Welcome back, everyone. We've all experienced resistance to our ideas somewhere along the way. So today, we want to talk about what that resistance feels like, and how we can manage it better. Jack, you've been in this game of creativity the longest. What kinds of resistance have you experienced, and how have you managed it? >> When I started out as a young professor, I became very good, excellent at lecturing. So good, I got high ratings. However, there was a feeling inside me, that I had become a human tape recorder. >> Yeah, I think we've all had that feeling every now and then. >> And, I became dissatisfied, and wanted to change up and bring creative thought into the classroom. And, the first resistance that I encountered, was my own resistance. That is, why should I change. >> Mm-hm. >> I'm doing great. The external world, the teachers, the students loved what I was doing. >> Mm-hm. >> And yet, I had to change. And, so it was tough for me to move away from something that I was excellent at. >> Mm-hm. What about your colleagues? Did you get external resistance to these changes, too? Well, as I moved further and further away, and actually abandoned the lecture method,. >> Yeah. >> For projects and creative design. My colleagues said, Jack, what are you doing? You know, you're moving away from the textbook. >> I think that can happen almost any time. You're coming up with a new idea. >> Mm-hm. >> And, the next thing you know, you're hearing voices coming at you. As you said, often times, the most critical voice is your own. >> The one screaming in between your own ears. >> Yes. Am I doing the right thing? Am I enough? Am I, do I have enough resources? Do I have enough talent? Do I have enough friendships, etc? But, then you get these external voices that come at you, also. Right? And Ben Franklin once said, in every country, there are croakers boding its ruin. You know, and this idea of the croakers, beware the croakers! Right? >> That's right. >> Beware the croakers. >> Don't listen. >> Because they'll come after you, and, and, you need to both hear what they say, but also reject the, the push to stop what you're doing. You gotta keep moving forward. >> Well, that's right. And it took a lot of resoluteness on my part to continue to go. And, and one way, one way that it really helped me was I found other people. >> Hm. >> You know, and I look for these people who had similar attitudes about changing the. >> Right. >> system. And, so I had comfort in that I had a few friends there to assist me, and pat me on the back, and say, hey Jack. >> [CROSSTALK]. Speaker: Keep it up, keep going. >> Let me ask another question though. You get this resistance and >> Mm-hm. >> And you're saying, I'm not going to let it stop me. I'm not going to let it stop me. I'm going to keep moving forward. But, aren't there times when you're getting useful resistance? When people are saying things to you, some specific information that, that is useful. When should you listen, and when should you, when should you not? >> You, you gotta hear what is being said and process it. For instance. >> Yeah, listen. >> At times, I was getting too wild. >> Mm-hm. And, too far away from the basics of that I was teaching engineering. >> Yes. >> I wasn't teaching art or anything else, I was teaching engineering. >> Right. And, I needed to hear that. And, I needed to pull back and say, okay Jack, there's a boundary, there's a fence. >> huh. >> Yes. >> For me to stay with inside, and,. >> And that was helpful. >> And, and, so that was very helpful. >> Right, so I'm, if I, If I could kind of summarize what we've, what we're talking about, finding like-minded others. >> Yes >> Who can help give use advise, and who can be our sounding board. Be tenacious. Stick with it. Don't give up. Keep moving forward. And listen to the resistance. >> Yes. >> Listen to make sure that what you're hearing isn't, you don't throw it all away. You listen for the value >> Yeah. >> That might be there for you. As we leave you today, let me give you some things to do. First of all, find some like minded others. People who can be a sounding board for you. People who can guide you as you field resistance in your world. Second, be tenacious, keep moving forward, don't give up when the resistance hits you. And finally, listen to the resistance. Somewhere in that resistance, there may be a nugget of gold that will help you, help you to solve problems better, help you to use your creativity better. Let the resistance work for you. That's it for today, we'll see you next time.
