Sometimes the simplest of things have the most profound impact on us!
For example, look carefully at the graphic above, and read the caption several times. It clearly states the obvious! The trees are standing still, so they’re not moving. In fact they are rooted into the ground and there they will stay.
No kidding … we all know that, right?
It’s a known fact that trees don’t have legs or wheels so they can’t walk or roll away. Unless they are uprooted and physically moved by a violent act of nature or intentional human effort, they are not moving from their spot. They perpetually stand still.
Did you notice the longer you stared at the picture and the more times you read the caption, the greater it impacted you … and the deeper your level of understanding?
Weird isn’t it? With a cursory glance, I suspect you concluded it’s rather silly to put two thoughts together that mean the same thing and are SO apparent. After all, if you’re not moving you’re clearly standing still … in the same way, if you’re standing still, you’re not moving!
But that’s why stating the obvious is so powerful. It has impact. I want it to have an impact. To make a lasting impression.
Sometimes simplicity rules.
I’ve noticed that often we humans, like trees, stand still and don’t move. I don’t mean we’re not walking around … I mean we aren’t moving forward in our job, our growth, our life … were stuck in one boring spot … rooted to our own comfort level, or frozen in fear, complacency or confusion.
The other observation? With a few exceptions {of course there always are some} the majority of people are not happy when they’re standing still. Progress matters to human beings … even a tiny little bit. We don’t take well to being stuck in a rut.
So how do you break out of the rut? How do you get moving again? The answer is in the picture. It’s embedded in the caption. So often though, we can’t see the forest for the trees … or we over complicate the situation. We overthink it. That’s when stating the obvious is helpful. It’s a bit like underlining capital letters. Annoying but effective!
The answer is simple. Stop standing still and get moving!
Move and you’ll stop standing still!
“If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree” ~ Jim Rohn
