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Reinvent the Rules

If you have not read the previous blog go back and do so before proceeding. Did you solve it? If you did congratulations. If you didn't then you are in good company. Only one out of ten people solve it. For the nine out of ten who still need the answer let me ask you, did you try to solve it by drawing a straight vertical line somewhere near the I and X? Or did you try to draw a horizontal line somewhere? The solution is to add a capital "S" to the other two letters to make a "SIX." The reason why so many people miss this is because our definition of a "line" is a "straight line." Our previous training becomes a barrier to our future success when we fail to use creativity to see different solutions. Often times all we have to do is change the rules a little in our mind to be able to see things a little differently. I like the actor and director Charles Chaplin because he dared to go outside the expected boundaries of acting to invent a character that has now become one of the most memorable characters in film. He dared to see that all lines don't have to be straight. If you will do more than just get by in life and work you will have to be willing to color outside the lines a little and to learn to see solutions in a different way. It will take some courage on your part but the rewards will be many. Maybe you will invent a whole new way to make a "six" out of a few straight lines.

Common Sense Success: Problem Solving