Blocked by a clear road!

I have been living in Jeddah for close to four years now. I know the town quite well and I can drive to my favourite restaurant without much trouble. From the office - turn right and right again into the Al Malek road until the traffic light where I need to turn left. Then straight on along Hera' street until the ship round-about. Take 9 o'clock turn and go straight until the second traffic light where I need to make a U-Turn. The restaurant is about 100 yards from the U-turn.

One day a few friends and I set out for the restaurant from the office round about the same time, but we decided to drive our own car so that after dinner we can go straight home.But they got there long before I did. I asked them if they had driven fast but they denied this. Then I asked what route they had taken. They explained and it was obvious that they had taken a short cut by making a u-turn on AL-Malek road then turning right into a small lane and they just needed to make one left turn into another small lane behind a row of shop houses and arrived through the back of the restaurant.

A small side turning had led them directly to the restaurant while I was making unnecessary detour through the center of the town. My own route had always seemed satisfactory so I never looked for a shorter one. Nor had I ever been aware that there was a shorter one. I had driven past the small side turning each time but had never explored it because there had been no reason to. And without exploring it I could never have found out how useful it was. My original route had been in terms of large well known segments, cliche segments, because that is the easiest way to give instructions. 

When I first arrived four years ago, that was how my friends had given me instruction and I kept with it. There had never been any reason to break off along one of these cliche segments. My mind was blocked because I never had problem looking for the restaurant. It occurred to me that sometimes, if I was to lose my way then maybe it would been a blessing in disguise since I may have discovered the shorter way.

I can think of three ways how our mind can be blocked.

1. One is blocked by a gap. One can't proceed further because the road runs out *Jalan mati*. One needs to find more road or to construct a bridge. This is equivalent to having to generate more information or to find out by experimenting.

2. Another is blocked by there being something in the way *Pokok tumbang di tengah jalan*. Here there is a definite obstacle which bars progress. In order to go on, one has to find a way of removing the obstacle or getting around it. This is about concentrating one's effort in finding alternative options *U-Turn and detour or cut the branches of tree just enough to clear a path for the car to pass through*

3.The least obvious is blocked because there is nothing in the way *Like my case to the restaurant* The road is open and clear, so one shoot right pass the small junction without even noticing that it was there. Here a particular way of looking at things leads one to miss a better way of looking at them. Because the first way is adequate, one does not consider that there might be a better way - let alone look for it.

We become a creature of habits!

The third type of block is what happens when one is block by the adequate, blocked by the openness, blocked by perceived success!. Trying to avoid this type of block requires lateral thinking - an open mind and open attitude with a good sprinkles of humility. A balance between self confidence and steadfastness versus being inquisitive and challenging self for continuous learning can help.

I welcome you to join me in finding a shorter cut to the restaurant of your own lives. A new way of looking at things - not necessarily better, but definitely new.

When I think about the above, I can relate to my job search as being an opportunity now to look for a new path. Perhaps I will discover a new journey with scenic views and more thrilling and rewarding adventure. Only God knows..!