Two "Magic" Words

Do you ever grow weary of doing the same thing over and over, day in and day out? Do you sometimes feel that you are stuck in a rut? Do you ever sigh or roll your eyes and exclaim, "Here we go again! It's the same old story!"? Do you carry on an activity or perform a task so often that you don't even consider the possibility of doing it another way? Are you plagued by a stubborn problem or situation that keeps defeating you?

       

If you answered yes to any (or all) of the above questions, then you are a candidate for the "magic" of NooDoo. 
       

What is this mysterious-sounding concept to which I refer? First it is necessary to explain what NooDoo is not. Despite the fact that it sounds like the word voodoo, I assure you it has nothing to do with rituals, dolls, black magic  or any such thing. The concept is much simpler than any of that, but the simplicity doesn't take away from its power.
       

NooDoo is a synthesis of two very simple (and very important) words: new do. It's about breaking cycles. It's about getting off the hamster wheel, the treadmill, the merry-go-round and any other applicable metaphor that illustrates the human tendency to fall back into self-defeating patterns. It's about unleashing the power of doing something new - taking a new action - to produce a new (and better) outcome. You don't get new results by doing the same thing. That's not the way this thing called Life is set up. To put it another way...NOTHING CHANGES IF NOTHING CHANGES! There needs to be some sort of change in our approach to a problem or situation in order for that problem or situation to change for the better. When we change, it changes.
       

While most people will nod their heads in agreement and mentally assent with the above paragraph, it's another matter entirely when it comes to actually putting the concept to work in the daily arena of living. When one begins to observe the human tendency to repeatedly "write the same story" and "play the same song", one cannot help but be amazed. There are so many instances in the course of the average day, and so many missed opportunities, to apply the power of NooDoo that will undoubtedly surprise you when your eyes are opened to it. 
       

The concept of NooDoo is taught in the field of psychology, but it goes by another name. Psychologists refer to it as mental flexibility. Same idea, different name. Mental flexibility refers to a person's ability and willingness to break free from rigid patterns of thought and consider new approaches to a problem or challenge. It's about our ability to lay aside old ideas and think of new ideas. Some other names for this principle are thinking outside the box, unconventional thinking, divergent thinking, creative thinking and lateral thinking. Same concept, different names.

© Matt Decker

This post is excerpted from the Introduction to my eBook  The Magic of NOODOO