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What are you failing to notice?
When you stop pushing, stop trying to get things to be the one way you envision it has to be in order to reach your goal you can see other ways to accomplish what is needed to reach your goal or solve a problem.
Last weekend I went to a hardware store with a friend. I told him that I needed a backdrop to do videos in front of. I shared with him what I envisioned but also that I didn’t want to spend too much or have a lot of heavy material to cart around or to store.
As we walked through the aisles I got ideas. I could paint a piece of wood with magnetic paint and place stickers on the board. I could use a piece of plastic board and put wallpaper on it. I could hang a bar behind my desk and hang a decorative curtain. I took selfies in front of different materials and curtains and settled on red as the color I wanted. After thirty minutes of exploring I had enough ideas and was happy to go home and think about what my next move for creating a backdrop would be.
Back at home I put my key in the front door and turned it. As I opened the door, there it was. It was so obvious. Red drapes that hung in front of the French doors in the dining area. Why couldn’t I simply move my computer or phone to the kitchen table when I was filming or on a video call and simply use that as my backdrop, I thought. Immediately I went and stood in front of the drapes and took my picture (see above). It was perfect.
I’ve been using my set over the last few days to record a video series to help people stop hating their jobs, and my red curtain backdrop is working very well. At some point I will change to a more spiffy set, but for now it works pretty well.
But what if I had been locked in to the idea of having a more solid backdrop or a scene of some sort behind me or if I’d been stuck on recording videos from my office? These bright red drapes probably would not have jump out at me and I would not have seen them as a simple solution to my project. It felt really good to not spend a dime and be able to present myself professionally.
What are you failing to notice because you are attached to something having to be a certain way?
Patricia Brooks is a life experiences coach, speaker, and the author of Growing Bold: How to Overcome Fear, Build Confidence, and Love the Life you Live. She is the host of the Discovering Courage Podcast where each week she explores how ordinary people have managed to live extraordinary lives. Patricia is currently living in France, pursuing her dreams.