Looking through photos of my cruise earlier this month to Alaska got me thinking about the need to put long-held beliefs aside.
For one, I never considered myself much of a cruise person. When I travel, I like to set my own itineraries and do things on my schedule. I detest being told when to eat, where to go, and whom to sit with (must be the rebel in me). But I was pleasantly surprised.
Celebrity Cruises gives you plenty of choices to do things your way, and even though there was so much to do on board — with nature seminars, activities, ship tours and fitness classes, you can choose to do NONE of them.
Contrary to my natural tendencies, I didn’t have to sign up for everything. It felt very liberating to be away for 7 days undisturbed to work on my own projects and read for fun (as in reading without underlining. Nothing in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy required any highlighting whatsoever).
The photos also brought to mind how important it is to look at things through different perspectives. Take this photo of Ketchikan, for example, our first port.
Even though it’s Alaska’s first city and the salmon capital of the world, in my memory it was fairly dull and dreary (I’m sure mostly due to the fact that it was the only rainy day in a week of gorgeous weather). But now as I look at the streetscape I snapped with an iPhone app that makes photos look more moody and mysterious, the place seems a lot more interesting.
I look at the photo now and wonder, “What lies up the street?” “Who’s the mysterious figure in the shadows on the corner?” and “Why does the crossing guard’s head look way too small for his body?”
The Hipstamatic app allows you to play with different lenses, film, flashes, etc. to achieve different looks. Here’s a side-by-side view of Alaska’s Inside Passage taken with the built-in iPhone camera (left) and with Hipstamatic (right).
The left side might look more realistic, but the right side looks more inviting, fun and vibrant. What if we could have an app like that for the challenges we’re facing in our careers and businesses? What if instead of seeing dreary “reality,” and feeling drained and overburdened, we see the promise of something richer, more exciting, and more dimensional, and feel exhilarated?
That’s not to say that we should live in delusion. I can’t turn this scene into Paris no matter how many fancy lenses I put on it. BUT, I can take what’s already there and figure out how to make it better.
If you’re weighed down with too much to do, ask: “How can I amp up the parts of my work that I love? How can I delegate, delete or delay everything else?”
If you’re not getting enough clients, ask: “How can I paint a clearer and more compelling picture of what I can offer?”
If you hate networking events, ask: “Where do I see myself meeting people who share my same interests and attitudes?”
Focusing on what’s not going right only serves to make you feel bad and rarely helps you arrive at an effective solution. So often we want to complain and explain. Instead, view your challenge through a positive lens and ask, “If this could be better, what would it look like?” Then take action, one step at a time, toward that outcome.
