Week four: Reflection

Why is design thinking an important skill in social innovation?

Design thinking demands that we not just think "outside the box" but rethink how we use the box.

I have never been good at thinking outside the box, let alone rethinking the box. This class continues to stretch and force me to consider and think about actions I need to take in my life. There have been a number of times that I want to add to a conversation but don't because I feel like it won't add value. I don't believe that what I have to say would take away value, but I question if it is helpful. Often, these thoughts happen and move so slowly that as the conversation or topics move and change, by the time I want to proceed, the theme of the conversation has changed and my thoughts evolve. 

The Ted Talk was very helpful and I plan to pursue some of those activities more to increase my creativity. I may have shared this here, I share it as often as I can, I try and add the word, 'yet', to my sentences as often as possible. I only started doing it about 2 years ago. It has helped a lot with my growth and progress. I try not to say I am not good at that, but instead, I am not good at this yet. Which changing the language alone helps me to continue working at that skill and take opportunities that will help me in that area. 

Reading along about Szekeres and her love and passion to help her son was very motivational. At times, I feel I don't care about many things and feel defeated too easily. I wonder how I would act if my child were in a position, even half as difficult. It is so easy to reduce to the default to the way things are and have always been. That is where the yet feels so good as I have added it to my own dialogue, it has opened up the window to possibilities that I grew up not seeing, or not thinking I would ever be good enough for in life. 

If I am not able to think outside the box in my personal life, in my professional life, in my education, I will not be able to grow. I will lose out on financial opportunities, relationships and many other opportunities in life. 

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