A True Story
I’m sitting in a quiet room in my house, a peaceful little place. It’s just past noon, late February, and I’m listening to the desperate sounds of a life-or-death struggle going on a few feet away.
There’s a small fly burning out the last of its short life’s energies in a futile attempt to fly through the glass of a windowpane. The whining wings tell the poignant story of the fly’s strategy — try harder. But it’s not working, The frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is a part of the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking through the glass.
The breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy.
Why doesn’t the fly try another approach, something dramatically different? How did it get so locked in on the idea that this particular route, and determined effort, offers the most promise for success? What logic exists in continuing, until death, to seek a breakthrough with “more of the same”? No doubt this approach makes sense to the fly. Regrettably, it’s an idea that will kill.
“Trying harder” isn’t necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer any real promise of getting what you want out of life. Sometimes, in fact, it’s a big part of the problem. If you stake your hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever, you may kill your chances for success.
- Change your personal rules for success.
- Quit trying harder.
- Ignore conventional ways.
- Think beyond what common sense would allow.
- Suspend disbelief.
- Focus on ends rather than means.
- Rely on the unseen forces.
- Choose a different set of risks.
- Trust in the power of pursuit.
- Seek failure.
- Get uncomfortable.
- Open your gifts.
- Fall in love.
- Make your move before you’re ready.
- Look inside for the opportunity
Thinking beyond what common sense would allow involves exploring ideas or solutions that may seem unconventional, counterintuitive, or even impossible based on our current understanding or experience. It involves questioning assumptions, challenging the status quo, and considering alternative perspectives that may not be immediately obvious.
For example, common sense might dictate that it’s impossible to build a machine that can fly, but the Wright Brothers thought beyond what common sense would allow and successfully invented the airplane. Similarly, common sense might suggest that it’s not possible to create a decentralized digital currency, but Satoshi Nakamoto thought beyond what common sense would allow and created Bitcoin.
By thinking beyond common sense, we can push the boundaries of what is possible, innovate, and create new solutions to complex problems. It requires an open mind, a willingness to challenge assumptions, and a desire to explore new ideas and possibilities.