Oh, The Maze!

This post (now edited) was originally posted here —-> It was meant to highlight how I employed this principle below:

In his book, “Weird Ideas That Work” (which I just got in the mail a few days ago, *but only skimmed through) Robert Sutton says that we should reward our failures and successes but punish inaction.

June 25th, 5:07 PM

Today was very interesting. I don’t want to ramble as much as I would love to, partly because I don’t really have much time to post this…and I really want to post it now, it’s been sitting in the draft folder few days now.

Maybe these tweets will give an idea what it’s basically about!

Can’t find the location I’m supposed to go but still 2nd guessing asking for help smh

— Ayo Falomo (@aeWHYoh) June 25, 2012

Okay that wasn’t so bad…I asked, but if I don’t get it this time…I think it’s homebound — Ayo Falomo (@aeWHYoh) June 25, 2012

Whoo…and I hate directions. But I asked and I might just get where I’m going…hopefully. — Ayo Falomo (@aeWHYoh) June 25, 2012

Ahaha, this is not funny yo. Now battery’s low…

— Ayo Falomo (@aeWHYoh) June 25, 2012

#EpicFail I didn’t get to where I’m going. Gonna go get me some ice cream & head home. -> Reward your successes & failures, punish inaction.

— Ayo Falomo (@aeWHYoh) June 25, 2012

Well, because my failure today, I at least got a pint of ice-cream out of it, which might not have happened otherwise… #worthit — Ayo Falomo (@aeWHYoh) June 25, 2012

If it still doesn’t make sense, maybe these will?

@aeWHYoh the maze… — Michelle A. (@MiiChiLe) June 25, 2012

@aeWHYoh how fascinating!

— Michelle A. (@MiiChiLe) June 25, 2012

What exactly happened today, and what is the maze? How fascinating? What does these all mean?

July 12th, around 6 PM

I was at the Menil Collection, a very nice museum here in Houston where I live. In the midst of all the awesome artworks, paintings, drawings, and all the other incomprehensible art forms in there which I found, one stood out. It was Frank Stella’s “Avicenna”, which I sadly now can’t find a very good picture of online. This one below is pretty much close to what it was. It’s a work by him as well. It reminds me of a maze…and or like Michelle tweeted, “the maze”

I’m sure you’re still wondering what in the world “the maze” is! Patience dear, patience!

Well, long story short:

June 25th, …AM till something PM.

Today, I tried to get somewhere that I really wanted to go (I almost changed my mind about going) but couldn’t get there! I tried and tried to find the location AND couldn’t. I was on the phone with the person I was to meet, and he kept directing me, over and over again…AND still I didn’t get it. I actually never do! I was circling the whole neighborhood…on my feet, which are pretty much sore at this moment. Picturing me with a sad face wouldn’t be questioned, but rather it’s inverted, i.e I have something like this –> 🙂 on my face …

I applied Robert Sutton’s rule and got myself a pint of ice cream. So, not a bad day altogether.

Now for the maze, its history can be traced back to my experience at LeaderShape (remember how I said every post on here is going to refer to my experience there? Read the ABOUT section if you don’t know what I’m talking about). During one of the challenge courses, we were blindfolded, and told to find our ways out of a maze made of  ropes that kind of interlocked at some points. We were told that if we needed help, we should just call for it anytime. I was thinking to myself what do I need help for? All I need to do is find my way out of the maze, simple enough! The trick though was that there was really no way out…the only way out being for one to ask for help.

I was one of the two last persons to get out in the group of about 12 or so people that walked the maze!

All I said was (frustrated at this point) “Okay, Jeff can you help me?”, and he removed my blindfold…only to see everyone else standing outside!

As you would have guessed, I was furious!

To get out, all I had to do was ask for help! But…

“Ask for help? Like, really?” That’s what you have to do in order to get out?

And the “how fascinating” part? It’s what we learned (at LeaderShape) to say whenever we made any mistake!

So, you can join us too, and stop taking yourself too seriously…Failure is part of life. Learn from em, and move on. Quit sulking!