| “If you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them. But if you argue for your possibilities, you get to create them.” – Jim Kwik On Monday, we took on the first part of that quote – how we fight to hold onto our limitations and came to the conclusion that it’s two things: Fear and Ego. (And maybe people pleasing too for a little extra fluff!) The question we need to be asking is — which side of myself do I want to be on? The side with potential and possibilities, or the side with limitations and no future? The million-dollar question is: Am I going to pour my limited energy into limitations or possibilities? The way to possibility is through creativity, and guess what? We are ALL creative – yes, you too! Creativity is the use of imagination and original ideas and is applicable in all areas of life, from doing the dishes to solving problems and figuring out other alternative ways to do something. Creativity needs to be recognized first and foremost as the #1 key to the lock of possibility … it’s way too often dismissed! Psychologist Robert Steinberg says there are 5 components to creativity: 1. Expertise and abilities 2. Imaginative thinking skills and knowledge 3. Venturesome personality and taking responsible risks 4. Intrinsic motivation and redefining problems 5. A creative environment How and why does this all matter? Because possibilities demand creativity to figure things out, and things only get figured out if one is willing to be creative. So, how do we, as creative beings, create these possibilities for ourselves? 1. Address fear first. Fear holds us back and says we’re not enough, we’ll never be as smart as, we can’t, we’re never blah blah blah! Fear is intrinsic to EVERYONE’s life, and I will argue that banishing fear or somehow doing away with it completely isn’t possible. Instead, we should see fear for what it is, shrink it down, turn on the lights, face it, and put it in its place. I think we spend too much time and energy on “banishing fear” – what we need to do is to understand it a little better and see it just like Toto did in the Wizard of Oz – a little old man from Topeka, KS – a con artist and snake oil salesman. He’s not at all to be feared, but rather to be pitied and seen in the proper light. Remember, Fear is always going to tell you not to pay attention to the man behind the curtain. 2. What do you want? You have to determine an outcome before you can get creative and start planning it. Think in terms of WHAT and less in terms of HOW. Lean into the creative process – HOW always shows up! 3. Self-awareness is everything. Jim Kwik, the author of Limitless, says our brains are supercomputers absorbing everything we say. So, when you hear yourself saying things like “I’m not creative,” end the sentence with “yet.” The word “yet” opens the door to possibility. 4. Ask yourself, “What’s one small thing I can do?” If you’re trying to get back into working out, for example, do a 4-minute workout and high-five yourself afterwards. The feedback will create more of the same. 5. Before you can change anything, you need to first acknowledge and accept EVERYTHING; the good, the bad, and the ugly! The reality that we live in – that we JUDGE, is ours. We created it, adapted to it, accepted it, and gave it permission. When we focus on how bad it is or lie about what’s true, we can’t create anything new. It’s just like a GPS – if you don’t give it your starting point, you can never figure out HOW because the directions are pointless. 6. Acceptance doesn’t mean loving it- it’s just the truth of WHAT is – and just like my moment in Lane Bryant 15 years ago, acceptance BEGAN the journey. 7. New possibilities don’t necessarily mean Nirvana. The human experience has both positive and negative emotions – good and bad days, and accepting the rollercoaster ride will help make the better days sweeter (and more frequent.) – BTW, I can’t “prove” this, but I am telling you from personal experience, this is a profound truth! |
