This week’s essay is a little addition to the brand new JOY THEORY episode. Start with the episode. Then read this. It will make a lot more sense.
Part of improving my skateboarding this summer, particularly my kickturn, has been being open to feedback. As I mentioned in the JOY episode, skateboarding is kind of a feedback unicorn. Feedback here exists in the Safe+ Useful quadrant and runs smoothly, fostering improvement within the community. It’s magical as fuck and somehting I hope to be able to really dissect and replicate in other environments. Not everyone wants to skateboard, but can we all participate in feedback like someone who skates off a 73 foot ramp, right?
The feedback I received while in process was definitely the spaghetti against the wall variety. “Try this, this is how I did it, maybe try it here, there’s less of an incline.” And it all helped. I listened, tried it all before deciding if it worked for me or not, focused in on a few key pieces of feedback that seemed to work and went from there. I was improving, slowly but surely, and then, as I mention in the podcast , everything in skateboarding is just 2 tries away.
I was working at it this past weekend, when one of my crew friends said, “This is wild, but you know what really helped me nail my kickturn? Beyonce.” Turns out the beat to the song Single Ladies, paired with the lunge sort of squat move that Bey is pretty well known for, provided the perfect formula for a kickturn. “That’s nuts, right,” she said.” Totally, but I tried it anyway,
See what sticks.
And yeah if singing Single Ladies in my head and picturing Bey in her leotard and heels didn't totally do the trick.
Full circle. Kickturn nailed. A celebration.
The beat, the movement, something clicked. And isn’t that amazing?! I guess this is why they say don’t bring an umbrella to a brainstorming session.
But there is something deeper here. The system that is in place that created an environment where this type of feedback is welcome is important. This wildly creative and totally out of the box feedback, is not only accepted, but utilized. Great that Beyonce can inspire improvements in skateboarding, but it is the health of the system that inspired the possibility that an idea like this can be shared and integrated as feedback. Turns out skateboarding is kind of the perfect model for healthy and effective feedback systems.
But why? Why skateboarding?
I’m sure to any skateboarder this is not surprising. We all know what skateboarding can do for us. It can be hard to put into words, but we all know it. As I say in the podcast, I’m working on figuring out exactly why the skateboarding community has been able to create this kind of ideal feedback situation. I have a few ideas, but as in all processes, answers will continue to unfold. For now, if there is something you are trying to do, a project, chore, or a goal, throw a little spaghetti against the wall. And when all else fails, listen to Single Ladies.
xxx
LAS
HUMAN DESIGN
MANIFESTING GENERATOR
This week I am going to share my favorite aspect of the Manifesting Generator energy type. I received a few questions about Manifesting Generators - thank you for sending your ideas my way!
Here we go!
Manifesting Generators are the hummingbirds of the Human Design world. I happen to be a MG and understanding my design really felt like coming home. It has completely reframed the way I think about my capacity and the capacity of others. Simply put, Manifesting Generators get shit done. And a lot of it. If you ever wonder how someone you know can possibly get all that done in a single day, there are probably a MG.
There is a lot to share about MG's but my absolute favorite part of this energy type and probably the hardest to learn to trust is that MG's energy is in response to being lit up. The more MGs do that lights them up, the more energy we have. And this satisfaction and joy in one area of life feeds all the others. MGs are incredibly magnetic and this magnetism comes from being in a place of satisfaction. If you love hiking, make time for hiking. This energy and satisfaction will carry over to your work and relationships. The effects of doing what lights you up creates magnetism in all areas of life. Of course not every responsibility in life is going to light you up. This is not about deciding to only do what feels good. That's what toddlers do and that's why they have epic tantrums in Target. Doing what lights you up means prioritizing your joy. Even if it is only possible to be in this mindset a few minutes a day. The more you can be here, the more you can light up those around you and give them a boost of your magical energy and enthusiasm. Your role as a MG in the greater collective is to provide this spirited boost and beautiful, radiant energy.
While this isn't the specific strategy for all energy types, doing what lights you up is beneficial for all of us! Part of Human Design is play. Do a little experiment and see what happens when you prioritize your joy, curiosity, and passion. How do you feel when you make time (real time - put it on your to do list or calendar, remember even 5 minutes counts) for things that make you feel really good.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of understanding your energy type. Want to learn more? Send me your questions LISAANDERSONSHAFFER@GMAIL.COM
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