him about family,
I could see him wince even before he said,
“I don’t have any family, they’ve disowned me.”
One simple Act:
I held his hand
I saw him look down at my hand holding his
and a tear rolled down the side of his cheek and he choked out,
“You’re the first person who’s touched me without gloves, a gown or a mask.”
His fingers squeezed mine and I squeezed back.
“Will you pray with me; I’m scared.”
I asked him what he wanted me to include in the prayer and he said,
“I don’t want to be afraid anymore; I don’t want to be sick; I don’t want my family to be ashamed of me anymore; I don’t want to go to Hell.”
Honestly. . .
I don’t remember verbatim what I prayed with him
but I know
it was the living prayer we became
for one Another
We lit each other’s
W I C K

AM I WORRIED?
I have had the blessing of working with the sick and dying
since 1977
in and out of the Church
hospital
nursing home
assisted living
home care
and in all of those years
and more,
all of those
P L A C E S
I have never been worried
about getting sick
from the sick

I sat with the family
of a former colleague who died today
and as I was providing opportunities for them to do
Life/Faith/Family we review
there were tears
there was laughter
but there was no mention
of COVID-19
like there was all around us from
Facebook, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Drudge Report, BBC, Instagram, Twitter, Apple, Google, Verizon, AT&T, the local news
but not from them;
I knew at that moment
what I’ve know from
Countless other Moments
that
THIS
is the
T H A T
that ever matters. . .
Naive?
The little kid in me
battles for my worries
but never when it comes to
this
T H A T
I’m not worried
and it’s the only
Light
that not only keeps my Candle lit,
It’s the only
thing that inspires me to share
IT

j o i n
me

PERFECTLY Imperfect

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Well. . .are you
P E R F E C T L Y
I M P E R F E C T
It’s amazing how we spend
a lifetime
trying to get
I T
r i g h t
only to find out
almost too late
(if at all)
that the only thing we are truly
PERFECT
is our
i m p e r f e c t e d n e s s
and the real
killer
is that knowing that
we never stop trying to
prove that
universal truth
WRONG
Pssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst:
We Never do
We NEVER will. . .
So what’s the solution. . . ?
Not just to play
LET’S MAKE A DEAL
but actually win it
when we’re faced with the
TWO DOORS
of

DOOR NUMBER ONE:
BE PERFECT & BE ADMIRED

DOOR NUMBRER TWO:
BE REAL & BE LOVED

GET KINTSUGI’D
Welcome your
b r o k e n e ss
with all of it’s
scars and
c r a c k s
and watch the light pour in
or better still
enhance
CELEBRATE IT
by filling them in with
G O L D

Pay Attention, Class:
Your Brokenness
makes you
WHOLE. . .

The Puzzle of you
isn’t a single piece
but a certain number of
uneven broken pieces
coming together
as one single
v i e w

CONGRATULATIONS:
You are Perfectly Imperfect
IT’S YOUR SUPERPOWER
(embrace it)

Video from KarmaTube

A WHOLE LOT OF LOVE

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Hair Love,
an Oscar-winning animated short film
from Akron University’s Matthew A. Cherry,
tells the heartfelt story of an African American father
learning to do his daughter’s hair
for the first time. . .

L I S T E N
take it from a bald man
A LITTLE BIT WORK
AND A WHOLE LOT OF LOVE
is a message
that transcends
even the most
unruliest
strands of hair

Most are willing to put in the
W O R K
but not the
L O V E
but when you do,
Life not only
C H A N G E S
it revolutionarily gets
B E T T E R
(P R O V E I T)

UN-BOXED

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Thinking outside the box challenges, agitates, even frightens most of us,
and worst of all:
KEEPS US IN THE BOX

I recently saw this amazing video from a post of Chris Cade and it came with some other smash-up-get-rid-of-the-box thoughts:

One thousand and five hundred kindergarten children were given a test in divergent thinking.

98% of those children scored at genius level.

Divergent thinking is what allows you to see lots of possible answers to a question.

If you ask your average person how to cook an egg, he’ll come up with about ten different ways you can do it. Frying pan, poacher, pot of boiling water, in a cake, etc.

Someone good at divergent thinking will come up with 200 ways to cook that egg.

How?

Because she thinks outside of the kitchen. He’ll cook the egg on the back of sunbather at the beach. At the end of a lightning rod. Or how about putting it in a indestructible container and throwing it into the center of the sun?

80% of the answers will be impractical… but it’s how you find the perfect answer nobody has thought about yet.

According to this one study (from the book “Breakpoint and Beyond”) we’re all born with a natural ability for divergent thinking. 1,470 out 1,500 children are brilliant at thinking up endless possibilities.

The same study tested the same kids ten years later.

As you can imagine, most lost their ability for divergent thinking.

“This shows two things,” says Sir Ken Robinson (world renowned education and creativity expert). “One is we all have this capacity. And two, it mostly deteriorates.”

“Now, a lot of thing has happened to these kids as they’ve grown up. Al lot. But one of the most important things that has happened to them, I’m convinced, is they’ve become ‘educated.’ They spent ten years at school being told there’s one answer – it’s at the back.”

That’s what today’s “Paper Airplane” video is all about.

And do you know why divergent thinking is so important? Because no two situations are exactly the same.

Whatever troubles, challenges or goals you are facing in life… they are like no one else’s. You’ll never find the exact answer to your problems in a book.

You need to think for yourself.

And you need to think of not 10 or 20 or even 40 different solutions for your problem.

You need to think of 200.

You need to think way outside the box. . .
Because life doesn’t come in a box with a instruction manual
even though we keep acting like it does
in the worst possible way
BY LOOKING FOR SAID INSTRUCTIONS

JUST THE SAME. . .
what tends to happen is we end up putting our life in a box supplied to us by society.
It even comes an instruction
“one-size fits all”
manual. . .

Of course, it’s never going to get you very far
Living in someone else’s box
following their instructions
At best, you’ll be average. . .

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm:
this video is about the
“science of making paper airplanes.”

Interesting because the airplane was invented by two bicycle repair men  – the Wright Brothers. . .
They specialized in divergent thinking. . .

Other inventors at the time — with far more money — were focused on building a bigger and more powerful engine for their gliders. The consensus was. . .
“if you get a powerful enough engine, the thing would fly.”

The Wright brothers instead built a six-foot wind tunnel in their bicycle shop. This allowed them to test different wings and propellers. On December 17, 1903 they won the race while competitors were going bankrupt.

But today’s “Paper Airplane” movie puts even the divergent thinking of the Wright brothers to shame. Because a paper airplane is not what Wilbur and Orville flew south of Kitty Hawk…

So why put a paper airplane in the Kitty Hawk Box?

Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst:
The Best way to think
OUT OF THE BOX
is to
GET RID OF THE BOX
Besides. . .
why’s everyone settling for flying
when you can soar
and why soar
when you can
ascend
and why ascend
when you can
T R A N S C E N D

Professional Speaker, Author, Assurance Man