Which ones will you choose? Check out this short video with predictions from the 1950′s as they are actually lived by some people in the present.
Watching this video made me wonder about the question, “Out of all the opportunities that we could have chosen for our current day experience what guided our choices so that we ended up here?” If we could have foreseen where we would end up would we make those same choices again? What can our present teach us about rectifying things in the future? There are many opportunities. Our present is only one of an infinite number of choices.
What choices did you make that took you to your present?
What choices can make now that will lead you to a better future?
What is the opportunity that each choice presents?
I just came across a wonderful blog post by Allison Arieff who writes the By Design blog for the NY Times. In her latest entry she highlights the work of Steven M. Johnson whom she describes as an “inventor/author/cartoonist/former urban planner”. Johnson excels at using everyday items as catapults for thinking “outside the box”. Looking at his drawings, I’m amused and at the same time fascinated that his mind connects disparate things in the useful way that he does. I, for one, never associated driving with baking prior to seeing Johnson’s creative illustration.
Steven M. Johnson
Upon first seeing this illustration, I laughed out loud. Then on second look I thought, “Yes, that’s an interesting idea!” With even further reflection, I realized that Johnson had inspired me. What other ideas and activities could I put together that would enhance the quality of my life and others’ lives as well? I don’t have an immediate answer to this question. However, I will definitely take time to think about it.
I love the way that Johnson’s work is at once utilitarian and playful. Who wouldn’t use a toaster oven to heat up a quick bite on the way to work? On a more serious note, those people who have been forced out of their homes and are living in their cars would surely benefit from the hot meal that this toaster oven could provide. What initially seemed goofy, now feels practical. In fact, now that I’ve taken this idea seriously, I’m wondering whether a microwave oven could be even more useful.
What ideas have you dismissed as too goofy to be taken seriously?
When you remove your negative judgment about the idea, what is left?
What’s the opportunity that is waiting to be discovered?
I frequently resist making changes because they seem so difficult or complex or tiring or… I could go on and on. However, after I have made a successful change, I often notice that much to my chagrin, maintaining the status quo took far more energy than the actual energy I needed to expend in the service of making a change. The Principle of Least Effort can be a wonderful guide here. It suggests that people will naturally choose the path of least resistance or effort. I know that this is true in my life. I assume that it is also true for you.
We don’t need to create more work for ourselves. We are busy enough as it is. We are already on the path of least resistance. It seems to be our human default setting. Rather than getting worked up and anxious about changing what is natural, just stop and notice what is getting in the way as you tread this path. There is a big opportunity here for each of us. We don’t have to make change hard. We just have to make it natural and wise.
Take a look at the path you’re traveling…
Where are you making things hard for yourself?
What’s one behavior or attitude that you can change so that your path of least resistance is obstacle-free?
I love the idea that positive change can mean making things easier on myself. Now that’s a change I can truly believe in!
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