Week 2 Reading: The Art of Possibility

The Art of Possibility

by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

Lighthouse Keeper’s Zen Garden-from Creative Commons

After reading this week, I immediately thought of a Zen Garden and how everything in life is interconnected. Their book, gave us much to think about, reflect upon, change and influence as leaders. 

 “It’s all invented anyway, so we might as well invent a story or framework of meaning that enhances our quality of life and the life of those around us.” Loved the beginning and as I read through more I love Benjamin’s style. Of course after viewing his TED video for the week, I was brought back to my musical upbringing and it was a refreshing reminder.  The authors Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander have a compassionate approach to showing one how to transform their personal and professional life. One most definitely affects the other in so many ways.

Their words are of such a spiritual nature, our spirit is interconnected with the way we live in the moment. They spoke of it in another phrase about how relationships are transformed when they stated “The relationship between people and environments is highlighted, not the people and things themselves.  Emotions that are often relegated to the special category of spirituality are abundant here: joy, grace, awe, wholeness, passion and compassion.” (20) While working with teenagers it is important to build a relationship with them that fosters respect, kindness and compassion, which is something I try to do on a daily basis.  

In “Giving an A”, they viewed it as a way to transform the relationship, as a shift in attitude. My own grading practice has always been one of  “continuous improvement”,  there is an intrinsic drive to excel, even though the question I often get from students is “did I get all the points”, too much worry on the points and earning the grade and sometimes not on the joy of the learning.  So much of my grading is observational, based on how enthusiastic and driven a student is to learn.  Ben’s example of the letters from his students about his approach to A’s and the Asian boy who was #68 and his realization and confusion of an A, (68/70) and what it meant demonstrated how inventive it all is.   I like his approach of giving everyone an A to begin with and see what happens would it really “..line up with their students in their efforts to produce the outcome, rather than lining up with the standard against these students.”  We should work as a team, rather than on an individual basis.  The example of punitive approach of the teacher disappointed with the high score of one boy who changed the subject of his paper, hoping the student would work on his organizational approach, was an example that unfortunately happens with many teachers today. 

It's a little ironic that my post is later than usual this weekend, because grades for my students were due, so from my end there is also that game to be played.

In Being a Contributor—your surroundings growing up influence the determination about whether you are expected to become something or not.  Becoming a contributor is not an either or, but a position of making a difference with others around you. You are a gift to others (58), rings true when you know how you influence others by just being yourself, showing kindness and compassion. While reading this week an old quote came to mind, which helps me be mindful of the moment; “Yesterday is past, tomorrow not yet here, today is a present, a gift to treasure and enjoy.”

The Practice—1) declare yourself to be a contribution. 2) throw yourself into life as someone who makes a difference, accepting that you may not understand how or why. We all influence those around us in ways we may never know. This was an enjoyable read, reaffirming much of how I live already.

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2000). The Art of Possibility. Ch. 1-4. Penguin Books. New York, NY.

Graphic-Lighthouse Keeper’s Zen Garden; Creative Commons-attribution, share-alike