I just came back from an incredibly inspiring event. Together with my fellow personal growth warriors Tony Anagor and Tobias Rodrigues we had organized the third round of Pit Stop for Game Changers. What can I say… Wonderful venue, wonderful people, wonderful inspiration. Especially one workshop made me reflect.
Jürgen Salenbacher, an international expert in personal branding, facilitated one of the 15-minute power workshops. Our task was to draw three images of things that shaped our life. It was simple, it was fast – within a couple of minutes we all had drawn our images on a sheet of paper.
Then, we had to come together in a circle. One by one, we had to explain the images to the others. We all shared our short stories. I thought, How powerful! All stories went straight to the point; they were specific and concrete examples. Above all, they were personal. Another thought popped up in my mind: Why don’t we talk like we draw?
When we talk, we use – almost exclusively – abstract expressions like happiness, sadness, passion, dreams and vacation. Or, look at our business jargon: Critical mass, added value, value chain, win-win situation, return on investment. The list goes on and on. But – what do you really want to say?
How do you draw happiness? How do you draw dreams? How do you draw an added value? Whatever you draw, it won’t be abstract unless you’re a new Picasso. That’s why I decided to incorporate drawing exercises into my trainings. It’s such a simple and powerful tool.
Give it a try! Draw three things that shaped your life and explain them to a loved one. You’ll see, when you start to talk like you draw – drawtalk – all the verbal noise without meaning will burst like soap bubbles.