Can You Find the Hidden Message?

There are many ways to learn from experiences if you are aware and open to messages. Very often these messages have nothing to do with the area of life you apply the knowledge to.  That is one of the reasons that people often don't recognize these messages. For instance, I have been watching the Canadian version of the Amazing Race over the last few weeks, and a couple of times in the show, I couldn't help but think how the message I was seeing and hearing wasn't just about the Amazing Race.....these points that I noticed apply to every area of life.

In the last episode, there was a challenge to pile coal in a flatbed container on a train track,  and then hang a small ornament in a specific spot on the flatbed container.  Most teams shoveled the coal from the pile to a wheelbarrow and then shovel by shovel put it in the flatbed.  One team was lagging behind, so instead of putting it shovel by shovel in the flatbed container, they lifted the wheelbarrow up and dumped in in the flatbed in one shift move.   No one else thought to do that.

The small ornament posed a problem for many teams because they didn't read the instructions fully and put it in the wrong spot. When told their task was not completed to satisfaction of the judge, they all thought it was related to the coal, and started putting more coal in in flatbed container. They only thought of the obvious.   All they had to do was move the ornament.  This exercise had three great messages..... listen to instructions, look past the obvious,  and then innovate where possible.

In another challenge one couple promised to give a "fast track" to another couple if they won it, and then went back on their word and gave it to someone else. Their explanation was it was "game strategy". Although game strategy is important when you are competing, there is no need to go back on your word. Someone that is willing to do this to win a game is very likely to do this in everyday life, and in the business world.  Not surprisingly, the couple that went back on their word ended up being eliminated because they were last to check in. Interesting that they were attempting to slow down the team they betrayed, and they ended up coming in last. We get what we give in life, and in business.

Once you have an awareness of this concept, you will realize that there are hidden messages in every encounter we have, and what we learn is applicable to all areas of our lives.