“You cannot think your way into a new way of acting, you have to act your way into a new way of thinking.” ~ Jerry Sternin, Founder of The Positive Deviance Initiative

In this month’s issue of Fast Company, there is an excerpt from Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath. The book goes on sale February 16th, and this excerpt provides insights into how to find the bright spots, as small and few as they may be, that lead to radical, large-scale, successful change when replicated. The Heaths take a cue from Jerry Sternin, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University, who, along with his wife, Monique (also a professor at Tufts), gave so much to so many around the world. The Professors Sternin founded the movement of positive deviance and advocated for its use around the world.

There is some societal belief that when someone is exceptional, they’re weird. We think that the exceptional do things that no one else can do when really they just do things that no one is doing. William Kamkwamba in Malawi, whom I blogged about earlier this week.... If we studied them closely, we would find that a couple of key things that they do are different from the majority, and those few differences can be replicated so that the exception becomes the new norm. Jerry and Monique Sternin believed that if we can find the bright spots, we’ll get more understanding of a situation and greater progress than we ever thought possible.

This thought process begs the questions, "Where are the bright spots in our lives and how can we replicate the heck out of them?!"

So Pinkies, this Mojo Monday, ask yourself the following questions:

1. What are my bright spots? What do I do differently from most other people? What natural gifts do I possess that have always served me?
2. What are the bright spots I see in others (Hint: donning your magical eyes might help answer this question)?
3. How might I - by myself or in concert with others - take the bright spots I see out into the world in a big way? (The answer to this may spawn a Mojo Monday exercise all its own!)

Share your findings and ideas in the comments section ... and let the inspiration roll!

Shining brightly,
Christa

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