‘We see things they’ll never see’
The growing linkybrains movement is helping me with my quest to find my own frequency…and to follow my frequency with confidence (See linkybrains info here).
I used to try to suppress the way my brain worked, it didn’t fit well at school or at work.
I still find myself trying to keep a lid on the links my brain works. You see, my brain jumps thoughts from one to another to another and so on. Not like a butterfly or a bee. Nor is the thinking scattered. It’s definitely not a train of thought because that implies some predictable tracks to follow. There are correlations for each shift, but they’re often dimensions or light years apart.
Sometimes I get to a place of thought — it is an actual place, like a physical reality in my mind — and expect others to have followed my thinking, to be in the same mental location. Come on, keep up!
Other times, people will try to talk to me when I’m away with my thoughts, and I will appear slow, distracted, absent because I’m out in cerebral space somewhere. Even the most basic question will be processed slowly back at ground control. That has been perceived badly on occasion.
Send me off to find something and I will end up doing something else entirely. I’ve had flack for that over the years, and have been tough on myself too.
I link even in pretty extreme situations and from an early age…
For instance, playing a violin solo in an exam and I was brain linking instead of solely focusing on the moment. After all that rehearsing and with nowhere to hide. I played it fine, I know that because the playing scored well, but it was like I wasn’t there during the performance.
I’ve come to see the way my brain behaves as a super power
I would never want to give up the power, when I’m in flow I love the high intensity creation of thoughts and I can focus on a project or passion and zoom through thinking to explore so many angles.
Often times I think of a problem or puzzle before going to sleep, wake up in the morning and the answer is sitting there, shiny and ready for action.
But the power comes at a cost.
It saps my mental energy. My brain forever links. It’s at it’s most intense when I’m thinking through new things. After I’ve gone through the learning curve, I can operate at speed with ease, hyper space thinking, feeling dots join up in my mind to reach solutions, I guess because my brain has already worked through the links during the learning curve.
Social costs. I don’t do status quo, I seek the revolution. I’ve set up new teams and approaches during my career, and I think I have that pioneering skillset, to deal with the abstract, push myself beyond limits. That should be a skillset that companies value… but often don’t. Sequential, organised thinkers can be pretty damning of the linkybrain. I think every team needs a linkybrain, but like any persona, it works as long as it’s counter balanced. Some create, others correct. Doesn’t mean either side is better…
Personal costs. I know I don’t always enjoy the moment because I’m not present. I can often be found staring off into the distance as my thoughts jump away. Holidays and down time are often compromised. I find it hard to unwind, I can be trying to relax reading a book or podcast or listening to a song and I’ll suddenly tap into a connection for a project and be off on one.
There are ways to cope. Teaming up with sympathetic practical thinkers is a tried and tested way to counter balance my brain and have fun.
Oh, and taking a nap. Don’t forget the turn it off turn it on solution — it works for us humans too!
I’m thinking about sharing coping mechanisms another time.
Feel free to share thoughts tips and tricks!
