Guess what, they’re wrong!

In tough times, who survives? The survivors are the entrepreneurs who think outside of the box. It’s the people willing to change, grow and evolve with the demand of the market. It’s the people who USED their backgrounds in sculpture, painting, storytelling, theater and dance to think in a non-linear way, to recreate the wheel, to innovate, to take risks. It is the people who jumped ship from their 9-5 job to start their own company in what they love, using their passion, motivation, curiosity and talents to drive their success. These talents are numerous, and diverse, but they come from a expansive background using each of our “multiple intelligences“.

How many people do you know who say, “I don’t know what I love, and I honestly don’t know what I’m good at!” I have fallen prey to the same comments, the same fears, but if we don’t help the next generation by emulating the important of personal growth; of patience to do and practice what you love; of determination to remain focused on your dream; of pride to accomplish the smallest of tasks; we lose our place as role models.

Take a moment to see Sir Kent tackle this very same issue and see if you can say in authenticity and truth, “I am doing what I love”.

I had first heard of his work a few months ago on a podcast, and for the life of me, I have no idea which podcast, but the main crux if the argument was essentially those who delayed satisfaction are said to be more successful, happier and more fulfilled.

In this particular Ted Talk, he fleshes out his theory by saying there are generally, 3 types of people:

1. Present Oriented: Individuals who are only concerned with the moment and answer the question “what can I experience now?”
2. Past Focused: Decisions are based on what they’ve experience prior to this moment – “based on past experiences, what will I choose now?”
3. Future Focused: Decisions are based on cost benefit analysis of the future – “If I choose X now, what will be the repercussions or consequences of my choice?”

And within these 3 types of people, each tends to focus on either extreme of this time continuum:

1. Past Positive
2. Past Negative
3. Present Hedonism
4. Present Fatalism
5. Future Life-Goal Oriented
6. Future Transcendental (Life After Death)

Optimally, he theorizes that your goal is to remain mentally flexible so that at any one time you can temporarily shift your time perspective to meet the demands of that moment. For example, if you’re about to eat a tuna fish sandwich in Spain, and from past experience living in the Midwest you remember that most tuna fish sandwiches have mayo in it. And because you’re allergic to eggs, you stop, open the sandwich and look. Odd, you don’t see mayo. Staying in the present moment, you ask the woman behind the counter if there are any eggs or mayo in the sandwich. She says no, and now your mind shifts to future thinking. If she’s wrong you could end up in the hospital, but as you remember that most sandwiches in Spain do not have a sauce other than olive oil and tomato, the chances of there being egg in the sandwich is slim. Therefore, your choice, assessing all three time perspectives, is to happily take a risk and eat the sandwich.

Philip believes that the ideal time perspective is:

• High Past Positive - provides you the roots to not only remain grounded, but to connect with your identity and family
• Moderately High Future – allows you to dream, imagine and aim for new challenges
• Moderate Present Hedonism - gives you the raw energy to explore what’s around you now

Where he emphasizes that you not go is into High Fatalism (believing that you have no control over your actions), Negative Past (where everything behind you is frightening and scary) or Transcendental Future (where you’re waiting for some reward at the end of your existence, making this life “less than” your next one). Personally, I think his framework for tackling the psychological issues as to how we relate to ourselves and others is not only fascinating but very poignant, but I’m curious what you think.

Other sites to check out include: the social implications of understanding time perspective (www.mappingthinking.com) and the other deals with the commercial implications (www.gpsforthemind.com)

Check out his video here:

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• Philip Zimbardo on Time and Temptation (brainandlearning.blogspot.com)

When I lived in New Mexico in 1995, I remember taking a long drive through the desert from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, listening to my warn out Cranberries tape on full blast. Coming upon the southern tip of the city, red dirt blanketing the freeway, I saw an art gallery just off to my right with a big wooden door sheltering it from the afternoon light. Curiosity piqued, I quickly exited, dust covering the entire back end of my black Subaru, and pulled into the makeshift driveway.

Inside, the gallery was pristine with gleaming white plaster walls and rustic wooden beams running across the ceiling, giving it both a professional yet cozy feeling. And as I walked across the creaky wooden floor, unnoticed by an attendant, I spotted a flaming red corner of a canvas propped against the back wall. The painting, upon closer inspection, was not only gigantic, but absolutely breathtaking. 3 emaciated looking American Indians sat exhausted, head held low, on equally pathetic looking horses. Their legs and arms were twice the size of their bony bodies, painted in a thick black oil texture. But the painting itself conveyed more than an overwhelming heaviness or exhaustion, because the colors behind the men on horse were so vibrant and alive with various shades of red, orange, yellow and purple that you felt an urge to block the sun from your eyes. The colors conveyed hope, maybe a voyage that would end in something so powerful and peaceful that the current state of pain would completely cease to exist.

I stood in front of that painting for what felt like hours, though most likely, only moments had passed. To date, I have no idea who the artist was, as my 19 year old self was too timid to ask the very professional looking attendant, but the painting has been forever etched in my mind.

The painting you see above was taken along the coast in Collioure in Southern France. There was large sign that stated with perfect clarity, “No Photos”, but I couldn’t help myself. Walking innocently infront of the canves, with my tiny little Cannon hid under jacked, drapped over my crossed arms, I snapped in rapid speed sans flash just when the perfect moment arose.  It’s not the perfect picture, but I think it captures exactly how color alone can instantanously effect the world around it.

One might imagine that sitting alone on the large field on a beautiful spring day, watching the changing colors of the oak leaves sway before you, would be the ideal option for any struggling 15 year old, but part of school politics required participation. A lack of participation equated to a large “L” pasted on your forehead, signaling to your peers that you’re weak and incapable suffering the same torturous exercise as the rest. Lacking complete and total confidence in myself, I learned rather quickly that it was better to duck out of class entirely, choosing the wrath of my mother over the painstaking shame I felt from my peers.

A few years ago, Ryan and I spent Christmas at his aunt and uncle’s house in Norway, where outdoor activity is synonymous with cod – what day would possibly be complete with out it? Having enjoyed a few bottles of wine at dinner, the family sat satiated and content when his aunt turned to me and proposed a “girl’s run” the following day.

“A run?” I repeated back in terror.

“Sure! We head up to the mountains just 15 minutes from here all the time and enjoy the fresh air” she replied.

“You’re serious?! A run?!”

Mind you, this was December, and the thought of running up mountains in frigid temperatures, while the sun only pretends to peek its head over the fjords, was equivalent to suicide for me, but my pride took over.

“Sure, that sounds like fun!” If my nose could have grown in proportion to the lie I had just slipped, family members would have been hitting the deck for dear life.

I couldn’t sleep that night. My heart wouldn’t settle into a restful pace! What if I couldn’t breathe? What if I only got a quarter up the hill and had to stop because legs were too sore? What if I just couldn’t make it? It had been a decade since I ran on anything that didn’t resemble a gerbil’s toy, and the notion of having to physically perpetuate myself forward by my own validation seemed hellish.

The following morning, I donned my running shoes, a wool cap, long underwear and I ran. I ran until my legs ached, but the feeling was ethereal. I loved it! For the first time, my whole body felt alive, pulsing, vibrant and full of energy. I cursed myself for letting my mind get the best of me for so many years, perpetuating the idea that I couldn’t run. But like any mental block, it only takes facing the fear to evaporate the feeling.

Carretera de les Aigües hugs the mountain overlooking Barcelona offering miles of undulating dirt road with a priceless view of Barcelona. Struggling from the heat, with sweat pouring down my face, I couldn’t help but smile when going out for a 10 mile run yesterday.

If only Mr Smith could see me now.

Gabriella Opaz