“When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap.”~Cynthia Heimel
Many of us are conditioned to play it safe. To maybe take a few risks, but to do our best to take calculated risks. Because more than nearly anything else, we don’t want to look like a fool.
But Cynthia Heimel challenges us to do the very opposite. She pushes us to step out into the fray, to shoot for the stars, and to leap into the unknown – to quote a few clichés. She summons us to a life of daring and vibrancy, rather than safety and saving face (and reputation).
What a huge call to action this quote is. What an opportunity to upend our usual thought process (and behavior) and try something new.
We probably can’t be brilliantly creative – in any field or endeavor – if we’re not willing to live life on the edge. If we’re not willing to be different, try something different, and run the risk of looking like a fool.
I recently saw The Imitation Game. (Go see it if you haven’t. It’s great.) Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch’s role) is the genius who cracks Enigma (the German encryption code), but in order to get there he walks a different path and, some would say, makes a fool of himself.
We need to be willing to step outside of our comfort zone and not always worry what others will think. In order to achieve great things – to create like never before – we have to be willing, at times, to march to the beat of a different drum and do what we think might be best, even when we’re misunderstood.
We need to be willing to be a fool.
Where can you be more foolish – and accomplish more?
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For help in leaping into your foolishness, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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