You may have heard the story:
One quiet Sunday morning, while riding on a sparsely populated subway, I found myself dozing. The train whizzed its way underground, stopping only every now and then to open its mouth to would-be passengers and close it again with adept precision. It was a peaceful day. An engine was whirring somewhere up ahead. Well-oiled wheels created rhythmic tones below. Besides these, the only sounds came from newspapers being turned page by page.
The train eased to another stop. This time when the doors spread, a blur of children tumbled into the passageway, yelling orders at each other. Their father followed, nonplussed by their screams. They caused more than one eye to peer over papers to look at the unruly lot.
The father sat down in front of me as the three youngsters grabbed one pole after another, swinging from seat to seat, calling out the imperfections they found on floors or walls. The boys made a running slide of the open aisle. The girl threw a paper cup, demanding her brother to leave her alone, shrieking about how she was going to tell on him. They were loud, constant and irritating. Eyes went from the children to the father, who continued to sit in silence.
The rest of us were clearly annoyed. Leaning forward, I said, “Sir, your children are disturbing other passengers. Could you please control them?” Emerging from a daze, he murmured, “Oh. Sorry. My children and I are coming from the hospital where their mother just died. I guess they’re not handling it well and neither am I.”
Thud.
When you read this the first time, did you feel differently at the end of the story than you did half-way through? Did your reaction shift? Did you change the way you thought about the situation?
How easily we accept what is first presented. How readily we rely on conventional wisdom. It is not generally our practice to consider the other sides, to contemplate alternative theories, to recognize that conventional wisdom is just that: conventional.
More than ever, today is the time when we must delve beneath the surface, ponder realities other than our own and question behaviors that have become standard. We have to be willing to discover, evaluate and, if warranted, change our paradigms in order to excel in a world that continues to tip on its axis. We need to think a new way.
Though challenging, the process of thinking a new way is not beyond reach. It requires a concerted effort preceded by a decision: to set aside the status quo, to actively seek new possibilities and to courageously explore your own unchartered waters.
Open your mind. See beyond the screaming that gets your attention. Step outside the flurry that, unchecked, will surely catch you in its midst. Provide yourself a new opportunity to create, to innovate, to lead and to serve. The benefit goes beyond just you. It affects us all.