What You Can Learn From the Romantic Period – Part 3: Be Outrageous

“Great things are only possible with outrageous requests.” ~ Thea Alexander

Get ready to be outrageous! In What You Can Learn From the Romantic Period, 3 characteristics from the Romantic Period are revealed as well as how you can apply each characteristic to achieve positive change and fulfillment in your life.

Here is a quick recap of Parts 1 and 2:
The Romantic Period was an artistic and philosophical movement (around the late 1700s to mid-1900s) when artists moved away from the strict laws of balance and restraint of previous periods.
Part 1 explored Self-Expression
Part 2 examined Emotion versus Intellect

Part 3: Be Outrageous
Here, we explore a third characteristic of the Romantic Period: a love of the fantastic and exotic. Romantic artists might display this by using fantasy, dreams, exotic lands and cultures, or exotic, idealized historical periods.

You can apply the fantastic and exotic to your life by being outrageous in your thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors.

Dream Big
Some of the greatest achievements in history started with what many considered outrageous dreams and ideas: the Wright brothers and their first powered and piloted plane, Walt Disney and his Mickey Mouse concept, Ted Turner and his 24-hour news station, CNN.

Dare to be an outrageous dreamer. Think BIG. When you do, you open up yourself to unimaginable possibilities.

Think Different
Romantics with a love of the fantastic and exotic probed more deeply into their creative imagination. Get outrageous by probing into your creative imagination! Challenge routine thought patterns by seeing things differently and asking creative questions.

Einstein, who was famous for questioning the ways things worked, said “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand.” See how far your creative imagination will take you.

Change Your Attitude
Another way to be outrageous is in your attitude. When you are faced with a challenging situation, practice having a different attitude; this shifts your energy, allows you to see things in a new way, and leads to positive outcomes.

People who lost their jobs as a result of the economy (including me), saw it as an opportunity to start a new business, develop a new skill, or get an education.

Think of it this way: When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
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Being outrageous may mean getting out of your comfort zone. As you may have heard me say, when you are out of your comfort zone you are learning and growing.

In what ways are you outrageous?

Believe in Yourself: The Little Engine That Knows it Will

"Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe."
–Gail Devers, U.S. Olympic Champion

As children, through stories such as The Little Engine That Could, we are taught to believe in ourselves and our abilities. Yet, since opening my first business fifteen years ago, I continue to speak with people who question their own abilities. My first company was a résumé writing service and I spent time interviewing clients to learn about their backgrounds and achievements.

Some clients felt they had limited abilities and little to offer potential employers. One such client had a goal of becoming a speech therapist. Besides pursuing an education in this field, she felt she had no real experience or qualifications.

During our session, I discovered she had been caring for her speech-impaired son for the last six years. As a result, she had acquired a wealth of information through her interactions with professional therapists and others who were assisting with her son’s care. With the help of these professionals, she cared for her son ultimately creating noticeable improvements in his condition.

She was pleased to learn her experience qualified as information she could provide on her résumé. So we did exactly that, thereby giving her the confidence and belief in her abilities she needed to begin her job search.

Sometimes people are unaware of their potential and abilities, particularly the abilities of the mind. Because of this unawareness, their abilities are underutilized. One way to build confidence and belief in yourself is to compile a list of your physical abilities (e.g., I work well with my hands) and your mental abilities (e.g., I have determination).

In the same way a résumé provides you with an inventory of your achievements, skills, and experience, this list will demonstrate what you have to offer. Like my client who was surprised to discover she had six years’ experience, you may be amazed at the abilities have to offer.

While The Little Engine That Could provides a valuable lesson in its "I think I can" message, you can further improve your confidence and transform your beliefs into reality by changing your language from “I think I can” to "I will!"

For more success strategies and tips, click here to download a signed copy of "8 Ways to Think Like a Winner."

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Christine Ferguson
End Leadership Hunger
Real Leadership Series
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