Hello Everybody!
Hope you're having an amazing weekend! Here's your weekly Amazing Things & Ideas Newsletter. Find one original idea from my side followed by the List.
A while ago, I read somewhere (I forget where) about a specially-abled person. Many people may label him and his kind disabled. I do not. I call him specially-abled because it is that way. Here's what I mean.
An interviewer was interviewing a famous person on a wheelchair who underwent an accident a while ago, because of which he was badly injured and could not walk forever. Hence the wheelchair was assigned to him.
The interviewer questioned, "How does it feel like to be disabled, you know in a wheel chair?"
The celebrated man replied calmly, "Being on a wheelchair is not a disability. The wheelchair enables me to go to places my body otherwise would not support. The wheelchair permits, it does not forbid."
Such great perspective, I observed! But isn't it the plain truth? Looking at things from a different perspective can literally change the worst (assumed) thing into one of the biggest blessings.
This is also why I believe it is greatly apt to call people with different abilities than the majority as "specially-abled" and not use the depressing word "disabled". Words are powerful. Perspective is created (in part) from words. Perspective and mind-set matter.
The Amazing Things & Ideas List
Quote that's got me thinking:
“Reading after a certain age diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking, just as the man who spends too much time in the theater is tempted to be content with living vicariously instead of living his own life.”
— Albert Einstein (inspired by Tim Ferris' 5-Bullet Friday — November 5, 2021 edition)Ted Talk on finding original (creative) thinkers:
The surprising habits of original thinkers by Adam Grant
One of Adam Grant’s guiding principles is to argue like he's right and listen like he's wrong. In this talk he explains 3 unexpected habits of originals. Which he terms as: thinkers who dream up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. Not quite surprisingly, originals are ones who fail a lot. But they are really like the mainstream in two other ways. Watch the talk here.Book I'm reading this week:
Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams by Stefanie K. Johnson
"Humans have two basic desires:", the author explains, "to stand out and to fit in.". To belong. At the same time show their uniqueness. But often companies and leaders cling to either extreme prohibiting their employees to access their full potential. They create a space for everyone to belong but no uniqueness being shown or vice-versa. "Uniqueness + Belonging = Inclusion", is deciphered. By learning why uniqueness and belonging are so important, leaders can better grasp what makes their employees tick and find ways to encourage them to be themselves while ensuring they feel like they are fully part of the group. The result is a fully engaged team filled with diverse perspectives—the key to creating innovative and imaginative ideas that drive value.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Especially due to the psychological factors and the unconscious biases which were wonderfully explained. This is a guidebook for every leader (every individual) looking to create a strong, diverse group fueled by innovation and incredible different perspectives.
All articles published on (my blog) arjunkhemani.com this week:
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