Think (and Feel) Differently

Please don’t take this post too seriously; it’s the result of my playing around this morning with an idea and deciding it might be fun to let you play with it, too.

Let’s start with the idea that thinking and feeling are at opposite ends of a spectrum; an easy way to picture this is head vs. heart.

But now assume that there are two different roads that connect these two outposts. If we start at thinking (on the right in the above diagram), we can shift up into lateral thinking, which means using creative and indirect reasoning. It involves looking at a problem from different perspectives, challenging your assumptions, and using creativity. It’s a broadening type of thinking.

The next step on this transition could be “letting go”, ceasing the process of using any system at all. It’s where you drop thinking entirely and simply are aware of what you are feeling.

But, there’s another path between feeling and thinking.

Let’s now take the high road from feeling towards thinking. This is where you could start to label what you are feeling, as you might do during the process of meditating and journaling. “I’m feeling a bit sad today,” you might write, “Both excited to move to a new endeavor, but also possessing a sense of loss at leaving old friends and colleagues.”

Labelling then could shift into convergent thinking, which entails finding the most logical answer to a problem. It’s an extension of labelling.

Here’s the reason I’ve been playing with this: to remind myself that there’s more than one approach.

If convergent thinking isn’t producing a solid answer, perhaps you moved too quickly towards one solution? Maybe it would be best to step back into the more creative space of divergent thinking?

In a similar manner, instead of always labelling your emotions, you might try a period of letting go of both words and effort. You could simply be, allowing labels and actions to come much later. Drop into stillness, as they say. Let time slip away.

I’d love to hear how any of this sits with you…