CAPSULE | READS: Liminal Thinking
Key takeaways on: The Space Between, Making Space for Change & Destruction to Creation
ON THE SPACE BETWEEN: The psychological agility to read your own beliefs enables you to create change where others cannot.
- Beliefs are agents of change; the ability to evaluate, validate and/or change them allows you to see things you’ve always seen, in ways you’ve never seen.
ON MAKING SPACE FOR CHANGE: Adopt a beginner’s mind by increasing curiosity & suspending disbelief.
- Release the idea of feeling like an idiot to truly understand, truly care and truly value what you are doing by asking questions + making connections.
ON DESTRUCTION TO CREATION: Sometimes, to create new structures, the old ones must be destroyed so the blocks can be combined in different ways.
- You can’t have creation without some form of destruction, so your structure of beliefs must change continually if you are to stay on top of things.
Liminal | Latin root for threshold / border / boundary / marginal in between space / neither one or the other / old way vs new way
> having a thought in the shower, not realizing that you had it because you weren’t focusing on it
Seeing things you’ve always seen, but never seen.
A new way of seeing opens doors to new possibilities.
Belief is a material to create change.
“Once you see the boundaries of your environment, they are no longer…”
6 Principles of Beliefs: Beliefs about beliefs
- Beliefs are models:
> Imperfect models navigating multi-complex noble results - Beliefs are created:
> If we can create it, we can change it
> By reinforcing positive beliefs and behavior, we can rewire our brain | over
> A story in our head, a cause and effect chain
➡ like a recipe — if you need something, then look for a belief that provides a rule for action to get the result you want (if x, then y)
> a learning loop is a continuous cycle the creates habits and behavior
➡ learning how to learn compared to a pyramid of beliefs - Beliefs create a shared world:
> co-creating shared worlds are social agreements that go unspoken which makes them invisible
> A byproduct of ongoing interactions - Beliefs create blind spots:
> limiting beliefs narrow the range of possibilities
➡ liminal thinking is a way to identify limiting beliefs - Beliefs defend themselves:
> if it doesn’t make sense within your bubble, you’re going to think it’s wrong
➡ liminal thinking encourages testing new ideas that are outside your bubble of beliefs to protect personal identity and self worth - Beliefs are tied to identity:
> what we experience, what we think, what we value are all interconnected to how we live, how we perceive and how we relate to things & people form our identity.
9 Practices to Change the Way You Think
- Assume That You Are Not Objective
> your biggest blindspot is yourself
> if you are part of the system you want to change, you’re part of the problem - Empty Your Cup
> in order to learn anything truly new, you must empty your cup
> take on a beginner’s mind — a mind of openness + curiosity, suspend disbelief
> rewire your brain in times of change - Create Safe Space
> we achieve results when we care, are cared for, valued
> understanding is core - Triangulate & Validate
> consider possibilities that may not immediately resonate with you
> look at situations through multiple perspectives, avoid pushing away what doesn’t match your view of the world - Ask Questions & Make Connections
> approach life with openness to create new opportunities
> be curious about others and explore human psychology - Disrupt Routines
> get outside of the situation to at it deeper
> disrupt problematic routine by attacking the solution instead of the actual problem
> disruption of the typical pattern changes the dynamic completely - Act as in Here and Now
> test beliefs even if you don’t consider them to be true
> see what happens when you test a belief without any attachment to the outcome - Make Sense With Stories
> the best way to share a belief is to tell a story
> share facts through stories - Evolve Yourself
> sometimes to create new structures the old ones must be destroyed so the blocks could be recombined in different ways
> our structure of beliefs must cockle continually if we are to stay on top of things
Introducing Reads as a capsule in the Learn Segment. Each week for the remainder of the year, we’ll be extracting key takeaways and notes from 26 books read in 26 weeks as a practice to nourish learning. Join us in the (re)wiring!