“Have you tried a Fifth Dimensional Problem-Solving approach?”
That’s what I asked Harold, who just finished telling me how his company took a hit to the bow.
He said his boat was sinking. He and his team were in the boat frantically bailing water.
That was Harold’s analogy of his company in crisis during our executive session.
“Harold, I’m sorry to hear this. Business ownership at its best can be a challenge. Bravo for jumping in the boat, with the team. Using your analogy, if you continued expending your energy to bail water, eventually you and the team would tire. Meanwhile, the boat is sinking like a stone. You’d all drown. Someone has to figure out ‘how to patch the boat’ so everyone survives. As the owner, that’s on you.”
Harold’s face tightened.
“Look, I told him, I’d never diminish the importance of your actions. And in times of crisis, the Fight/Flight response kicks in. Its job is your survival. But it’s impossible for any business to sustain the ‘bailing mode’ indefinitely.”
A teachable moment. Maybe. And what business owner hasn’t faced problems? With the trillions of words written about problem resolution, could it be time to explore something different?
Enter fifth-dimensional problem resolution.
First. I’m not talking about triaging a business, that’s another subject. I’m talking about fifth-dimensional-problem resolution. It’s the ability to elevate your thinking from the current situation. With elevation there’s perspective. With perspective there’s insight. A practiced skill. Putting distance between you and the problem frees your logical mind. You can ideate solutions because you’re not cemented to the problem. Yes. There are exceptions. Generally speaking, “Keep Calm and Carry On,” works.
“But Paula, you say, that’s Business 101. Doesn’t every entrepreneur use fifth-dimensional problem resolution?” Let’s find out.
Here’s the scenario.
The business is hemorrhaging money. Bill collectors are circling. Your funds don’t cover operating expenses, forget payroll. You’re against the wall. What do you do? Panic? An alcohol I.V? Assume the fetal position? Note to self. These short-term fixes are not effective problem-resolution strategies. And unless it has previously worked, using old thinking to solve new problems can be like the cat chasing its tail. Said another way ...
“Problems cannot be solved with the same mindset that created them.” Einstein.
Affirmations? You can say, “I’m rich. I’m rich. I’m rich,” until the cows come home. When the three pounds of gelatinous material in your noggin says, “Pfst! There’s barely three hundred bucks in your account. You’re broke.” You say one thing; your inner gremlin says another. It’s a house divided. Meanwhile, the dominant thought or feeling, delivers your reality. Maybe you can relate?
Clients give me a quizzical stare. Scratch that. I get the wee-ooo look when I mention fifth-dimensional problem solving. Understood. Business owners can be neck-up thinkers. Who can blame them? There’s Block Chain. Clients. Grueling responsibility. When a business isn’t generating revenue, it’s not a business. It’s an idea. So, methods that hint at anything remotely abstract are considered airy fairy, poo-pooed or delegitimized.
Yet when entrepreneurs learn practical ways to suspend analytical, linear thinking and override the conscious mind, which has limits and operates in patterns, A-ha! solutions are like Fireflies against the night sky.
Maybe you’re thinking, exactly what is fifth-dimensional problem solving? I thought you’d never ask. Disclaimer. As an abstract thinker, I’m equally pragmatic. Theories mean squat until I test them for a quantifiable result. Preferably one I desire.
When faced with a perplexing problem, I insert space so my mind can breathe. I walk. Alone. In nature. Without a cell phone. Electromagnetic emissions from the phone cause line static. The signal must be clear to receive solutions. In fact, the Ascended Masters who’d metaphorically go into the desert to receive guidance were onto something big. Shutting off distraction and re-directing energy to the creative faculties can download rock your world answers.
Here’s the thing. Real or imagined, if a problem poses a threat, it’ll elicit the Flight/Fight response. You enter survival mode. Blood goes to the extremities to fight, flee or, in Harold’s case, bail water like hell to survive. Try being creative in a sinking boat. Again. Another subject.
When you’re calm, trust a solution exists. It’s just temporarily beyond your conscious awareness. Meanwhile, do a head/heart check. Remember. You and your inner gremlin must agree you’ll discover a solution. Neuroscientists worldwide confirm what the Ancients have known for millennia. There’s power in the head and heart agreement. Do that. You have an intellectual and emotional leg-up on problem solving.
Are you still with me? Marvelous.
Maybe you do this too. Sleep is another way to allow solutions to emerge, provided you don’t agonize over the problem right before going nighty-night. Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Albert Einstein and countless illumined souls regularly asked the subconscious mind for a solution before drifting off to sleep. There’s a right and a wrong way to ask to evoke the solution. They knew the conscious mind sleeps when we do which suspends constrictive emotions like fear, worry, doubt etc. giving the subconscious mind access to the field of infinite possibilities. If you’ve ever been bolted awake at three a.m. with an answer, oh- freakin’ la-la. Sleep is our reprieve. Because closing your eyes shuts off sensory stimulus that reminds you of the problem. That’s a good thing. Because finding a solution by magnifying the problem, defies Quantum Law.
Consider this the basic premise. There’s more to the story. A lot more. And everyone comes hard coded to do what I’ve just described. Although, this material isn’t a one-off. It takes practice. Confession. Early on I kept it quiet. Clients would have shrieked, “Get the net!” Today with decades of real-world application and results, the fifth-dimension rarely, if ever disappoints. If I can do it, you can too.
Paula M. Parker (c) 2019
Originally published in the MetroWest Daily News
