Let's Slow Down a Little

Some things are surprising on the first time hearing them, but upon reflection, it makes sense. You just need flexible thinking and the ability to look at an issue from different angles. In this case, when I heard Russ Frushtick (author of The Book of Fun) tell who makes the most tires in America, I was surprised, but when I consider our grandchildren and their toys the answer narrows and makes sense. 

So, who makes the most tires? Last winter we got new tires for our car and there were a lot of options:. Goodyear, Michelin, Firestone quickly leap to mind. But none of those manufacturers make the most tires in America. The answer is LEGOs, and that makes sense. 

Once you know the answer you can work your way back and connect those dots. In the set up above, there are clues: the source of the information and the connection with toys. There is no mention of automobile tires, but that’s where our mind immediately goes. In this world going at hyper-speed, we shouldn’t immediately connect dots because so often we have the wrong dots and make the wrong connections. Rather, patience, different perspectives, and the humility that we don’t know all the answers all the time, are more important. Let’s try to slow down.