flexibility

Flexibility is Creativity

Published on by Eugene Morgan

white light

Post Written By Eugene Morgan

Where there is creativity, there is flexibility. In other words, we must be flexible to create creativity.  It is all right to allow our minds to wonder and brainstorm about things.  Brainstorming allows us to imagine things without restrictions. Kids do this all the time. We were once kids. So if we can look back and to see ourselves as children imagining what it would be like to do this  or that—and we can pretend. When we pretended as children, we gave ourselves permission to be what we wanted to be because we wanted to know what it would be like. As children we can go as far as we can imagine ourselves to be doing something wonderful and fulfilling.  Creativity is a way to give ourselves back our freedom in life because as adults we get so involved with our fast-paced life that we forget that we can slow down our pace and think about the wonderment of life.

 

On Being Flexible

Published on by Eugene Morgan

Proudly standing

Post Written By Eugene Morgan

If we’re still stuck in a problem, then this means that we aren’t flexible enough. Flexibility is the hallmark for change. We don’t have to change all at once. We ought to start with small changes first. To gain confidence in ourselves, we need to start with winning small victories before we try conquering bigger ones. Yes, we will get frustrated at times because obtaining a goal isn’t always easy thing to do. It’s all right to challenge ourselves, but it is also all right to be patient with ourselves. We don’t have to rush things but to enjoy the process of getting to the end.

Mind Of Peace

Published on by Eugene Morgan

Yoko Ono's "Imagine Peace" Campaign

Post Written By Eugene Morgan

“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.”— Brian Tracy

It starts with our mind first and then everything else will follow is one approach. Another approach is if we act first in spite of self-doubt and fears, then our doubts and fears will lessen with a peace of mind. The second approach is more effective, because we don’t have to constantly battle with negative thoughts. When we act or do something different, we break up the rigidity, thus breaking up negative thoughts, which create new associations, which orient a new way to think.

Growth and Flexibility

Published on by Eugene Morgan

flexible fish

Post Written By Eugene Morgan

For us to grow, we must be flexible. For us to be flexible, we must widen our world.  There will come a time when we will need to bend a little for us to move forward. Being flexible doesn’t mean that we are doormats. It is quite the contrary, being flexible means we’re getting stronger.  Compromise is part of the process of being flexible; we have to weigh in on the pros and the cons in each situation. When we’re flexible we see things we haven’t seen before, we have more possibilities and opportunities in our live.

 

 

When Inconveniences Happens

Published on by Eugene Morgan

Long line for Apple
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

An inconvenience is an unrecognised opportunity. ~ Confucius

The first emotion seems to be frustration and then anger when we encounter inconveniences in our lives. We have an internal standard that everything has to go perfectly as plan. We know that inconveniences occur daily. When we’re half way to work, we realize we forget something like a wallet. Or, we’re just about to leave from work to go to the car, when we realized that it’s raining and the umbrella is inside the car. Or, when we’re already 10 minutes late for a doctor’s appointment when we encounter traffic along the way. Or, when we’re waiting in a long line for 45 minutes only to find out that we’re in the wrong line and the line we have to go to is twice as long as the first one. Confucius says these inconveniences are unrecognized opportunities. Patience is one opportunity we can practice each time we encounter inconveniences and learning is another.

 

 

Learn, Adapt, and Survive

Published on by Eugene Morgan

Changing winds
Post Written By Eugene Morgan

Adaptation is learning how to make adjustment in a difficult situation. If we don’t adapt we won’t survive. Adapting is an attitude as well.

Optimism is one of those attitudes we must adapt, if we’re going to survive. Being flexible is a keynote to adaptation. We must bend to changes in our environment.

We are one of the most adaptable creatures on the planet. We thrive to learn multiple ways to improve our lives. But we are creatures of habit and love our routines and predictable behavioral patterns.

It’s better to balance both—adaptability and routine.  For a routine, we need some sort of structure and for adaptation; we need some flexibility while changing is happening.

Craft it Out of a Routine

Published on by Eugene Morgan

Happy Mother's Day Mom, Kindergarten Craft
Written By Eugene Morgan

When it comes to our craft or whatever we do in life, there’s always room for growth.   It took us a long time to learn a craft.  When we’re learning something new, it is usually conscious learning, and once it’s learned it becomes unconscious.

In other words, whatever we learn eventually becomes routine; we don’t think about it anymore because it’s out of our consciousness.  But some routines are good, and for the most part, are satisfying enough to no longer think about improving them, such as, standing or walking is something we do everyday.

But there are some routines we may want to improve on, like speaking in front of a group and developing listening skills.  Routines can make life dull, but if we keep improving our craft or take up something new, then it can make a difference in our lives.

Getting It Right is not Always Better

Published on by Eugene Morgan

Children playing
Written By Eugene Morgan

As children we were free to imagine and be ourselves without any restrictions. But as we grew older our parents and our teachers told us that to master something, we had to get it right.  But when we began to focus on getting things right, we began losing our creativity.  As result, our creativity repressed and laid dormant inside us.

However, it’s all right to brainstorm or to think freely without trying to get it right.  When we allow ourselves to think freely, new ideas and new solutions will start to become conscious to us.

Adult thinking or conscious thinking is quick to dismiss crazy ideas or ideas that won’t fit into the situation we’re trying to solve.  Although the idea sounds illogical, let’s us use our creativity to find out if the idea can find its way into solving a problem.  Yes, applying logic is one good approach but applying creativity is even better.

 

 

 

On Being Flexible

Published on by Eugene Morgan

Hanging branches blown up by the wind
Written by Eugene Morgan

Erickson was always trying to find a way to help someone be flexible.  Flexibility is like a branch that’s not easily broken by the wind. The branch moves in the same direction of the wind.  Or it’s like a runner who stretches before a race to prevent an injury.  Or it’s like going with the flow to keep us afloat.  We go with the flow to only wait until things die down before we decide on the next step.

Getting Back to Riddles & Puzzles

Published on by Eugene Morgan

The Riddle of the Sphinx
Written by Eugene Morgan

Riddles and puzzles’ function are to stretch our minds.  Riddles and puzzles are a good exercise for the mind.  Riddles and puzzles are not designed to give up answers easily.  We have to work for them.  Sometimes, we give up too soon and get upset with ourselves, only to kick ourselves after looking at the answer in the answer section of the book.

However when we do work for the answer to a puzzle, we’re rewarded with “aha moment” —a feeling of satisfaction, a glimpse of enlightenment and understanding, and with a gold nugget of new perspectives.  Milton Erickson enjoys using riddles and puzzles to help the subjects to expand their minds.

Make A Detour In Life

Published on by Eugene Morgan

Desvío
Written by Eugene Morgan

“It is the experience of reassociating and reorganizing his own experiential life that eventuates in a cure,” Milton Erickson

We can’t make a change if we’re insisting on thinking of the problem the same way. We need another way of thinking, or a new frame of reference to reorganize our experiential life.

It’s like taking the same route everyday to work never considering that there are alternative routes to get to work. We’re forced to take a detour only if there is problem like a car accident or road repair. However, when we do take a different route, we lose the old associations that are linked to old route to work. Taking a new route can create new associations, new ways of thinking,  and add varieties and new opportunities along the way.

 

 

Seeds of Ideas

Published on by Eugene Morgan

Flowers
Written by Eugene Morgan

“There is nothing more delightful than planting flower seeds and not knowing what kind of flowers are going to come up.” Milton Erickson

Erickson enjoyed planting seeds of ideas to his patients, students and subjects to get them into another training of thought.  When we get stuck into certain train of thought, it is hard to get out.   Like this quote, “The way out is through the  door.  Why is it that no one will use this exit?” Confucius.  What seem obvious to one person, isn’t alway obvious to another who’s thinking a certain way that’s not useful. We all have experienced someone pointing something out to us that seems obvious to them; and then it dawns on us what’s so obvious about it. After it dawn on us, we feel silly and ask ourselves why didn’t we think of that before. It’s also like an “aha” moment when we get after looking for solution. Then when we see things in hindsight , it seems so clear to us now.