It may seem impossible, but it is possible. This would transform your job, your company, and your team. . . YOUR LIFE. . . For the better? Joel Barker, a Futurist, taught me this question many years ago. He made a movie called “The Business of Paradigms” way back in the past century. The movie has been updated and is now called “The New Business of Paradigms- 21st Century Edition”. It’s timeless, no matter what. It is only 18 minutes long, and it costs nearly a thousand dollars! The preview is available for free. If you haven’t already, check it out here. You might get a discount if you tell them I sent it. This question can unlock possibilities that would otherwise be impossible to access through the veil of consciousness.
We are all animals and spend a lot time on autopilot. Many of our lives are spent in a trance state. We are highly functional, but not consciously aware. Have you ever found yourself at the end a busy day and wanting to shout “Has anyone seen the day?”? I know from personal experience that I’ve been on long car rides and wondered who drove the last 100 miles. My brain was mostly wandering about, but there was a part of me driving the car.
“What seems impossible but is possible, would change your life for better?” It’s sometimes called a “hypnotic question” because it temporarily suspends our critical thinking and beliefs about reality. It transports us to a future that is free from all practicality. We are usually quite adept at identifying the best avenues of thinking and avoiding them being wasted time. The evolution of the species is not dependent on people fantasizing about impossible outcomes. The modern world doesn’t encourage us to wander through a forest of fantasies. It is very difficult to be realistic and avoid making mistakes, failures, or embarrassing the public. Ken Robinson’s hilarious YouTube video claims that schools are responsible for some of these problems. Check out “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” It doesn’t end there. I have seen the spirit of people in corporate America slowly die, with only a few remnants of their dignity left. It is a terrible consequence of wage slavery, which is becoming more common in this world. To afford houses that are close to their hated jobs, people must work in jobs they don’t like. Fascinating!
This is why I ask people this question every chance I get. It allows them to let go of their limitations, even if it’s only for a moment, and allows them to see their potential. As a leader, I want everyone on my team to feel alive, appreciated, and in touch their extraordinary potential. There are some people who drive me crazy and I would rather go to the dentist than spend my time with them, but I want my team to feel happy when they do have those moments. We are more than just project leaders. We are creating an environment for our people and I strongly believe that this is our responsibility.
When a conversation is started, it transforms everything around it, even the project. It is possible to understand the magic that happens when people get to know their dreams.
Don’
