ReStorying Wellbeing- a webinar
“If you asked me, I’d say normality is either a four- sided triangle or square circle”.
So said Thomas Szasz, an American psychiatrist who wrote “ the myth of mental illness”.
Circle and Square’s Dave Stevens led our hour long discussion. He explained that “ out of the box “, or divergent thinking ( ⭕️ circle), enhances our creativity, and therein , our success.
He demonstrated with a question. “What’s the word that comes to mind if I say the word BLUE”- most people apparently respond with “ sky, sea , ocean “
I don’t think he expected the obvious answer from a doctor… “Viagra”.
The webinar emphasises themes of “ mindfulness “, and trusting ones own body . We need to embrace a return to nature, to the openness of the wondrous child (the circle), from the jaded, overanalysed, conforming adult
( the square).
The way to wellbeing is fueled by a touch of creativity, an allowance and a tolerance for what may feel like non conformity.
Turns out – Dave is proved right by ancient geometers. To take the openness and potential out of a persons world …. is actually described as an illness by Greek mathematicians. ‘ Morbus Cyclometricus’ is the ‘circle squaring disease’, where one can go nuts trying to figure out how to create a square with the exact surface area of an existing circle, using restricted tools.
It can’t be done. Don’t try . It’s clearly even geometrically best to “ let the circle remain a circle”.
Our take home message :
- stay attuned to your needs
- listen to your body
- reduce pressure to fill your time with work or activity .
Stay open in your thinking , be creative, and encourage such in your children . Shut them up , if you must – but never shut them down .
https://www.gotostage.com/channel/b066010ef76045b696bc7761b253fb52/recording/96114fda681f4f47bd0f5a69bbbea85e/watch
