"Positively Thinking Out of the Box"
How can one person "think out of the box?" This should be done
independently, but how? Here's an example: Cut a cake into eight
slices but you have to make no more than three cuts. Most people
will have trouble coming up with a way to cut the cake. But to
solve this, you have to change the way you look at the cake and
how to cut it. One perfect solution is to cut the cake into two
equal sizes and put the other half on top of the other. Cut it
again in half then stack the other half pieces on top of one
another and cut them again. There you go, that's thinking out of
the box.
Another example of thinking out of a box is this: Here are four
words... subtract, multiply, add, decrease... Now which one does
not belong to the group? Mostly people would right away say that
the word "decrease" does not belong. Why? Because all the other
three words are mathematical jargons and the latter is not.
Well, that's not thinking out of the box, if you think out of
the box, the answer would be the word "add" since it only has
three letters while all the other have six and more. You could
give a lot of right answers but the one that shows more
creativity stands out.
The prevailing component in the way our minds work is inserting
some changes from past experiences and processes. Another good
sample is when you are asked two days that starts with the
letter "T". Your answer would probably be Tuesday and Thursday.
Hey, how about Tomorrow and Today? Well, that is out of the box
all right. Companies try to test a new product and are sure they
are getting a design at a reasonable cost. They look at things
in the business and think that objectives will work just as
planned. But these things sound monotonous already, for they
only think using the past as patterns. Patterns are helpful
since they help finish tasks such as driving, eating or
drinking. However, these are the same patterns that make it hard
for people to think out of the box and create alternative
solutions to a dilemma especially when challenged with unwanted
data.
One important move to break the pattern is trying to reverse
patterns, designs or solutions and arouse new interest. Take
thing as they are and turn them inside out, upside down, or
simply turn them around and you'll be surprised with the result.
This was Henry Ford's personal experience. His conventional plan
was to just "bring people to work." He tried to change all this
into: "bring work to the people." This plan generated more
revenues.
Another way to bring out other solutions to simple problems and
situations is to not think about the subject. If you want to
bring about something more creative, think not of the part of
the problem itself, rather, think of people or subjects in
motion and then use the abstract formation or design as a
stimulus for a new design.
But to think out of the box, never shy away from the fact that
some of your ideas could really be crazy enough. This could
break rigidity of thinking and present a way to sift the
harebrained and irrational. This gives the thinker more freedom
to think out of the box and reinvent things in way they have
never been arranged before. What you could do is list several
odd or absurd ideas about a certain problem.
Letting go of the question will release the stress you are
undergoing by trying to "squeeze" the creativity. Once you let
it go, all the power of the universe is free to find a solution
and the solution will come to you when you least expect it.
In much more real life scenarios, you could think out of the box
for fun. You can practice fun trouble-making stuff without
hurting anyone by saying or doing the unexpected. But make sure
that you do this first to persons you already know to avoid
conflicts and negative confrontations. Say, a buddy asks for the
time, automatically you would look at your wrist watch which is
a result of the stimulus-response theory. Thinking out of the
box, why not say something crazy like, "Oh it's time for a
vengeance," then head toward the door. Watch their reaction as
they go into total confusion and trance as you have totally
mixed things up in their heads and interrupted their thinking
pattern. (Don't forget to apologize afterwards)
Thinking out of the Box or usually known as creative thinking
seeks to design new and really creative arrangement of elements
to produce a work of art. Being an out of the box thinker can be
a rewarding profession. This is dangerous, but it could be one
of your strengths in no time. If the herd is going to the right,
you go the other way.
Remember that you could be genius in your own way. Your thoughts
come from deep reaches and these totally different ideas are
clever enough to make a difference in the end. Being creative
and out of the box is wild sometimes, but could move you through
growth and self-development. You'll be surprised at how easy and
differently it will be for you to fix and try to solve things
away from the tried-and-true habits. Let your thinking out of
the old box be your guide to a new and better, wonderful
approach to life.
|
