Fluidity in Application

Anything that is learned or any knowledge that is transferred is not useful unless it meets practical application. Theories and models sound great. Models and processes look great on paper, but until applied make extraordinarily little sense and zero impact. No matter how professionally researched a concept might be, it proves to be useful only if it is practical to implement.

Therefore, this piece on ‘fluidity in application’ is a sequel to my previous article on fluidity. For those who have not read it, I recommend you do so as it will help you put things in perspective and understand the concept in its entirety. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/nther-one-from-the-stable/fluidity-the-new-approach-20407/

So, the 4A Model of fluidity in my previously published article gives you a framework to make better decisions, manage conflicts, deal better in a situation, and so on and so forth. What I have tried to do is take the concept of fluidity to a much more fluid level. My endeavor would be to help you understand the fluidity of thoughts and their impact on oneself. We have till now, dealt with fluidity only at the fundamental level. There has been a gap of three months until I thought of writing more on fluidity. The obvious reason is that I have been doing a lot of research on the concept of fluidity. It has been an awesome experience while reading about it, observing people around me, interacting with a lot of people across the world through webinars, and most importantly applying fluidity in my thinking and moving forward with certain decisions that otherwise would have been impossible with a rigid mindset.

But first and foremost, we will have to understand rigidity and fluidity a little more closely and its impact on us. No better way to understand than experience it. Right? Are you ready to experience it? All you have to do is a quick and simple experiment. This experiment is extremely powerful that will help you understand the impact of rigidity and fluidity on yourself. I hope you are ready.

The only pre-requisite to this experiment is that you must be in complete silence. There must be zero disturbance around you. Preferably, the surroundings must be free of any noise, sound, television, or music in the background. Nothing must disturb you. once you are sure that you will not be disturbed, go ahead with the experiment.

Ready? Follow my instructions carefully.

Step – 1

Close your eyes for 5 seconds and visualize a stagnant water body.

Close your eyes again for 10 seconds and observe in detail the dirty surroundings near the stagnant water body.

Close your eyes again for 15 seconds and see what you associate with the things that you observed around the stagnant water body. Maybe associate to some of the instances from your past.

Step – 2

Close your eyes for 5 seconds and visualize a huge vibrant waterfall.

Close your eyes for 10 seconds and observe in detail the beautiful surroundings near the waterfall.

Close your eyes again for 15 seconds and see what you associate with the things that you observed around the waterfall. Maybe associate to some of the instances from your past.

Now I want you to recall your experience in step 1 & step 2. Take a moment to relive the experience. I can bet a fortune that in step one you would have experienced very dark, negative, or not a very pleasant experience. If you were able to relate it to any instance from your past, I am sure that it would not have been positive. On the other hand, in step 2, your experience will be extremely positive and full of life. You will be able to relate it to some memorable instances. step 2 is colourful and bright.

For a moment I want you to reflect upon your state of mind in steps 1 and 2. By contrast, your experience in step 2 is joyous and upbeat whereas step 1 was gloomy and least desirable. I wanted to bring in this analogy of a stagnant water body that signifies rigidity and a waterfall that signifies a free-flowing state. A state of mind that is fluid. Interestingly, it took you barely 30 seconds to fall into a gloomy and a negative state of mind thinking about stagnancy. Just imagine what a rigid mind could do to you in your entire lifespan.

So is there a way one can cultivate a fluid mindset. The answer is yes, but it will take a great degree of discipline to achieve it and sustain it. You must follow these 7 key points ‘OPERATE-7’ to develop a free-flowing state of mind or what we have better known as fluidity.

OPERATE – 7

1 Open to Perspectives – Always be open to different opinions and other people’s views. You may not completely agree with a particular viewpoint or it could be a case where you completely disagree with someone. Yet be open to listen and respect differing opinions. In today's globalized world we interact with people from various cultures, nationalities, etc. Agree to disagree and learn to move on. 

2 Probe – Probing effectively unravels a lot of information. Probing is a questioning technique to get the desired information. It is a structured method whereby you begin with a broad issue or a question and slowly narrow it down to an area of your interest.

3 Evaluate – Get into a habit of weighing the pros and cons of any situation. Weighing your options helps you look at a situation in a broad manner. You look for all possibilities and probabilities rather than focusing singularly or in one direction. This is interlinked with our previous point of probing. Once you arrive at an answer after probing, it is only natural to evaluate.

4 Ready to Fail – One of the most important points in my view. If you have to develop fluidity, be willing to take a fall. Be ready to fail. Not failing is a sign that you are not trying anything new. You either succeed or you learn. You will agree with me that at times we are guilty of not taking any action due to fear of failure.

5 Another Beginning – Life is all about beginning somewhere, someday. You might have failed at something at some point in time. It is all about beginning again. Take a shot at life again. That is how all the inventions have been done in the history of mankind.

6 Throwback – Whenever you get the feeling of being stuck and unable to move ahead, use the throwback technique. When you feel stagnant and difficult to cut loose, think of the times in the past. Even if takes you back as early as your childhood. There will be many instances where you struggled with the situation but managed to come out as a winner. For sure there was something that you did right then. All you have to do is remind yourself of the situation and how you dealt with it. Recreate the same magic in the present, where you are much wiser and more experienced.

7 Evolve – This by far looks the most basic and obvious but to be honest in my opinion the least exercised. Aging and growing wiser is not the same. Gaining knowledge and learning is not the same. You must be aware that continuous self-upgrading is the key. You must keep your relevance in sync with the changing world. The only way to do this is to evolve.

To summarize, if you observe yourself closely, you have in some way or the other dealt with the current COVID situation with fluidity. Less or more, consciously, or unknowingly, whatever the case might be, you have been in a fluid state of mind in dealing with the ever-evolving situation around you. But there is a need for the free-flowing thought process to take charge much more consciously and consistently. You must, therefore, proactively use OPERATE-7 to become fluid in your thinking.