The Art of Framing

"At some point in your life, have you ever encountered a problem?"

A pretty pointless question as the answer will always be a resounding "Yes". The next question is the interesting one and will yield varied results:

"How did you deal with it?"

I, generally, have an ignore-it-for-a-while, to let nature take its course type of reaction. Others may call it the ostrich-in-the-sand response. If it isn't able to be resolved on its own, then volumes of research, reading case studies, on-line help, professional consultations and anything else I can find to throw into the blender will be added to permutate a solution.
We will all have different approaches and each problem in itself will require different tactics to overcome it. It's the approach aspect that I want to narrow in on. I read an interesting article about whether the creative design process could be put down in a structured process. The study followed some ingenious people and discussed each of their methods of approaching a problem and the steps they 'followed' to see if there was some common pattern that could be written down for others to emulate and hopefully achieve similar levels of creative results. What stood out for me in that article was a line from the approach aspect, "Frame your problem differently."

This struck me as quite profound as if you take a picture frame, it actually separates the picture from its surroundings, it puts it in a different context, different to what is around the framing, it hi-lights or gives focal attention to the picture and it also gives a boundary for the picture. Although the article didn't explicitly describe the framing in such a manner, it was immediately apparent to me that this is an excellent strategy to approach problems.

Don't allow the problem to bleed into the rest of your life, give it a boundary that it can't cross. Keep it contained so it cannot affect all aspects of your life. Give it focus so that it can be addressed but not focus to be obsessed. Remember, the problem has a boundary containing it.
Separate the problem from its surroundings, approach it from completely new angles without the distractions of its surroundings. Use whatever insight or knowledge you have to look for alternative solutions. You may have an interest in nature and seen how a bird's wing is shaped and can adopt that to the problem of creating a more aerodynamic bicycle frame. You may have chemical know-how and can adopt that in your culinary hobby. I have seen liquid nitrogen being used creatively in the kitchen because of someone framing the problem differently.

Frames also come in an infinite variety of styles. This speaks to me of how you define the problem. So many times we label the problem in such a way that it seems impossible to resolve. If the frame is changed, perhaps the problem definition could be altered such that it can be addressed. A simple framing example: "I don't earn enough money! With my job, I get a salary that is the market norm and that's all, nothing else I can do!"
Re-framed: "I spend too much money based on my income! Let me review my budget and see what unnecessary expenditure I have and make some adjustments so I can save for what I really need."

If that frame doesn't work out, try different ones till you find one that better defines the problem for you so that you can resolve it. Remember, there is never just one frame that suits a picture, each adds a different aspect to the picture. A different colour may draw attention to different entities within the picture. Different frame profiles suit different style pictures. A modern metallic sharp angled frame wouldn't suit the Mona Lisa and an old ornate wooden carved frame wouldn't suit a modern pop-art type of picture.

Find the frame(s) that suits your problem. There is an art in framing, so don't settle for the first one you try, use some creativity in your approach, you may be surprised at how you end up solving your problem...

How Often Do You Sow?

Reap what you sow

Reap what you sow in your life
Every opportunity awaits the willing
A chance to plant the seeds of hope
Placed in the ground with a purpose

When the seeds grow into serenity
Having a chance to be inspiring
An exhileration of the joys of labor
Then you're prepared for what life is!

Yes, for you'll have that chance to teach
Or learn just by dedicating  yourself
Understanding the benefits...reap what you sow

So in that garden of life...when it's truly seen
Often missed by many...the real spirituality
When you...reap what you sow...each and everyday

David

© afireinthisheart  http://allpoetry.com/poem/6393295-Reap-what-you-sow-by-afireinthisheart

This week seemed quite uneventful in comparison with the latest torrent of DIY projects on the go. One event that did stand out, was an opportunity I was given to promote the field of mechanical engineering to some young adults who are exploring their options for their future after school. What an honour to be able to provide some input into guiding these individuals, who could go on to become the next Gordon Murray or Mark Shuttleworth or Elon Musk. I will likely never see them again nor know if my presentation affected them in any way, but just being able to use my experience to sow into their lives and being able to help guide them in their career choice, is a huge privilege. I imagine this is a small taste of the satisfaction teachers get every day.
The poetry above, I thought captured the essence of what happened yesterday.

How often do you sow?

It's not the 'karma-ists' who invented this principle of sowing and reaping, it's a practical law of nature. You will not grow maize if you plant apple seeds! You won't grow a crop at all if you don't plant any seed. It's a biblical principal too. It moves on from the the agricultural example and into what we do for our carnal sowing and reaping and ultimately for our spiritual sowing.
Sometimes, this can be hard work with very little visible reward hence the trap of falling into the worldly instantaneous gratification system that yields crops quickly but of very poor quality. Something worthwhile will always require effort and persistence. The crop will produce at the right time, so don't stop tending the fields.

For some crops, you may actually never see the efforts of your labour. The true test of your heart is whether you sow anyway...

My Fear Equation

Continuing with the personality vein of last week, I am one of those stick-to-the-path, use the tried-and-tested method type of people. Trying new things is quite daunting for me. Even going to a new restaurant has a level of anxiety to accompany the dining experience. Where I stray from this inherent characteristic is in the field of D.I.Y. Somehow, I find the excitement and the anticipated sense of accomplishment on completion enough of an incentive to pretty much try anything. Last week-end I found myself embarking on a d.i.y. journey to lay a concrete slab. As always, the job was meticulously planned out, numerous drawings and calculations done, Google searches and YouTube tutorials viewed so I was as mentally prepared as an Olympic athlete.
The phrase,  "I've got this!" was resounding in my brain.

With the materials purchased and the area cleared, measuring and double measuring began. Everything was great up to the point that the shuttering was in. It was when the mixing of the cement began, that my equation of "Sense of Accomplishment > Fear of the Unknown" became flawed. There is no satisfaction, whatsoever, in the laborious duty of mixing cement, sand, stone and water, full stop.
My lesson learnt, was, that certain jobs are best left to the professionals and those experienced in doing them. Concrete work definitely falls into that category. I have a new found respect for the people who do this everyday. My builder friend came in during the week and completed the pour (I ran out of materials, I didn't give up.) within an hour whereas I had taken the better part of a day.
Will I try other d.i.y. jobs? Of course. Some will work according to the equation and others will prove it invalid. The important aspect is that I continue trying and experiencing and with those experiences, I keep learning.

What enables you to face your fears and continue with the job despite those fears?
I encourage you to identify those strengths and leverage them to get the most out of your life. Don't let the fear draw you into a life of perceived safety. There is so much more to experience than what you already know.

Find your fear equation and focus on the 'gain' side rather than the 'fear' side. Build on the positive and the fear will shrink back into its insignificance, releasing you to experience what truly makes you feel alive.

"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." Jack Canfield

Uniqueness of Character

This week I attended a webinar discussing different personality traits and how the classic 'types' perform at their best. I think this is something we inherently know but often we impose or expect our own character type from others and get frustrated when things are not dealt with in our way.

The uniqueness of individuals should be encouraged and the differences in character promoted in the correct manner to bring out the best in each of us.

I have always said that we all have value to add, we just bring it about in different ways. Just as the loud-mouth individual is annoying to the quiet introvert, the extrovert has similar sentiments towards the seemingly distant reserved person.

Knowing and accepting how each classic type best operates, you can relate to people in a way that will bring out the best in them and have a mutually beneficial interaction. For example, forcing an introvert to speak before they are ready only puts them under immense pressure and is likely to clam them up and the gem they were processing in their mind is unlikely to be brought out. On the other hand, some people like to think out loud, in conversation, and need that arena to be available to do just that. Keeping them in a silent isolated think-tank won't bring about the same results. Having these two personality types working together could be disastrous if they do not respect each other's preferred working methods and provide some leeway to accommodate each's style.

We get to choose the friends we spend time with, but at work, we often don't get to choose our colleagues and if we are honest, there are those individuals we would rather choose not to spend time with. However, understanding a little about their personality may provide a key to the best way to interact with them. Achieving the results most effectively may actually be the way to improve a difficult relationship. Of course one side has to first try to be accommodating for this to work and, I think, accepting that we are different and we do things in different ways is the first step to this process. Trying to change or mould someone into something they are not naturally inclined towards, will, in most cases, result in less than optimum results. This is not to say we shouldn't try things out of our comfort zones or encourage others to try new things to develop them, but people usually perform best with their inherent abilities in an almost instinctive manner. Time will of-course allow a person to develop new abilities, confidence, etc... but at a set point in time allow the individual to bring their gem to the table in the way they know best. Respect the fact that they are different and bring out the best in them.

Every Opportunity Has A Potential

"Don't miss an opportunity to be good to people." Galatians 6:10
A very apt message to remind me how we should be behaving rather than always looking out for yourself and striving for more and more. I feel that I do try and help where I am able but I often see opportunities or moments where that small voice inside says I could help in some way and I continue on my way dismissing it with excuses like, "I am on my way somewhere", "I am too busy at the moment", "I am sure someone else will step up and do the same thing", "I ...
"Don't miss an opportunity." That message is crystal clear how we should react when that inner voice speaks to us. You never know what impact it will have.

Here's a story my Mom told me last night:
Firstly let me start out by saying my Mom is not well off financially, so whatever she has is quite important to her. The story starts with her garden which is fairly large, too large for one man to handle let alone a woman with as much grey hair as my Mom has. The garden grows as it pleases and looks more jungle-like than garden. There is even a very large mulberry tree growing into her verandah in Day-of the-Triffids fashion! At times a young man, Romeo, comes in and helps clear weeds and trims the grass panga-style to find the wash line area. Now Romeo is one of the thousands who is homeless and lives in a shack which is constantly raided by delinquents in his area. For his work, my Mom gives him some money, some food and if she can, some clothing every time he comes to help her out. My Mom's house has also been burgled on occasion, with the crooks targeting scrap metal for resale. Now Romeo found these guy, recovered some pots they had stolen and gave them some 'advice' not to return. My Mom was so overwhelmed she felt giving him a clock-radio was just something she could afford to repay him. He literally danced in the street when she gave it to him.
Now Mom and Romeo have been talking about the little stand he has set-up to sell some oranges to commuters on their way to work. She has advised him how to save money and is taking him to a bank to arrange his first bank account. She has also told him about the man who owns the Spar at the four-way stop, started off selling fruit and vegetables out of the back of a van at the same four-way stop.
Yesterday, Romeo told my Mom that he has a target to save towards at the end of this year and he would like to give her some petrol money for her help. He has also spoken to the 'Spaza-man' and he is going to let him put a container at the four-way stop to sell some fruit. Romeo says wants to meet all my Mom's children because he is now also part of the family and wants to meet his brothers and sisters.
Here is a man who was merely surviving from one day to the next, who now has a vision for his future and is feeling so confident about life that he wants to meet his new family. Many would see my Mom and dismiss her as a crazy old lady. Her actions did cost her out of her little, they were sacrifices but it has brought about an incredible life-change in this man.
Imagine if there were more 'crazy old ladies' in this world...  DON'T MISS AN OPPORTUNITY!