Reinvent the Wheel -- Yes!

In Practice 5 of Imagination First, the authors explore the possibilities that are created by reinventing the wheel -- being willing to give back the "givens" and reconsider what we know to be "true" and "best" and "accepted".

Take a different point of view of a problem...and open yourself to new possibilities

The authors encourage us to take a step back, expand a problem rather than confining it. What does this do? It changes our frame of reference, it allows us to question what is a "given" about the situation, it opens us to other possibilities...and it allows insight to emerge. We are often benefited from considering the wider environment and then treating nothing as sacred.

We all know and most would readily agree that "things change". This means, too, though that the context of our problems change. With a changed landscape, all of those things that were a "given" in the previous reality are also up for reconsideration. As the authors note: "Most givens can be given back." This is a somewhat startling reality when you really stop to think about it. With a wider frame of reference and a willingness to give back the givens and treat nothing as sacred, we are freed to be entirely imaginative and creative. Think of the social innovations that could occur and the problems that could be solved if we stopped ourselves from bumping up against the structuring effects of our own past and allowed a new structure to emerge that brought with it bright new insights and a range of new possibilities. Wow.

The beauty of looking at clouds is that you can imagine them as almost anything you want...you have a wide frame of reference. Consider that.

And by the way....apparently some imaginative folks at MIT have reinvented the wheel. Go have some fun! And, especially in this season of the year, remember to give back.