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Jul
2
An Elephant Dancing on My Knee
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A Sunday morning when we were driving to the church, my daughter burst into this laughter. I turned to her to see what was going on. She was swaying back and forth on her child seat, pointing to my knees, couldn’t help but laugh hysterically.
“Heidi, what’s so funny?” I asked out of curiosity.
“I see…I see…” she was out of breath, “an elephant dancing on your knee…he is lifting his legs…that is so funny…Aha…aha…ahaaaa…”
An elephant dancing on my knee? I simply cannot wrap my mind around it nor can I enjoy the very moment.
I was amazed by the wonder she has discovered. I wish I could be a five year old! Later, I found three elements that can give me a glimpse to her path of discovery.
First element, I found, is,
“An elephant CAN dance on a knee” a.k.a. It is all possible.
My daughter said an elephant was dancing on my knee. It just happened, so naturally.
How is it even possible for an elephant to dance on a knee? As an adult, I would never agree, since the law of gravity tells me my knees will certainly be crushed at the weight of an elephant! My mind stays within the limits I have given, the presumptions we have grown up with.
But what if, we are living in a different planet where laws of gravity no longer apply? What if an animated elephant is dancing on top of my knee? Why all of sudden it becomes possible?
If Edison had considered oil lamps were good enough for lighting; if Bell had satisfied with telegrams as means of communication; if Wright brothers had considered “flying problem” unsolvable; then there would be no light bulbs, no telephones, and no airplanes.
Henry Ford wrote while he was working on steam engines, everyone was so convinced that the gas engine would never amount to anything. However, he was convinced that the new technology could make a difference. Now we all know what comes out as the result of that.
Free your presumptions and challenge your status quo may simply liberate you, steer you into a new direction, and to reveal you a new field, a field of possibilities.
Now I would like to introduce you the second element of the story…
“I can SEE the elephant every move.” a.k.a. Visualize and Pursue
My daughter was pointing to my knees and said the elephant was lifting his legs. Her eyes were vivid as if she could just see it, touch it and pursue it. There seemed to be dialogues going on and all the fantasies could come true in this magic world she was seeing.
A lot of entrepreneurs also have this common trait that they can visualize what they are creating at that moment, be a venture, a concept or an invention. There are failures but a vision helps them get up and get going. If persistent pursuit is a long standing oil lamp, then visualization is a constant flame.
There is a song from South Pacific it says “you need to have a dream…otherwise how can your dream come true?” If you cannot even dream, how will you pursue what you are dreaming about?
How many trials did Edison exercise before he had a workable light bulb? How many experiments did Bell do before he has a prototype telephone? How many flights did Wright brothers take before they have a working mechanic for a plane?
And how many doubts Henry Ford had before he had Model T?
As Martin Luther King had a speech “I have a dream” forty seven years ago in 1963, it took forty five years to bring out his dream. In 2008, the United States elected our first African-American president, a symbolic step on the equality of the men regardless of color. Dr. King would not be happier.
It CAN happen, I can SEE it happening, and there is an overlaying third dimension to the story…
“It Is FUN to watch an elephant dancing on my knee!” a.k.a. The Fun Factor
My daughter was laughing out loud, giggling without stop “…it is so funny…” Her eyes were kindled and her face lifted with joy. She was having the fun of her life.
When I searched for the old pictures of Edison, Bell, Wright Brothers, and Henry Ford, I found this curiosity running common in their eyes with a notice of joy. If you make a side by side comparison with pictures of Adolph Hitler, the difference is obvious. Hitler’s eyes are full of hatred with a hint of depression. His eyes make my stomach crutch and I would avoid even a glance. Hitler might have started well but ended bad. Fun has left him. He may have invented a few things in his military practice but who would remember? His name is forever linked with mass destruction and his percecution of the Jews.
True joy is somehow related to the goodness of our hearts. It not only makes our work enjoyable but also makes our work beneficial to others. It is a magical ingredient that a Mickey Mouse will play with.
Add some Pixie Dust!
Maybe next time, you can see not only an elephant dancing on your knee, but also a dinosaur sitting on your head! Rediscover the wonder, the wonder we have lost, the wonder we will be able to regain.