Stop thinking
Over the past fortnight I’ve had a particularly tricky problem on my mind – nothing too serious, just messy and complicated and a bit demoralising. The more I thought about it the less able I felt. I started to question my own capacity to think and make sense, yet alone identify options.
So I let it go. I stopped thinking about the issue for a whole week. Consciously, anyway. I read books. I blogged. I watched mindless television and exciting football games (that’d be Aussie Rules Football of course!) I walked on the beach and in the forest. I balanced rocks. I had weird dreams – none of which I can remember. I weeded the vegie garden. I trained some people in facilitation. I listened to music. I slept in. I met friends for coffee, and others for dinner.
And then I returned to the problem. And click, click, click. The synapses fired. Options were all around. Ideas exploding. Enthusiasm reignited. I just had to let it go and be patient. Easy to say. Hard to do. Worth remembering.
Photo credit: iStockphoto
Hi Viv, I’m laughing because I can relate to your experience very closely. I think the unravelling of my issue has further to go but I think these things are a cosmic joke played upon Open Space facilitators.
The universe hears our championing of self-organising systems, trusting in process, sitting with uncertainty, watching for emergence instead of “driving results”. And it says, hmm, let’s see if Viv/Johnnie/Whoever REALLY believe this stuff they preach!
Damn universe!!!! lol