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Book Review-Six Thinking Hats, Edward D Bono.

I recently read this book and quite liked it.

Here is the book review

VR0007[1].WAV Listen on Posterous

 

I was amazed by the simplicity of Edward’s theory and the difference it could bring to our day to day life, though leveraging from the theory would require a lot of practice on our behalf.  I was very happy reading about such a singular and channelized framework for thinking, though I was just getting the information about the same but somehow it felt right. My next task was to find out how I can practice it in my daily life what sort of exercises can be built in and around the concept. Here is what I came out with:

 

Every color has its own mantra or one word definition, every time you try to come out with an appropriate approach to start thinking about it! STOP

1.       Go blank for some time and just imagine the color bands we use to see in good old days on Doordarshan when it used to go blank.

2.      THINK of this jumbled word ‘Framework Facts Emotion Problems Opportunities Action Items’  (FFEPOA), I tried coming out with a word for this but could only come out with this “Filthy Freaks Espouse Problems  for Others All the time”, ok I know it sucks but I just came out with it. You can come out with your version of definition.

Here each letter gives the mantra of each hat described in the book:

Framework- Blue Hat

Facts- White Hat

Emotion- Red Hat

Problems- Black Hat

Opportunities- Yellow Hat

Action Item- Green Hat

Once you are done with this exercise start thinking again, and you will notice how naturally you tend to start filtering your thoughts under various hats.  Now consciously try to segregate them. The motive is to streamline the process and make it simpler and not always postpone it for better times or be miserable/impulsive/indecisive with whatever you decide to pursue. You don’t need to be an expert in any of the hats but you should know about all of them while you are consciously investing your time to think about a situation.

It’s a good/effective practice to indulge in sometimes. J

 

Inertia of Crying!

Yes we do think we don’t want to cry/crib about our problems all the time but unfortunately sometime here also we tend to give up for the veiled pleasures crying brings with itself. ‘Coz I’ll be using crying/cribbing a lot of times let’s give it a sexy name just to make the post little happening: P. Let’s call it Robbed (isn’t sexy though!)

Here are some immediate traits/symptoms of getting Robbed:-

1.       Generally happen when there is sudden change in the assumed trail of events in your life and you lose control over things.  There is a spurt of uncontrollable negative emotion inside (cheated/hurt/ agitated/anxious etc…)

2.      The first question that props to your mind:”WHY ME?”

3.      The second question “What wrong I ever did to anyone to get this?”

4.      The third worry “How am I going to survive this?”

5.      Fourth realization “How can I not see this coming?”

Now this Robbery brings with it:-

1.       Immediate love and sympathy from the near and dear ones.

What it means: Some acceptance in your otherwise tormented life.

Expected Action Item from others- Nothing

 

2.      An immediate/long release from your work.

What it means: Ah ha!

Expected Action Item from others - Nothing

 

3.      Assuming you have at least one friend in your life you like to confide in, you get a little time with him/her (which might not be so easily available otherwise) where they are all yours.

What it means: A gaping attention and an authority to be judgmental from your otherwise greatest critic (yea honesty is what differentiates this special friend from others)

Expected Action Item from others-  Nothing.

 

4.      In case you are alone it gives you an opportunity to not be judgmental about everything off beam you tend to get involve in (smoking, overeating, creating a remorseful aura around, shouting etc...)

What it mean: There is just no nagging voice of conscience but self pity embracing your shattered ego. No shaking of comfort zone.

Expected Action Item from yourself: Nothing

 

5.      Emotional turbulence  

What it mean: Which is really sad but it’s just because you still have enough emotions alive and they really seek some acknowledgment in your otherwise fast and monotonous state of life. You just need to fasten your seat belt and stay upright (ok bad joke)

Expected Action Item: Patience till the turbulence lasts.

 

I might be wrong in the analogy I tried to draw here but replacing crying with robbery didn’t feel like a replacement really, instead it explained the similarity between the two just that the former deals with your material belongings and the latter to your emotions. Yes not every loss in life is this easy to take but if we don’t consciously nudge our control system (like we expect from police in case of robbery) we will just be making it more difficult and draining. Don’t just keep blaming the ill fate and the inappropriate lock (no action item involved) but try finding/going after the robber instead and beat the shit out of it.

Happy Crying!