At a seminar I attended on Saturday, there was this one exercise that purportedly was about figuring something out, but in fact it was about how receptive we each were to receiving personal feedback from others to achieve a particular goal when we ourselves were stuck. Most of the time I think I'm reasonably good with receiving feedback, heaven knows there have been plenty of opportunities. This one particular activity though caught me by surprise. When everybody else was getting help solving the puzzle, and lots of people were cheering and clapping as different people figured it out (always with help), I was trying not to notice that I wasn't in the circle, I wasn't figuring it out, I wasn't getting help and I was the last to complete the puzzle. I wasn't happy about any of this. When the seminar leader came over to where I was sitting and working alone and offered help, then within seconds of focusing on the guidance, the solution showed itself clearly. The intended impact, though, had already landed because of my internal tension around this 'exercise' was massive. And it got me thinking about my (sometimes) response to life in general.
What if it's all just feedback, information, or innocuous data? It doesn't automatically imply anything about ability or competence or worthiness. Shifting the perspective to neutral, rather than some historically-based judgment, it is just data. Or as Johnny-5 (E.T.) would have said 'hmmm, input'. Without any hooks, shame or blame, it becomes just information, just feedback for my expansion, awareness and growth. That's a whole different take on the subject.
Hmmm. Input!
