See differently

Ok. . . close your eyes and visualize a sunset over a beach. What did you see?  How detailed was your image? Did you see a shimmering orb falling below the seas surface in the distance with its reflection bouncing off the ocean?  Maybe you saw palm trees gently swaying in the breeze as seagulls flocked overhead with crashing waves at your feet as you hold the hands of a loved one. 

Now imagine you're on the surface of Saturn.  What does a sunset look like there? Is the sun smaller?  Is there a sun at all?  Is the surface a desolate and rocky surface with frozen lakes and icy glaciers shimmering in the starlight with small canyons dotting the landscape?

How difficult was it to imagine the sunset here vs. a sunset on Saturn?

Your ability to conjure up these images is telling in how your brain works and how vivid your imagination is - which is vital when trying to summon new ideas.

The ability to see things in a unique way or imagine what you have never seen before can prove to be an invaluable asset.  It allows for unique ideas, different concepts and creative ways in how to approach challenges that lay before us. 

Often times when a challenge arises in the office people are asked for solutions. How differently can you see the situation that will allow you to conjure up multiple scenarios that bring potential answers to the problem?

This is a great example of visionaries (i.e. Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison)  They simply see/saw things differently.  When most people can't see a new possibility they do - and they make it happen.  This is the difference between someone who is good at what they do and someone who is great - which brings to mind a conversation I was jus having last night with a good friend of mine who works for a major television network and is pushing for a new pilot. 

She was having a conversation with her boss and she said that as part of the package she would, within the first season, get Barack Obama on the show and her boss's response was "you can't do that".  "That would be impossible to do".  Obviously my friend sees things differently than her boss does.  I know my friend.  If she says she can do it.  She can do it.   

Being able to see the world differently is a valuable asset to have - because at the end of the day the world opens up to you in unique ways and the possibilities become endless.