| August 2008
Hello friend.
I have been struck again recently
with the uncomfortable thought that problems and challenges are
the actual 'stuff' of life. I have sometime ascribed to the school
of thinking that problems and tragedies interrupt real life, the
good life. Yet I am coming to a new, unsettling belief that those
things we dread and fear are hardly the sideshow but the main show
since they often define who we are. Hard things are woven into all that we are about
on this life's journey. There is never a problem-free zone where
we can say: ‘Wow that was a great 10 year stretch. I had
not one problem.' Of course that thought is ridiculous, and yet
our entire education system encourages us to think the wrong
way about problems. Growing up, most of us bought into the notion
that if we studied hard, didn't get into trouble, went to the
right schools, got the right jobs, created some wealth, etc etc.,
then the story would always turn out 'happily ever after'. The
problem with that belief is that its premise is utterly flawed
and misguided. Bad things happen to good people...wonderful people
get cancer, get divorced, lose children and go through clinical
depression. There is nothing that can insulate us from the range
of challenges we will surely face. Jesus had it right when
he observed: "In the world, you will have trouble." Not
an option...bad stuff happens.
There are implications in such an understanding
in raising children and in living a life. Problems should not
be feared, nor should they be controlling in our lives....but
they must be faced and faced squarely. Getting comfortable with
the range of problems we will face is a good thing. Not that
we wake up dreading our days, but we are realistic, facing each
challenge and seeking to find creative solutions where possible. The
Chinese character for crisis is identical to the symbol for opportunity.
Wouldn't it be amazing if we saw each and every crisis as an
opportunity?
Which all brings me to the square watermelon. Yes,
you read correctly. Ponder the narrative that follows about a problem
that was facing Japanese grocers. In a nation where space is
limited, the round melon was problematic. So what did they do...OK,
they possibly did curse the situation initially, but then they
got creative and found a solution. A very tidy square watermelon
was the result. This is perhaps 'out of the box' for you to consider,
but rather than focus on the watermelon, square or round, consider
the principles that enabled a solution. 1. Don't Assume. 2. Question
habits. 3. Be creative.
As always, love to learn from you on this.
Warmly,
Doug
Lessons of the Square Watermelon
 Japanese
grocery stores had a problem. They are much smaller than their
US counterparts and therefore don't have room to waste. Watermelons,
big and round, wasted a lot of space. Most people would simply
tell the grocery stores that watermelons grow round and there is
nothing that can be done about it. That is how I would assume the
vast majority of people would respond. But some Japanese farmers
took a different approach. If the supermarkets wanted a square
watermelon, they asked themselves, "How can we provide one?" It
wasn't long before they invented the square watermelon.
The
solution to the problem of round watermelons wasn't nearly as difficult
to solve for those who didn't assume the problem was impossible
to begin with and simply asked how it could be done. It turns out
that all you need to do is place them into a square box when they
are growing and the watermelon will take on the shape of the box.
This
made the grocery stores happy and had the added benefit that it
was much easier and cost effective to ship the watermelons. Consumers
also loved them because they took less space in their refrigerators
which are much smaller than those in the US meaning that the growers
could charge a premium price for them.
What does this have
do with anything besides square watermelons? There are a few lessons
that can you can take away from this story which help you in all
parts of your life. Here are a few of them:
Don't Assume:
The major problem was that most people had always seen round watermelons
so they automatically assumed that square watermelons were impossible
before even thinking about the question. Things that you have been
doing a certain way your entire life have taken on the aura of
the round watermelon and you likely don't even take the time to
consider if there is another way to do it. Breaking yourself from
assuming this way can greatly improve your overall life as you
are constantly looking for new and better ways to do things. This
was one of the most difficult things for me to do because most
of the assumptions I make, I don't even realize that I'm making
them. They seem perfectly logical on the surface, so I have to
constantly make an effort to question them.
Question habits: The best way
to tackle these assumptions is to question your habits. If you
can make an effort to question the way you do things on a consistent
basis, you will find that you can continually improve the way that
you live your life. Forming habits when they have been well thought
out is usually a positive thing, but most of us have adopted our
habits from various people and places without even thinking about
them. I have changed a large number of habits that I have
had after taking the time to question them and continue to do so.
Some of them I have know idea where they came from while
others I can trace to certain people or instances in my life. It's
a never ending process, but by doing this, you can consistently
strive toward making all aspects of your life more enjoyable
instead of defaulting to what you have now.
Be creative: When
faced with a problem, be creative in looking for a solution.
This often requires thinking outside the box. Most people who
viewed this question likely thought they were being asked how
they could genetically alter water melons to grow square which
would be a much more difficult process to accomplish. By looking
at the question from an alternative perspective, however, the
solution was quite simple. Being creative and looking at things
in different ways in all portions of your live will help you
find solutions to many problems where others can't see them.
I am not a creative person, but I've found that the more that
you look at things from different perspectives, the more creative
I have become. It's a learned art and builds upon itself.
Look for a better way: The square
watermelon question was simply seeking a better and more convenient
way to do something. The stores had flagged a problem they were
having and asked if a solution was possible. It's impossible
to find a better way if you are never asking the question in
the first place. I try to ask if there is a better way of doing
the things that I do and I constantly write down the things I
wish I could do (but currently can't) since these are usually
hints about steps I need to change. Get into the habit of asking
yourself, "Is
there a better way I could be doing this?" and you will find
there often is.
Impossibilities often aren't:
If you begin with the notion that something is impossible, then
it obviously will be for you. If, on the other hand, you decide
to see if something is possible or not, you will find out through
trial and error. Take
away the lessons from the square watermelons and apply them
to all areas in your life (work, finances, relationships,
etc) and you will find that by consistently applying them,
you will constantly be improving all aspects of your life.
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