Why the 'Wrong Way' might turn out to be the 'Way Forward'

Volte-Face

A British photographer recently shot a series of photo’s which he named ‘Volte-Face’. He visited numerous famous tourist attractions all over the world, like the Taj Mahal, the Mona Lisa and the Statue of Liberty, and did something unusual. He pointed his camera in a different direction, away from the monument or object.

By changing the perspective, he captured a totally different experience, which resulted in some surprisingly interesting and original images.

What Oliver Curtis did may not have been extremely difficult (by the way, I’m not referring to his photography skills here), but it probably did take some effort for him to think-outside-of-the-box and to break the habit of shining the light (his camera) on the most predictable aspect of the surroundings.

Creatures of Habits

We’re creatures of habits. It makes life easier to do the same things over and over again. It makes us feel comfortable and in control. We save time and energy by not having to think about our next move. It’s effective and convenient to be set on autopilot!

There’s however a flip side to this… We’re so used to looking in a particular direction or behaving in a certain way, that we often miss opportunities. By continuing to 'shine our light' in the same direction, we don’t always see what else is around. As a result, we’re likely to miss solutions to a problem, or to learn something new and to grow. In other words, we might end up feeling stuck…

Getting Unstuck

So what would happen if we do what Oliver Curtis did? What would happen if we would shift our perspective and look at the same situation from a different angle?

Shifting your perspective changes the way you see things, it allows your mind to open up and your awareness to grow. Eventually it will change the way you relate to a challenge or a problem, and you can start acting accordingly. Looking the ‘wrong way’ might turn out to be the way forward!

By 'shining our light' in a less predictable direction, we might find the solution to a problem, the answer to a challenge, or the roadmap to success or happiness. It might help us to get unstuck.

Coaching

Oliver Curtis doesn’t know it, but his photography project is in fact a brilliant metaphor of what coaching can be all about!

Do you need help to shift your perspective, to increase your awareness and to break old habits that no longer serve you? Then coaching might be for you.

Curious to explore how coaching might support you? Why not give it shot?

You can contact me and we can schedule a complimentary session over the phone or via Skype. This 30-minute call is completely confidential and without any obligation. Looking forward to hear from you :-)