"Think harder," said a deep voice from over my shoulder. "Come on, you're smarter than that," were the words that filled the room. The voice continued to grow more intense.
Feeling flabbergasted and defeated I managed to mumble, "Well, I'm trying as hard as I can."
"No you're not!" The voice retorted.
"If I knew how to do it differently don't you think I would?" I was so upset. I felt a hot tear run down my cheek.
I was a 15-year-old Junior in High School at the time and my calculus teacher knew I wasn't working to my full potential. He was convinced, without a doubt, that I possessed the ability to do so much better, but he told me I suffered from "tunnel vision".
When I inquired further he told me, "You think there's only one way of doing things. You get fixated on working the problem out one way and when it doesn't work out, you keep employing the same wrong method over and over again."
Though I never admitted it to him, he was absolutely right. Interestingly, I didn't realize the legitimacy of what he had to say until I went to college and one of my math professors repeated my high school teacher's words to me.
You see, I had difficulty trying new things. I would do the same thing repeatedly, hoping for a different result. I literally spent hours, both in high school and college, trying to work out math problems. However, if you saw my grades, you would have thought I had never seen calculus problems until the time came to take the exam.
How many times have you boxed yourself in, because you wouldn't adjust your approach to problem-solving? Are you guilty of fixating on one "solution" ... even when it turns out not to be a solution at all?
Before painting yourself into a corner consider alternate approaches to your unique situation. You just might be surprised by what will happen when you factor new ideas into life's equation.
Remember, as long as you remain closed off to new options and ideas, you'll remain stuck in a rut. But the moment you broaden your perspective and open your eyes to the endless possibilities that lie before you, that's when genuine solutions manifest.
So, to echo the words of my math instructor, "Stop thinking there's only one way of doing things. Don't get fixated on working the problem out only one way. When it doesn't work out, don't keep employing the same wrong methods over and over again."
If you remain flexible and adaptable, you'll discover a whole new world of opportunity.
Until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!
Dianna Hobbs
