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| |  | Michael Fox CPCC,
founder of m�agine!,
is a professional
coach and trainer,
author and creative artist, whose work has been featured throughout
the world.
Michael is a
Certified Practitioner
of the
Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator.�
Do you know someone
who might benefit
from our weekly email?
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Seriously,
don't take yourself so seriously...
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At the risk of sounding morbid, the death of winter is about to surrender to the life of spring, nature's annual reminder of mortality and immortality, of death and resurrection. And, on countless playing fields across the country--from Little Leagues to the Majors--bats and balls and gloves will be coerced from hibernation. The umpires' first shouts of, "Play ball"--baseball's version of Jesus' call to Lazarus, "Come forth!"--will be heard.
And life will begin anew.
I get that this is random, but the number three, a number grounded in the divine, looms large in baseball. There are three bases, three strikes, three outs, three types of anabolic steroids, three sets of three innings for a total of nine, and nine players on the field. Babe Ruth, the most dominant figure in the history of baseball, even happened to wear the number three across the broad expanse of his jersey.
Perhaps the most prominent of baseball's "nines" was the 1927 New York Yankees' lineup; the first six of whom--Combs, Koenig, Ruth, Gehrig, Meusel, and Lazzeri--were affectionately called "Murderers' Row." Four of the six would later be enshrined in Cooperstown's Baseball Hall of Fame.
Curiously, my mind drifts to another team of "nines," every bit as formidable as the '27 Yankees. It included nine women: Clio, Thalia, Erato, Euterpe, Polyhymnia, Calliope, Terpsichore, Urania, Melpomene. None of them could hit a fastball; though they could all fool you with a curve. They were the playful Muses of Greek mythology, offering favored mortals both knowledge and inspiration in literature, science, and the arts--all things creative. From the Muses, we learn an important lesson:
Creativity is the result
of making unlikely, unexpected connections.
(Think, for example, of George De Mestral
who, while picking cockleburs from his dog's fur, invented Velcro.)
Although most of us have put aside the mythological gods and goddesses of the ancient Greeks, the Muses are alive in our vocabulary. You muse; you are amused. You browse museums; you visit amusement parks. And there's an invitation within these words. When you become stuck in your musing, seek amusement. Leave the museum, and get to an amusement park. Fast. Seriously, don't take yourself so seriously. And, you might just learn another important lesson from the Muses:
Humor is the result
of making unlikely, unexpected connections.
(Imagine, for example, Julie Andrews
running through a building singing,
"The halls are alive with the sound of Muzak...")
Ooh. Creativity and humor flow from the same, well, spring (a spring of water, not the season of Opening Day). Both are the result of making unlikely, unexpected connections. So, the next time you're stuck, get a little silly. Absurd, even. You might just get unstuck.
And life will begin anew.
No clue on how Murderer's Row and the Muses might fare on Opening Day. Strength vs. Creativity. Personally, I wouldn't bet against the Muses.
What shows up in you when you get "stuck" creatively?
Do you hunker down? Or do you lighten up?
So you don't think of yourself as creative? Consider how creativity might be just another term for "problem solving." Have you ever have had occasion to solve difficult problems?
What are your thoughts knowing that creativity and humor
flow from the same spring?
What comes up for you when you think of unlikely, unexpected connections?
How might you "forward and deepen" your learning beyond your current discipline and interest? How might a broader base of knowing help you forge unlikely, unexpected connections? Who would you have to be to become more observant? Where will you begin?
"I don't find this stuff amusing anymore."
Paul Simon, You Can Call Me Al
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Michael Fox
m�agine!
530/613.2774
407 Myrtle Drive
Farmerville, LA, USA 71241 |
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In addition to personal and professional coaching,
m�agine! specializes in spiritual transformation coaching,
employing its proprietary models
--Values, Vision, Voice and Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength--
as well as
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator� curriculum
published by CPP, the People Development People.
Michael's books include
Complete in Christ,
Complete in Christ Spiritual Transformation Workbook,
and Biblio�files.
Coaching fees are based upon a sliding scale. Contact us for details.
For additional information, visit our website at maginethepossibilities.net.
Limited scholarships are available for spiritual transformation coaching.
On the flip side, if you are able, please inquire about opportunities
to fund scholarships for those who cannot afford coaching fees.
View our archives!
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