Have you heard about the positive deviants? There is growing body of research on this particular group of people. I first heard of them from Bill Harris and Marshall Thurber, a student of Buckminster Fuller. The positive deviants are people from all races and cultures, who have somehow triumphed in situations where everyone else got stuck.
The research has shown that these people have three main characteristics.
First of all, they are very clear about what they want, and do not give up. They just seem to have an inner ability to endure, long after the people around them have thrown in the towel. Jack Canfield, author of the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ books, is a great example. His books have now sold more than any book in history, including the Bible. He went through 142 publishers before he found one who liked the book. The others all told him it would never sell. Sometimes the best things meet huge resistance at the beginning.
The second characteristic of positive deviants is that they are naturally open and flexible in their thinking, with little regard for conventional wisdom. In other words, they don’t play by the rules, they don’t bow down to the ‘experts.’ They are interested in what works, and are able to suspend their own, and also collective assumptions about what that might be. They try one thing, and if it doesn’t work, they let go, and try something completely different. This might sound like ordinary common sense, but look again. A rat in a maze will only run down a certain tunnel a few times if there’s no cheese at the end of it. We human beings are strange creatures. We’ll keep doing the same thing, over and over, in spite of the fact that it stopped working a long time ago. We hold on to a belief that maybe, just maybe this time it will work. Lucky rats have no such belief system!
Their ability to suspend assumptions allows them to look with fresh eyes at what is right in front of them, and discover resources that were invisible before that. They are able to see value in many things that the rest of us overlook. What a marvelous ability. It reminds me of a metaphor that really works for me-my life as a garden, and everything that comes to me as compost. I don’t have to throw anything away-I can use it all.
All this new stuff goes on top
turn it over turn it over
wait and water down.
From the dark bottom
turn it inside out
let it spread through, sift down,
even.
Watch it sprout.
A mind like compost.
Gary Snyder, from Axe Handles
The third thing about the positive deviants is that they know how to ask for help. They’re great networkers and alliance builders. They know better than to try and do things all by themselves. They see themselves as an integral part of the whole, instead of an isolated fragment.
One example I heard about happened in Vietnam after the war. The countryside was so devastated that very little would grow, and mothers were having a very hard time feeding their children. Most of the children were showing signs of severe deficiency in their diets. But there was one group of mothers whose children were quite healthy. It turns out that they discovered a food source in a species of shrimp that lived in the local river. It had been overlooked by everyone else because the tribal traditions in that area had made eating those shrimp taboo, for as long as anyone could remember. This group of women got together, discovered the shrimp, and decided to bust right out of the collective belief set about this food source.
Some questions for you:
· Have a look at whatever challenge you are facing right now in your life. Can you identify any assumptions that might be standing in your way?
· Are there gifts and resources right in front of your nose that you may have overlooked until now?
· Check out what is working and not working in your life. Are you willing to let go of your traditional way of approaching this challenge and try something totally different?
Get curious! Ask a friend, coach or colleague to help you with these questions. It’s never too late to become a positive deviant.
Resources and References:
Bill Harris-www.centerpointe.com
Marshall Thurber-www.empoweredwealth.com
Bill Metcalfe, at Kootenay Coop radio sent me the poem by Gary Snyder
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Barefoot Journeys
An outline of a new course/workshop is about to appear on my website: ‘Finding Your Voice-the heart of authentic communication, connection and community’ http://www.barefootjourneys.net
Call me for a conversation about this course, ‘The Gift of Presence’, or the possibilities available through personal coaching sessions by phone. 250.352.7908
with love,
Shayla
