Your thought to ponder for today: a slow read through THE SEER. Day 19. [all material from the book appears in italics]:
11.
Stories and story cycles are patterns. There are endless story formulas out there to describe what makes a story work. One of my favorite definitions of story comes from Robert Olen Butler. He writes that a story happens when a yearning meets an obstacle.
This is a simple pattern and the result is energy! Nothing creates movement toward fulfillment than a yearning meeting an obstacle.
I had a revelation after scribbling my note. I wanted Virgil to tell me how to do it so it would be easy. I wanted him to tell me the answer. My assumption was that an answer exists and I just can’t see it. That is another form of problem thinking. What if there are multiple answers? What if there are no answers but more and more steps? Isn’t that a great description of business in the 21st century? If I lived in the 19th century it might be appropriate to problem solve. The world I inhabit moves too fast. Moore’s Law is in play. Ambiguity and rapid change are the constants. That is why it is an imperative that I recognize that I have patterns not problems. Problem solving is like looking at the ground while the world passes by; pattern recognition demands that you keep your head up and eyes open.
The name I give things either opens my eyes or blinds me to what’s possible. My language matters!
I sent an email to Virgil telling him of my insight and he responded that I’d stumbled into the second recognition: language matters. He congratulated me and then asked me this question:
Virgil: Are you ready to leave behind all that you know?
I wrinkled my nose at the words on the screen. I knew exactly what he was asking of me and didn’t like what it implied.
The 9 Recognitions that comprise The Seer serve as the framework for my coaching, teaching, and consulting. Learn more here.
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