Natural
There is a different response to natural vs. manufactured and the difference can be felt.
Consider the difference between natural beauty and manufactured beauty. One is an imitation of the other and no matter how good the imitation, it can never measure up. Look at any natural waterfall and then look at the ones at Trump Tower in New York and Crown Center in Kansas City. The one in nature takes your breath away; the others get you wondering how they did that. Natural takes you into your body and manufactured takes you into your head. Reminds me of a story . . .
We took our family to Disney World for the first time in 1984. It was an adventure for all of us. Disney World is tailor made for kids and the kid in you. About the 3rd day there, I began to get some curious feelings in my body as I came to realize that the entire environment is a façade.
If you have ever been there, you can testify to the man made beauty. The lawns are manicured, some sort of tree or plant is always in bloom, wildlife abounds and the streets are antiseptically clean. In spite of all of this perfection, there was something inside me recognizing that it was manufactured and not natural. This is not a critique on Disney World or manmade beauty, only a kinesthetic contrast to that which is natural.
We’re in the silly season of politics – election time. You get to hear plenty from both major parties, and most of what you hear is manufactured. Notice the feeling in your body when a candidate says something unscripted that’s real. There is a marked difference. Their talking points put you in your head; their spontaneity will cause you to visit your body.
Can you remember an interaction with someone where you really connected? My guess is the conversation was real and not manufactured.
The question we want to get curious about is: “How do we become more natural?”
The old showbiz adage won’t work – fake sincerity.
One suggestion is to stop asking questions you already know the answers to. Adults do that with kids all the time, and the kids immediately are on to the game and clam up or give manufactured answers.
Another one is to consider our response before answering. This doesn’t mean to search for a response that you think the other person wants to hear, it means to dig past the party line and come up with one that is authentic.
I would rather be known as real vs. knowlegable. I can trust a natural response; a manufactured one keeps me in a though loop.
What is your true nature? This much I can assure you – it’s not your opinion of what your true nature is.
One of the things I like about Oprah Winfrey’s magazine is a regular feature she calls “What I know for sure?” It stems from her news reporting career when her boss would ask that question about a story she wanted to present to their viewers. The implied question inside that question is: “How do you know for sure?”
The “how” answer has a feeling of certainty in the body; the “what” question, alone, is filled with debatable facts.
You have a human Geiger counter. Use it! It’s a natural gift that can never be manufactured.
All the best,
John
http://GrasshopperNotes.com/blog
http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnmorgan
http://www.cafepress.com/grasshoppernote/3580301
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