How to Have Your Cake…and Eat it Too – Twice!

By Shlomo Maital     

       cake-and-eat-it-too

   I’ve written a new book, with a co-author, on creativity.   Its title is:  The Imagination Elevator:  How Structured Creativity Can Enrich Your Life and Change the World.  I hope it will be available in a few months. 

   The key message of the book:  Creativity is widening the range of choices.  By widening the range of choice, we can change our own lives and those of others.  It takes practice.  But the results can be amazing.

  Here is a tiny example, one in which I used the method on myself.

   I committed to giving a talk to a group of women, on April 23.  I then learned that an annual 10k run that I love takes place at precisely the same time.  What to do? 

   You have to give up one, or the other, right?  

   Why?  Why not have your cake and eat it too.

   Who says I have to do the Haifa 10km. run at 3 pm on April 23?  Why not do it the day before? 

    Widen your choices.  And avoid constraints that others impose on you, often related to time and place. 

    Here is a small experiment you can try.  Desert is always served after the main course.  My wife and I recently had a great meal, but by far the best part was the crème brule and cheesecake for desert. I wish we had STARTED with desert.  Next time, we will.   Try it.  Have your desert first.  THEN your main course.  Why not?  You could have your cake and eat it too (eat half, take home the rest in your doggy bag).  

  The key to creativity is the question, why?  Use it often.  When people say, you HAVE to do this, do it this way,  ask, Why?