Ever since I was about six or seven years old I wanted to be able to solve the Rubik’s cube. One of my friend’s older brother knew how to do it and loved to show me how quickly he could solve the cube.
Thirty years ago, when Atari was alive and well as a computer game system, not just a cool 1970s logo to put on a t-shirt, the Rubik’s cube was a popular toy for children and adults alike.
We had one in our home and I remember my mother buying a small booklet on how to solve the cube. Mum made notes and drew lines in the book, but one thing I remember, is that even though my mother was a national bridge champion, she couldn’t solve the Rubik’s cube.
So in my mind it was impossible.
Fast forward thirty years to a couple of weeks ago. The new receptionist at my office had a Rubik’s cube on her desk. It was all jumbled up and I asked her if she could solve it. Well, as it turns out, she can. It takes her around two minutes!
“Could you teach me?” I asked her.
“Of course, it’s easy.” She says, and then solves the cube in front of my eyes telling me how she does it.
And of course I just picked up the cube and was immediately able to do it too. Err. No!
What then followed was an amazing sequence of steps that has shown me what I thought was impossible is not after all.
The next day the receptionist emailed me her “cheat sheet”. I studied it and saw actually how simply the solution can be described. So yesterday I bought a Rubik’s cube – my childhood cube had long ago bitten the dust – with the full intention of learning to solve it. I had the fresh attitude that I would simply learn how to.
I found an online resource and used her cheat sheet and was almost able to solve it yesterday. Today I asked her to decipher the last instruction and like magic, I did it!
I had incorrectly thought it was impossible from a misguided observation as a child. As a result I never tried to learn, and always figured it was out of my reach.
I know this isn’t Earth-shattering news, that I have learned to solve the Rubik’s cube, but it does teach us a few things:
- Sometimes solutions are a lot easier than we think.
- Our attitude toward something has a big impact on our success.
- Never write off anything – it may not be possible now, but it could certainly be an option in the future.
- Set goals that truly are a stretch and you will grow to learn ways to achieve them.
- Try try try again. Keep trying until you reach success.
For the best part of my life, my attitude towards the cube had been one of mystery and frustration rather than of hope and optimism.
What is it in your life that you are not achieving because of a self-defeating attitude?
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” -Thomas Edison
