Being Original: How The World Moves in Mysterious Ways

Being original these days is a tall order. Still, it’s an important skill to develop. How to let the obvious go in search of something novel is what this problem solving skill of being original is all about. And in being original, we are better able to become more creative.  

In light of the UN International  Day of Yoga today, June 21st, 2022, how a propos to try a unique approach to class. 

Zooming together The Solstice in Times Square in New York City, the classroom of 53 students at Wings of Change in Nosy-Be, Madagascar and my TV room in Seattle worked! Together we attended Douglass Stewart’s yoga class.  That’s a more than a 10,000 mile stretch for yoga! 

The students did not have mats and did not have much experience, if any with yoga.  Me with my headphones on and a delay from the East Coast to the West Coast to an island in the Indian Ocean had some technical challenges. Along with Om, one of my other favorite mantras especially in the field of creativity rang true today: Tolerance for Ambiguity. My addition to this term is that it works every time.

Tolerance for ambiguity really does work every time. 

So off we went, breathing, stretching, laughing mostly in sync across the globe.  For sure this is the most novel yoga class I’ve ever attended. 

For original ideas to emerge, students need to feel comfortable in putting their thoughts forward. Being a minority of one must be ok.  New solutions need new thinking and for that we facilitators are the ones who frame the rules of engagement for respectfully encouraging students to toy with new ideas. 

It was hard to tell if the students enjoyed the yoga class. For sure they got to try something new and get a birds eye view of Times Square. 

Being original is one of 20 Creative Thinking Skills that help with problem solving. How we process information is at least as important as the subject itself. What we learn and how we think about it are two sides of the same coin when it comes to education and becoming a professional.

Today’s lesson was about taking a timeout for awareness of our wider world and adding positive energy to it. 

Happy International Day of Yoga.

Thanks to you students for trying something new and for being open to yet another dimension of Zoom class. 

Wings of Change is a social enterprise with a virtuous vision to impact impoverished communities through education and empowerment with employment opportunities in responsible tourism that align with all 17 of the UN Sustainability Goals. Nosy Be, the Wings of Change flagship property, is a vocational hospitality school and boutique hotel. www.wingsofchange.co

Tanya Knudsen is a Creativity Consultant and PhD Student for Creative Leadership. She teaches problem solving for leadership along with English via Zoom in Nosy Be.  

#wingsofchange, #creativityandeducation, #timesquarenyc

Douglass Stewart, International Day of Yoga 2022