Companies?

I have been posting about what if's right? Yes.

Did you know there is a company with the same name?

?What If! partners with companies that are wanting to grow. They create new ideas and products, as well as helping their partners build their innovation capabilities.

They have global offices in New York, London, São Paulo, Manchester, Shanghai, and Singapore.

From looking at their website, I think that these guys are incredible. Well, they kind of have to be when they are working with companies such as Google, L'OREAL, KRAFT, Shell, LG, and, LEVI'S.

As I was looking at their website, I was introduced to their values.

• Impact - Obsessed with the end goal. Never slaves to process.
• Audacity - Think big. Hate mediocrity. Seek breakthroughs. 
• Passion - Explosive drive. Contagious energy. Collaborative spirit.
• Love - In it together for the long term. Always do the right thing - even when things get tough.
• Adventure - Step off the path. Defy convention. See what others don't.

Personally, I think that these are great values. And clearly they work.

Here are some facts that I came across.

• 1,191 years of combined experience
• 40+ countries where impact is felt
• 26 languages are spoken
• 50,000+ executive trained across 20 industries

Feel free to check up on who they are and what they do. Here is the link.
http://www.whatifinnovation.com/

Super Power or Curse?

Every walk by someone and wish you knew what they were thinking. Their thoughts on the weather, the year, the shoes they are wearing, their parents, politics, and maybe even you. I like to fantasize what people think sometimes but more often than not, I think about what they think of me.

Protection?

Like most people I'm sure, I over-think things. When I explore what someone might think of me, I look at everything they have ever said to me, everything they have ever done around me and of course every look they have given me. You have probably realized by now that that is a very bad thing to do.

But, what if you didn't have to imagine or guess what people thought?
What if you could read their minds?
What if they could read your mind?

 I have always imagined what people might think of me but I do not think that I could ever face what people actually think of me. I am a very loud and sometimes abrasive person. Although I know that it is true, I would not be able to handle seeing(or hearing) that people saw me the way that I see myself.

If you could read minds, there would be no secrets. You would never have to worry about someone lying to you but you would be faced with the truth 24/7 and a lot of people can not handle that.

Let's think about surprises. If you could read someones mind, and they could never lie to you or hid anything from you, there would never be any surprises. You would know what all your gifts were, you would know everything. Would you want that?

Reading minds could be a curse and a blessing. What if you could turn it on and off? You could pick when to listen and when to not! Would you?

Poor Santa

Santa Clause lives where? The North Pole, right? Of course, everyone knows that.

Ever seen this sign?

Where do we live? Well, anywhere there is land and resources. Almost every time you turn on the news you hear of some disaster that has devastated many. Whether is be a flood, hurricane, earthquake, explosion, etc. the population suffers.

When I think of the North Pole, I tend not to think of a population but, what if the North Pole melted? What would happen?

Lets think of every one who would be affected:
- Santa Clause
- EVERYONE ELSE ON THE EARTH

 I think that sums it up quite nicely.

You might be asking why it impacts everyone. Or perhaps you are wondering why a person my age cares about Santa.

Well, I think it impacts everyone because think about it on a smaller scale. If you stick an ice cube in a full glass of water, what happens when the ice melts?

It overflows.

So, if the North Pole melts, what will happen?

The oceans will over flow and many people will lose there homes.

But, the North Pole won't melt. Will it?

True Knowledge

We all like to know things. The grass is green, the sky is blue, I am a girl, I live in Canada, the world is round, and bacon is AMAZING!

But what if all of that was taken away. What if we could only know things by reading about them? No going out, no experiencing the wind, food, family, friendship, love, and heartache.

Do you think that we would be different people? or even a different society?

If you read about what a hug feels like, would you understand it even if you have never experienced a real hug? I know I wouldn't. I think that much of the world would become a fantasy and partially unknown to most of us.

I have found a poem that I believes captures the way that I see the world. Of course, it is a what if poem but this poem in particular, challenges what we think we know. It makes us think about our experiences and knowledge. It makes you wonder what you really know and if it is possible that you are wrong.

 

So let us think about this poem shall we? 

A tree - as far as I know the tree outside is not upside down

Clouds - the only cloud I know of that is on the ground is fog, and that isn't technically a cloud 

Chairs - hair? really?

Ice - I think my ice tray makes cubes

And so on.

I know these things as facts right? Yes. But, what if these facts were not true?

 I suppose it is kind of like the saying "a rose by any other name would still be a rose".

Would you ever challenge what you know as true?

Locomotion

Think of everything that you use your body for: transportation, self-expression, sports, eating, playing board games and video games, hugging loved ones, being present, breathing, talking to people, sitting, sleeping, waving.

How many of these things do you enjoy doing? I'm sure most of us enjoy these things.

No moving?

There are obviously lots more things that we do with our bodies but we take most of them for granted. So, what would you do if you suddenly became paralyzed? You've probably never thought of that have you? 

If by happenstance, you became completely paralyzed, what couldn't you do?

Here's my list of a few top items:
- walk or run
- hug people I love
- no more video games
- say goodbye to unassisted hour long showers
- no more guitar

Figuratively, my life would be over. Yes, I would survive and I'm sure you would too, but it would NOT be easy.

Hopefully now that you have thought about what you would lose being paralyzed, do you realize all that you take for granted? Think of all the "what if" questions that people who are paralyzed have.

What if this didn't happen? 

What if that didn't happen? 

What if I could have stopped it? 

It is true that we all have what if questions. It is true that we all have problems that make us wonder what if. Do yours pale in comparison to those who have life altering what if questions?

25, 50, 75, 100!

Some people are amazing in school, some people are not. Passing a class all has to do with getting above that important number, 50! I can say that there have been times when I did not believe that I could do it.

Where do we sit?

But, what would happen if the passing mark was no longer 50? What if it was higher, much higher? Say, 75 or 80?

Take a minute and think of last year. How many classes would have turned into a fail? As hard as you might try, some students will never reach these marks.

In life today all that matters is your GPA.

Do you think that you would try harder to meet the passing grade? Or would you just give up?

I have no idea what I would do. I love school, so I have an easier time with it. But, I already feel stressed when my marks aren't supper high. I know for a fact that high school stress levels would go up for everyone. We would all be fighting to pass and to get the edge on everyone else.

Are we too dependent on grades? Do you overlook the person and their perseverance? I think we do. If you take a walk around any school you will see a number of things. There will be an Honor Role board somewhere, students who have gotten academic awards have their name posted somewhere and you also have the cliques.

People base their friendships on grades and brains, more and more each year.

There is also an increased need to have the best marks as you get into the higher grades. By grade 12 you must be the top of you class to get into the best schools.

That is not fair. And it would only get worse if the passing grade went up. How do yo think you would react to the change if there was one?

Judgement Day AKA Every Day

Okay, who has ever been judged? I'm sure everyone has, so do not try to deny it. We all know what it is like. We all know the self-doubt that comes along with someone judging you. And, we should also know that there are different ways people are judged. People are judged by their actions, looks, likes, family, status, brains, and even hobbies.

But, none of this is right.

Simon Cowell? King of Judging?

We should not me judging people. Yes, I know that it is easier said than done, but think about what it would be like if you didn't have to worry about people judging you! It would be amazing. Think about all the people that would actually be themselves and be happy with themselves.

So, what if people didn't judge others? What would you do? What would you say? Who would you be?

Personally, I think I would be so happy. There would be a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I would definitely dance in the streets, sing at the top of my lungs, be brutally honest all the time.

But, most importantly, I would not keep any secrets.

I think that with judgement of others comes this cage that we all think we need to live in. We are always watching what we do and what others do. We always have to say the right thing. It is like there is a perfect mold that we have to fit into so that we are not judged. The only problem is that even if you fit the perfect mold you will be judged for being so perfect.

There is no winning!

Do you think there is anyway to win this battle of judgement?