Don’t get too comfortable…why it’s good to turn your research paradigm upside down…
Ever stumble across something that totally changes your former thoughts? It’s like stretching your neurons in a totally new direction and now you have to occupy this new space for a while, fumbling and foraging around. Maybe, for some, it feels more like gum on the bottom of your shoe. Annoying. Sticky. And now you have to clean it up. But the residue still remains…
While I don’t tend to fall in the latter camp of feeling annoyed,
I completely u n d e r s t a n d.
I’ve written about the importance of improvisation, of “play,” and how these critical processes have been stripped out of so much of our lives. I’ve also written about the importance of approaching things with a beginner’s mind and how doing something new or unconventional is not always easy and may initially be met with criticism.
My point is, I get it. Turning your paradigm upside down can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be…
Recently, I came across a research article that did just that. As I read it, I realized it was taking a good bit of my writing – my proposals, professional perspectives, personal philosophies, goals, and so on – and it was stripping them all away. It was crumbling them up, tearing them up, shaking them up, and tossing them to the wind. Right now, as I sit here in this very moment, I can see my words scattering about, falling to the ground, breaking apart. I am left with some letters to reassemble into…I don’t know yet. I don’t even know.
But that is the beauty of it all! This research made me rethink *so much.* And THAT is powerful. THAT is inspiring. THAT is truly pivotal work.
Am I overwhelmed? Of course, I am! But this moment is important. This moment is the *spark* of creativity for something new. This moment is one (of many moments in life) that leads to uncovering new solutions and challenging long-standing assumptions. Of course, not all is lost, but I have to recenter my focus…A LOT. Standby… 📻 ✨