Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work. (Horace, 35 b.c.)
Even as you read this some
clever entrepreneurs are making money selling videos to kids—not of cartoons or
action heros, but of bulldozers and dump trucks. No amount of marketing
research would ever have unearthed the fact that young kids love to watch
movies of heavy earth-moving equipment in action. You had to put it on the
market and see what happened. So somebody with imagination did just that.
In the same way, when you put
your own brain through Shock exercises you have to start as if you're operating
from outside the brain. Your brain has several different parts as the
next section will detail. For purposes of Shock you'll dip into your inner, or
Proto-Brain, in order to generate the Shock for your outer, or Neo-Brain to
chew on.
Shock: Exercise 1
- Try doing what Walt Disney
had a special gift for: switching positions with your audience. You can do this
even if you don't speak or present in front of groups. Think of a situation
where you interact with other people, possibly a past, present or future
conflict. Go over your point of view as if you were watching a movie of
yourself from the other person's point of view. Watch for your every
expression, the way your eyes look, the way you hold yourself. Become that
other person, take his or her position, and start acting like that person would
act while listening to you.
- Do the above exercise but
take the point of view of many other people one after another: people you know,
or Moses or Donald Duck. Draw up a detailed report by each of these people of
their impressions of you.
Shock: Exercise 2
- This might be painful or difficult,
but create a detailed questionnaire on your attributes and goals. Give it to
people you are acquainted with, who know you but not intimately. This is only
valuable if you get at least ten respondents. Sift through the responses
looking for common threads that can lead to Shocks. You can use this technique
to pinpoints areas where you want to change.
- As an extension of this above
technique, instead of using other people, use changes in time. Fill out your
detailed questionnaire as if you were somebody else, doing a new questionnaire
every week. After a few months, compare the questionnaires and try to define
potential progress areas.
Shock: Exercise 3
- Using a tape recorder, give
yourself capsule summaries of life areas or situations you wish would change.
Rewind and listen to what you recorded. Then re-record the same material using
a fake voice, giving the voice as much dignity and presence as you can, as if
it were Abraham Lincoln or George Washington. Speak slowly and deliberately,
and start to give yourself advice with these voices. Use your own name in the
third person.
Shock: Exercise 4
- Make a basic change in a
habit, any habit (good or bad). Switch sides of the bed with your spouse, put
on your clothes or wash your body parts in a different order, start eating
different food, or commute using a different route. Answering the telephone
differently (by using your name instead of saying “hello,” for example) may
make you very uncomfortable because the old habit is quite ingrained, but the
whole idea is to Shock you out of your comfort zones. The same goes for
changing the style in which you dress.
Shock: Exercise 5
- Walk or jog against traffic
for an extended period of time. If you live in a city with long one-way
streets, take a brisk walk in the direction opposite traffic. Bring a notebook
with you to write down any thoughts, or else use a mini-recorder. If you can
walk or jog safely on the shoulder of a highway or freeway, do so in the
opposite direction of the traffic. The more traffic and energy flowing the
other way, the better. Try to find a situation where you are not close to the
traffic going the same direction as you. And don't try this in your car.
- Do the above exercise with a
friend or partner, real or imaginary.
Shock: Exercise 6
- Certain buildings or outside
environments may be conducive to Shock or spurts of creativity. Try going to an
airport and getting through security extra early next time you fly so you are
not pressed for time. Browse the stalls, have something to eat, watch the
people moving by with all their concern and energy. Sit somewhere with a
notebook and your favorite pen and jot down whatever comes to your mind. Change
vantage points often. And don't mind the frequent announcements on the
loudspeaker; see them as Positive Interrupts.
Shock: Exercise 7
- Create a small set of
questions that relate to your self-image and goals. Write or type them, leaving
space for short written answers. Then answer the questions using your opposite
hand to write (left hand if you're right-handed, right hand if you're
left-handed). Do this alone, because often the responses may be quite sensitive
and surprising. In fact, doing any habitual action with your opposite hand,
even for short period, can be a real shocker, since it engages another part of
your brain.
Shock: Exercise 8
- Create mental oil paintings
of scenarios of your present life. Work in great detail and declare the
paintings finished at some point. Then “animate” the paintings, making all the
features move and progress as if they were sophisticated computer animation
from a Steven Spielberg movie. Remember, you're not doing this, Spielberg's
talented techies are. Where are they taking you?
By the way, all of the above
exercises should be done with some serious purpose, but no one's telling you
not to have fun with them either. Life should be fun.