Thinking Out-of-the-Box

Next time you tell yourself you can't find a solution to [seemingly] impossible snag, remember this.

But first, let me tell you a little story.

Have you ever looked at a circus elephant anchored to the ground?

You might have noticed that the elephant has a metal collar around its leg to which is attached a small chain that 5-ton animal can easily rip out and walk away.

Question - Why doesn't he?

When the elephant was a baby, that same collar and chain were used to hold the elephant in place. No matter how much he tried, each time, he failed, more often than not, hurting the leg.

So you see, when the elephant grew older, he never forgot that experience and was conditioned for a lifetime, when in fact, it could be so easy for a grown-up elephant to break free.

It is the same with humans; whenever we failed at something or were conditioned to endless "NOs" from parents, teachers, a system, and the rest of the environment, we shrank more and more.

Suppose you understand the hurt, and you know some of the constraints we put on ourselves. In that case, you are better able to cope with breaking out of those assumed constraints and becoming anything you want to be and accomplish anything you want to accomplish. [1]

Having that in mind, try to solve the following puzzle.

 Hint: THINK OUT OF THE BOX.

Connect the dots in this puzzle with four straight lines without taking your pen off the paper. 

If you have solved it, congratulations. If not - don't worry. You can find a solution at the end of the article, but take this as a lesson. Often, to solve a critical problem, you've got to go out of the problem area itself to find an answer.

Cages are cages, whether constructed of steel and concrete or from the fabric of the mind. Like all experiences, both freedom and slavery are registered in the mind. The mind sets the limits of the bondage and provides the gate to liberty. 

Do me a favor.

Think-out-of-the Box.

And share this article.

#transformation #leadership #strategic thinking