Last week I posted this poem on social media and I love it so much that I wanted to share it with you here as well.
Zebra Question by Shel Silverstein
I asked the zebra
Are you black with white stripes?
Or white with black stripes?
And the zebra asked me,
Or you good with bad habits?
Or are you bad with good habits?
Are you noisy with quiet times?
Or are you quiet with noisy times?
Are you happy with some sad days?
Or are you sad with some happy days?
Are you neat with some sloppy ways?
Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?
And on and on and on and on
And on and on he went.
I’ll never ask a zebra
About stripes
Again.
It’s all a matter of perspective – So, is a zebra black with white stripes OR white with black stripes, and does it matter?
This week, let’s practice shifting perspective by trying to see another angle to our regular way of thinking. If you find yourself contemplating a problem or being critical about someone or something (or even yourself!), could you apply the Zebra question to it?
For example, if you find yourself losing patience over something –
Are you impatient because time is running out
OR is it taking the exact right amount of time and you are being patient
(the twist – you actually are patient because the time it takes is the time it takes and you get an opportunity to practice patience?)
Do you have another example to share with me?
I’d love to hear it so click here!
Here’s a perfect stocking filler for the festive season to build self-awareness and leadership skills. How about a book to improve your Weekly Leadership Habits and boost your Courage to Lead?
CEO Bootcamp – if you want to practice shifting perspectives, challenging your thinking, and seeing more options, why don’t you consider joining the next round of CEO Habits Bootcamp. Click here for more info. We’ll begin another round in February!
AND for a shift in our perception of time,
Listen to Leadership Live Podcast Episode 14 – Groundhog Day – How to Manage Our Perception and Experience of Time.