A couple of days ago I was trying to get in a training ride on my bike. I rode through a couple of different neighborhoods in Seattle en route to the waterfront. On the other side of a small overpass I saw a woman walking her bike. That usually spells trouble, so i shouted out, "Need a tube?" "Hey Patti", she yells back and sure enough it is my friend Deb with a flat (her second on the ride). I give her my spare tube, help her change the flat and all she can say is, "Wow, that was perfect timing!" And so it was!
People use the term perfect timing when they are aware of or experiencing a synchronistic moment in their world. Recently I co-led a workshop on Perfect Timing at Seabeck here in Washington state, in which we invited others to experience this kind of synchronicity right then and there.
Using photographs from a leadership deck created by The Center for Creative Leadership, each of the 175 participants was to asked, upon entering the room, to choose randomly from the images which were scattered face down on tables. They were then invited to think about a recent interaction they had with someone in which they had felt themselves being judgmental or not in alignment with their best self. I invited the group to close their eyes and ask inside, "What about this experience can I examine further for my own growth?" They found a partner and in pairs, looked at their images together. What did their own image tell them about this area of growth? They shared this with the partner. In the final activity these dyads were invited to find another pair to create a foursome. Foursomes were to lay out and examine all of their pictures together. The group then closed their eyes and asked the question, "What is the message these pictures as a whole are telling me?" Each participant wrote their message on a 3x5 card. All of the images and messages were hung in groups on the walls for the entire retreat participants to view and learn from.
Images are a powerful projective tool. Our brain automatically links visuals together to help us navigate through the world. Since our optic nerve receives only two dimensional imagery, the brain must fill in the rest to complete a three dimension picture. For example, when we are reaching to pick up a glass of water, the brain fills in the space between us and the glass so we can grab it with accuracy.
When you add a self-reflective activity that invites you to connect with the deeper part of yourself, you gain an even deeper and broader feeling of connection with the world. The visuals and the questioning help you to tap into the right side of your brain which brings a deeper understanding of you - that essence of you - in communion with all of life. This is the home where "perfect timing" resides.
Take time to align yourself to all of life and see if you recognize more of the perfect timing that exists in every moment for you. Then post a note about it for the rest of us to read.
Best regards,
Patti
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