The phrase translates to “Everything unknown is taken as grand.” Or more directly, “Everything unknown is in the place of a magnificent thing.”
In Doyle’s story, Holmes uses this phrase as he contemplates hiding his explanation of how he discovers things because it makes the solution to myster less spectacular.
When faced with a critical, complicated or complex problem we must evaluate what is true and what do we expect. It is quite possible our expectations are interfering with us seeing reality.
Often though, we stop.
We say the system is so grand, so complex, so un-understandable. And we give up.
Dig down. Do the hard work to learn.
This relates especially now to our country coming to terms with racial inequality. There is a system present to understand and break a part and dismantle. It’s not just for these big social problems but also with more localized personal problems. Why we get angry at our spouse at a certain time…why we can’t break through on a project…why we feel anxious constantly. Turn the unknown into the known.
Today I started working in my new home office. It’s only the other side of a wall from my old office.
Any work we do, any interaction we have, any relationship we build has context embedded into it. Context shapes our behavior, our interactions, our creativity.
As I set up my new office, I realize space defines context. And therefore space shapes our work, interactions, relationships, creativity…
Es Devlin claims spaces are like protagonists. They become our friends.
David Byrne points out that music is shaped by it’s venue spaces. Ancient chanting was done in cathedrals with wide open spaces where the key and rhythm had to remain consistent and slow. If not, the reverberation would cause dissonance. Motzart played in smaller venues and therefore he could shift keys and play more closely linked notes. African music originated by being played outside. Drums and percussion had to be full, loud, and carry onward with no concern for reverberation dissonance.
Music was shaped by its context.
We need to ensure our spaces are a opportunity for us to shape the context of our work, our relationships, our life.
This preference of space cannot become an excuse for avoiding good, meaningful work but instead spurs us into deeper creation, power, impact.
Space matters.
A few things I’ve set up in my new office to define my context:
Reading nook with a piece of art remembering a friend of mine who passed away. I start each day here meditating, reading, and thinking. Reminds me of passion, love, and my life theme (Invoking people’s truest selves).
Plush dog named Fin who is my company’s mascot. Reminder that my work is greater than me. My team and I are greater than the sum of our parts. Together we do more than we can apart.
Wilson volleyball from the movie Castaway. This was a gift from my previous boss. Even if I’m in this office alone all day, I’m not alone.
Desk is in a location ideal for light for video calls and allows for fluidity of standing/sitting and moving to other locations in office…reading nook, second desk, looking out window, playing with pups.
A chunk of wood with bark leans against the wall. I’ve been grabbed by the idea of stacks of wood and how combustible they are. Keep adding to the pile.
Tandem bike (mounting on the wall in coming days). Go together. Specifically with Kelly, my wife. Go together with people. You are not alone.
“Analog” desk with butcher paper and mirrors. Mirrors remind me of humanity and focuses on humility. When I sit here to map out an idea I remember it’s not all about me. I remember my limits and the true humanness alive in me.
My espresso machine and all snacks are stored outside my office. I could easily put it up here but having it away from office tells me to be sustained by other than work. Food and drink start outside of my work setting. (But of course I snack on things while in the office)
What spaces currently define your context? How can you shape them?
ONE: Overtly arrogant. Big ego. Everything is about us. Thinking of ourselves often. This is the type we typically think of.
TWO: Lacking self confidence. Deflated sense of self-worth. Everything is about what we cannot do. Thinking of ourselves often This is the type we don’t often think of.
Both types think of themselves often. Both are driven by some sort of insecurity. Humility to me is about our connection to the earth. We come and we go.
Humus is the Latin root of humility. Humus in Latin means, earth.
Recognize our humanity. We are not perfect. We will never be perfect. And yet there is something alive in us.
I’m working to address the insecurity in me that drives me towards both of these types of lacking humility. Right now I think it’s a lot about fear of being stuck. Fear of not stagnation. Fear of irrelevance. Fear of loneliness.
I prefer to work from my home office and have a set morning routine including coffee, chatting with Kelly, playing with my pups for a second, sitting for 30 minutes to meditate and read and wander in my head…
When this is interrupted, I make excuses that my day didn’t go well because my preferences weren’t meant.
When I turn those preferences into excuses, I only hinder myself, those around me, and the work I do.
Of course I may not be as effective when I don’t get things as I want but more importantly than routine is getting into a rhythm without the routine.
Rhythm over routine. Rhythm with routine. Rhythm without routine.
This bouncing back into rhythm even though routines or preferences are not there…that’s true effectiveness.
Upon moving to southern California from Wyoming six years ago, I was fearful that we could never be alone—that we would never find the Little Wild Places that Ernest Atencio wrote about. Not so. Little Wild Places and that sense of hope and wonderment are there; all we must do is give them a chance to come out from hiding.
Even near an urban center of millions of people, my family and I have found Little Wild Places that are quiet and—at least at the time we are there—are all our own.
Big Adventure is all around us. This is a perfect time to put special emphasis back on finding your own Little Wild Place.
Maybe simply in your own backyard or on a walk through your neighborhood or at sunset when the birds are all heading home or in your garden as you see the bees spur around collecting nectar.
The other day our pup, Ender, found this beetle on a fallen twig.
Maybe there’s an empty part of town you love to be at or a favorite park. Somewhere you can see the wild.
Our favorite ‘secret’ park near our home.
To me, it’s less about the fresh air and more about the wildness. With the wild space will come fresh air. I’m going to keep searching for wild places and wild moments to keep afresh and remember I’m alive.
I’ve always enjoyed jazz music…most days it’s playing as I work. This book showed me the depth of the origins of the music and the intricacies inside each song. It’s more than background music and the musicians are becoming my friends in a way.
The a Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stainer (I didn’t read it recently but refer to it often)
My connections with people are better by applying what I learned in this. I am less manipulative and more present with people. More from my blogs on this book.
Any change we make, political or policy change, organizational change, personal change, requires something to be sacrificed.
Maybe you want to workout more, hours of sleep is going to sacrifice.
If we want to change policy so those who are oppressed have burden lifted from them, we have to put a burden on someone else…that is of course if it’s a finite system…maybe our economic system is not as finite as we think…
Anytime we shoot for change, we should identify what is sacrificing. And choose the structure of the change with ideal sacrifice.
This is easier thought through and applied with personal change because it’s a system we understand. More complex policy or political system have been made complex and are tough to understand and change.
Anytime you look to change or grow, call out what you’ll be sacrificing and accept that. Change then can come with more clarity and swift results.
We want to know the next right step. The box to check off. The category to put someone.
All so they can fit our process…really so they can fit into our current world view or perspective.
This is the case with people interactions on many levels. When coaching someone. When leading someone. When trying to sell to someone. When debating with someone.
And yet we are only pushing people more and more apart.
We think “if only they would see it as I do…”or “if only they would appreciate this concept…”or “if only they would prioritize the right thing…”
Instead of saying “if only…” we should take the approach of “even though…”
There is a way through it just may not look like you expect. The person may not fit your typical coaching framework. They may not need what other people you’ve led have needed. They may not value the same things you do.
We need to go where they are and see it as “even though…”
Even though they see it differently we find a way to serve. Even though they value something else we can help get a good outcome.
It becomes less about us and more about purely serving the other. The route may not be clear but that’s the fun in it! There will be a surprise around the corner and that challenge alone can spur us onward.
What stories are you telling yourself that benefit from an “even though” mindset shift?
phil invites 