Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art. --Stanislovsky
Gut check—
Imagine your life, your existence, right now on its current trajectory and how you feel about it. Close your eyes and try to visualize it. Not in terms of what you do, what you know, what you own or what you’ve achieved, but how you feel about it. This is important. You might think of your life as a journey or an adventure and your trajectory goes all over the place, while others may see their lives as more of a linear line with a beginning, various milestones and its share of ups and downs along the way. Obviously there are numerous ways to visualize your life’s path and all its twists and turns, shapes and colors and various combinations thereof, but if you can visualize it somehow, picture it in your mind—whatever your life’s journey looks like to you. How do you feel about its trajectory? Think first thought, best thought.
I hope it was a joyful thought.
Our lives and their trajectories intersect with others’ lives constantly, and I think it’s often the combination of those intersections and trajectories that gives us the greatest sense of joy. Family. Friends. Community. Teams. We need each other in far too many ways to name.
Our lives and their trajectories intersect with others’ lives constantly, and I think it’s often the combination of those intersections and trajectories that gives us the greatest sense of joy. Family. Friends. Community. Teams. We need each other in far too many ways to name.
IClose your eyes again—no peeking. Imagine if you could enhance your life’s trajectory, journey, path, etc. and take your existence to new heights, take your whole trip to the next level, move your existence ahead a few steps in evolutionary terms. What if it was easy to do? Not quite as easy as hitting a button to enhance a digital photo, but the change would still be instant, vivid and obvious.
If you visualize a line graph and time is the X axis (side to side) and how you’re feeling is the Y axis (up and down), your trajectory would start to climb upwards if you felt good about the direction you were heading. Imagine existing and operating at new heights, at a whole new level on a regular basis, and the joy, excitement and inspiration you would feel! Imagine intersecting with others who are experiencing the same thing, feeling more joyful and empowered about their own trajectories.
Now, still using the same X/Y axis and our imaginations, suppose we overlay a bunch of newly enhanced lives that regularly intersect—like your work colleagues—and as they overlap and combine and influence each other over time, it only serves to enhance everyone’s trajectory around them even more until collectively they have achieved liftoff in terms of team dynamics and are now soaring at new heights of operation, or creativity and communication perhaps, empowered by each other.
They prop each other up, support and advance each other’s ideas, make positive choices while working together to maintain that high level of synergy. Their heightened sense of teamwork can now lead to new ideas and destinations that were, perhaps, impeded by obstacles or unattainable through their previous team dynamics. From this perspective, and with this type of synergy, it’s now easier for everyone to see and feel how they are part of something greater than themselves. That’s when break-throughs happen—the team is stronger, wiser and can go further together, all the while feeling more joyful about their journey and progress as a team.
Okay, now open your eyes. Imagine for a moment that you can achieve this heightened existence for yourself or your teams, not only at work, but within any group striving towards a common goal. Family. Friends. Community.
Well, you can.
And…it involves playing fun Improv games!
You’re welcome.