and insecurities that become further obstacles to finding flow. Which is why answering some meaningful questions about one’s own life is terribly hard. We’ve hovered on the surface, trying to fit in, not wondering if it fitted us.
This is not to say that education and other forms of conventional standards and recognition aren’t important. Education certainly has its place and it is an important metric. But when engaged in this from self-knowledge and awareness of one’s talents, then internal motivation and the ability to learn are amplified.
Living from the inside out
The truth of the matter is: you are already somebody. You have your unique way of approaching things. There are things that you are in tune with, that make you smile and that you can naturally do so well, you wonder if it’s a skill at all. There are the things that you feel attracted to and immediately bring you into the itch-territory. You are already somebody with unique skills and talents. They need nurturing, growing and developing from the inside out.
YOU ARE
ALREADY
SOMEBODY
AND YOU WILL
BE A NOBODY,
IF YOU DON’T DO
ANYTHING
WITH THAT.
Natural talent
If you swap the letters of T-A-L-E-N-T, you see the word L-A-T-E-N-T. Talent isn’t something that is always immediately obvious. What is hiding inside you that is completely original, that you meant to bring to this world? What about you has been undiscovered and unrecognised? We understand the concept of a natural football player, an artist, or someone who is talented at mathematics. Talent doesn’t necessarily have to apply to the skills we are familiar with. You could possess a talent in your way of thinking, your way of negotiating, your feeling for colour, your attention to detail, your ability to care, your talent for leadership or the way you use words. How about if your special talent with children, with design, with teams, with problems or solutions could impact other people’s lives and change them forever?
Every single person has talent. We arrive on this planet alone and we leave it alone. In the time we are here we are responsible for unlocking those talents and putting them to good use. They often are the resources that aren’t capitalised on, but taken for granted. In a world where we deplete natural resources faster than ever, it could pay dividends to look a little closer to home for inspiration regarding innovation, talent and creativity.
TALENT = LATENT
Imagine being part of an education system that uses as its starting point the “you are a somebody” mantra, teaching (life)skills suited to the individual talents of the child. Of course all children need to have a degree of base knowledge, but it is pretty clear from the outset that children come with different interests. Instead of creating a hierarchy of ability (you are either academic or not), children can find their natural talents and build on from there.
CYNICAL SELF ALERT
You might think “easier said than done”. You might question what your talents are or be afraid to say them out loud, because you will be perceived to be bragging. You might struggle to think of yourself as a Somebody, if you’ve spent a lifetime in your own shadow.
Everyone has talent. But not many people’s talents are truly recognised. So time to recognise it yourself to begin with. Because if you don’t acknowledge it yourself, then the world around you will never find out.
Companies operating from this perspective benefit too. In a working world where creative leadership is key, let employees find their voice and resources. Instead of supplying everyone with coaches, courses and armies of change management experts, guide the process of allowing people to experiment and develop. At a time of transition, people need to be given permission to navigate their own ship. Taking responsibility, recognising their talents, scratch their every-year itch. Who knows what gold mine could be discovered? People who are able to have that degree of autonomy are often more fully engaged. It’s impactful and sustainable.
LOOK AT IT THIS WAY
Hopefully the wheels have been set in motion and you have started thinking about your dreams, plans and talents that you have dismissed. You might not have thought you were good at anything as measured by a conventional system. You are not alone. In the next chapter we will shed some light on why that is. Having a greater understanding of this will give you greater skill to gain a new perspective. Develop new eyes.
TOOLBOX
• I-T-C-H = your Innovative, Talented, Creative, Hungry self.
• Live from the inside out.
• Talent = Latent. Find it, uncover it.
THE BRAIN – LEANING OVER TO THE RIGHT
The camera cannot see what you don’t point it at. You can only have one perspective; is it your own? To see differently you might need to stand somewhere else, listen with your heart not your ears, see with your senses not your eyes, taste with your intuition not your tongue. When you take one step to the right, the shadows will fall differently. What you see depends on where you stand.
Introduction
We all have a brain. This might seem an unnecessary statement, but not many people are that consciously aware of it, let alone use it to its fullest potential. How do you even know what the brain’s potential truly is? Scientists tell us that the more they discover about this incredible human computer, the more they realise how little they know. So many questions about how exactly the brain operates remain unanswered. Research never seems to stumble upon the human brain’s limitations, but instead opens up more areas for discussion and speculation. Chances are that for you and me that means there’s still much undiscovered territory.
The brain consists of two halves, the left and right hemispheres. Without needing to understand the intricacies of brain development and for the purpose of this chapter simplifying things terribly, the left brain concerns itself with the logical, with measurable facts and figures. The right brain on the other hand deals with expansive imagination and creative visualisation. However, the two hemispheres work together extensively in various areas. It’s very much a joint effort.
Brain development happens all the time, whether we are aware of it or not. We are constantly inundated with stimuli that need processing. Our brains are shaped by the environment we live in and the external factors we are exposed to. If you take a broad look at your life, how you think and how you make decisions, would you then conclude you are mostly governed by factual thinking or are you very much a creative?
ARE YOU A FACTUAL THINKER
OR A CREATIVE?
OR BOTH?
When I ask this question in groups it takes people very little time to conclude that they are mostly factual thinkers. We are living in a “left brain dominated society”, so it’s not difficult to be influenced and impressed by this approach. Questions that arise quickly are: how much does that cost, how long is this going to take, what profit will be made, etc.? In other words, questions that determine the bottom line, the results and the requirements for something. Imagination, visualisation, brainstorming and also the arts are all creative activities, associated with the right brain. In our hierarchical society it seems that the left brain and the “serious”, “demanding”, measurable business-like activities are favoured or certainly deemed to be more important than creative activities. Of course it is nice to be creative (so it’s explained)… as a hobby. The serious stuff is happening in the “real” (left, logical brain) world.
SO, WHERE IS THIS GOING?