Contemplation

Each week I hope to comment on a topic created by Chris King of Creative Keys. Chris is a fellow Mensan and I've found that her personality to similar to mine, and I've found inspiration in following her work.

The topic this week is Contemplation - Do you take out time to contemplate? And about what?

Contemplation is something to occurs to me on a continuous basis. It can be done in the middle of a fast-paced basketball game, or when I'm alone sitting on the couch and staring at the wall. To me, it is very much a necessary thing. Contemplation can take on many forms; a quick-witted decision, a long, drawn out brainstorming session, or time alone to sit and think. One can draw a correlation between contemplation and the act of thinking, however I do not believe they are mutually exclusive. One can contemplate by using their extraordinary intuition, or even their gut feeling -- neither of which necessarily associated with deep thought. Contemplation can be defined as 'careful consideration', but what defines the term 'careful'? What is the line between careful and careless? If one person trusts their heart more than the next, are they more contemplative? If another person analyzes a situation to a point where further analysis provides little to no value, is that still considered contemplation?

Sensual observation itself provides so much data, and without contemplation that data would carry no specific meaning. For example, if I took a 3-hour drive in the back country I would undoubtedly observe a wide range of landscapes, roadsigns, structures, vehicles and people. Now in order to better understand the relationships between these objects, and how they are integrated with the rest of the world we live, I need to have the ability to make certain connections within my mind. One possible definition for contemplation is to "seek out connections". When I contemplate making a decision, I am actively looking for possible pathways or lines of attack. I must bring my prior knowledge and experience to best understand what possibilities may exist, as well as the predictability of my actions. Each person has their own style I suppose. For me, visual observation tends to be very important. Whether it be a map, model, chart, video, or simulation, the pieces seem to fit in a more meaningful, understandable way.

So what types of things do I contemplate about? Everything! One of my natural strengths is the ability to solve problems, and therefore I am always seeking out different ways to attack a particular challenge, as well as the possible results. Other areas which I seem to focus energy would be interpersonal relationships, and how certain people relate to one another and can make each other stronger, happier and more successful. I feel like life is one giant jigsaw puzzle in which the pieces can fit an infinite number of ways to paint an infinite number of pictures. Some pictures can definitely be prettier than others, and some pieces don't fit together at all on occasion. I like to think about how each piece fits, but I also like to have fun!