George Washington Carver was quoted: “When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will commend the attention of the world”.
I concur with Mr. Carver. There’s no denying it: to get along in this world, you need common sense. As we grow and learn, our experiences inform our decision-making. Common sense keeps us from harm and out of trouble.
For instance, common sense tells us that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But if life has taught us anything, it’s that circumstances don’t always cooperate.
Sometimes we get so caught up in our patterns and routines, whether in the workplace or at home, that we forget to question conventional wisdom.
Originality is one of the most important factors that set us apart from the competition.
People tend to order their lives according to “conventional wisdom,” a generally accepted set of principles that may include centuries-old folk sayings or that may have arisen from contemporary experience. These sayings and beliefs have become so ingrained in the public mind that they are often referred to as “common sense.”
In both your business and your personal life, following conventional wisdom is usually the “safe” approach. But, the people who make a remarkable difference in the world are typically those who examine conventional wisdom with a critical eye, using “uncommon sense.”
Most people don’t question conventional wisdom. It’s just “the way things are.” Others see it as a handy starting place for examining their own values. Using uncommon sense, they often discover wisdom that is far from conventional.
Somewhere along the way, someone questioned conventional wisdom, examined it from all sides, developed new principles, and produced human progress.
Common sense told the medieval world that the Earth was the center of the universe and the sun revolved around it. Copernicus followed uncommon sense to a new understanding of the universe and our place in it. We should instead, encourage a creative look at things often taken for granted, to provide fresh insights into old verities.
Start looking for the nuggets of uncommon sense, a sort of skeptical examination will serve well, and for those who want to enjoy, discover, and achieve fulfillment in their lives.
The conventional explorer, in crossing a stream, may look at the stones rising from the water as islands of stability in the swirling current. And that they may be. But the creative explorer will stop and turn the stones over to determine whether priceless gems might lie beneath or what veins of gold might be incorporated in their mass.
Ancient adages are like those rocks in the stream, assuring the crosser that it’s safe to step here. But unless we’re willing to turn them over and look at the other side, we may never know what nuggets of wisdom, what omens of triumph, what uncommon principles lie underfoot.
In Kindness and Appreciation,
Linda Allen is a Promotional Merchandise Advisor at Boundless Network. Promotions can turn prospects into customers, employees into ambassadors, and everyday people into champions for your cause.
