Forget Survive and Start to Thrive

Are we ready for a zombie invasion?

The US government revealed its strategic defense plan against a zombie invasion, CONPLAN 8888-11, in 2011. It sounds like a bad joke, but it’s not. The real intention was not to protect us from zombies, but to promote resourcefulness faced with unexpected situations. They used an unknown and unreal scenario to break old paradigms, systematic schemes, and the usual mindset. This opened up a new level of thinking that would not jeopardize themselves or put the plan’s effectivity at risk by contaminating it with existing data.

The exercise allowed a government, generally known to be inflexible and slow, to adopt new concepts, flow with fresh ideas and think outside this world, not only outside the box. Swimming in the unknown and entering into the field of uncertainty with curiosity and openness activated a creativity that this institution might have never experienced otherwise.

Today we are in a similar situation. The virus that has spread throughout the world has changed it. What we know about our new reality is constantly changing. We see it every day (sometimes several times within the same day) and we are adapting moment to moment.  Even the famous one day at a time has been used an hour at a time, and on some occasions, minutes at a time.

Time to recover your vision

I learned the term break in transparency at Newfield Network. A simple way to understand this concept is the fact that we don’t require much focus for many of our daily activities. They have become so ingrained in our routine that they have become transparent to us. Most likely, the chair you are sitting on and the fact that you are sitting has become transparent as you read this. In fact, it is also probable that the very computer you are reading from has become transparent as you focus on and assimilate the words and ideas… until the chair breaks and you hit the floor.

Learning to drive required much focus (reflective consciousness). Now we can hold a conversation, plan ahead, or engage in many other activities while we drive. Although it is dangerous to do so, the fact that driving has become transparent allows our mind to focus on other things… until a tire blows out, or worse, get into an accident (a break in transparency). Then, the car and all its complexities come to the forefront again. Immediately, your internal activity is geared exclusively on fixing the situation.

We call them breaks in transparency and not problems or opportunities because these two exist on their own. Breakdowns require someone give to give them life. They are born from the interpretation that a certain event has altered the expected course and outcome. This distinction allows us to see that problems and opportunities are what they are due to the way we assess assertions. Every time we declare a break in transparency, we reveal something about our observer in that given moment. Declaring “that is impossible” doesn’t make something impossible, but rather proofs that “given the observer I am, or the way I am currently showing up, this is impossible to me”.

I’ll trade you “good vs bad” for “does this serve me?” – And yes, You decide the answer

It’s crucial to reference the generative power of language at this point. It is conceptual shifts that will allow us to have a bird’s-eye view of the observer that makes the limiting declaration and ask ourselves (also applied to teams), what type of assessments does this person (could even be you) have of themselves? This may lead us to ask ourselves, what new actions can I take (skills can I develop in my team) to overcome and learn from this situation? Many of our problems disappear or are transformed into learning opportunities by merely changing the interpretation with which we declare the break in transparency. When we are in fear or doubt our capacity, we see things as impossible, but once we shift into enthusiasm and openness to learn, the same situation becomes positive and stimulating. In short, a break is negative when we close ourselves off to action and well-being, and it is positive when we interpret the new vision as a door to new possibilities of showing up differently in the world.

Enough to just survive or are you ready to thrive?

The world has changed in recent months, but when has it ever been static? The US government had to fabricate and sell the idea to prepare for a defense plan against a zombie attack to a team of strategists. The virus has gifted us with a similar scenario in the sense that a couple years back was unfathomable, unknown, and for which we could not have been prepared. Since our current understanding is not enough to face our new reality, we are forced to find comfort in the uncomfortable and swim in the sea of uncertainty with curiosity to take advantage of this learning experience. Julio Olalla said that knowledge is a love affair with answers, while wisdom is a love affair with questions. These are some of the questions that come up for me, as a result of the recent changes:

What transparencies have broken in my life?

How am I interpreting these breaks?

What are these interpretations revealing about my observer?

Will my current observer allow me to adapt to and face the new world, in the personal and professional realms?

Am I willing to explore new perspectives or ways of seeing myself, my world and how I am showing up? In other words, am I willing to shift my observer?

Ready to shift your observer(s)?

You probably already know all about changing your actions if you don’t like your results. But who designs the new action plan? We must observe our observer or take a look at the way we take a look at ourselves and the world with openness to see beyond horizons or to create new possibilities. Only then will we allow our observer to reach a broader view, expanding the array of new options of being and doing that will get us closer to our desired results.

With learning and shifting my observer in mind, I am curious as to what questions arise for you and enthusiastic about the idea of sharing what comes up as we ponder these questions. Please reach out! manueltefel.com/schedule