Tag Archives: creative tension

When we investigate and anticipate the exciting and enjoyable aspects of the future, we enhance our happiness

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When we investigate and anticipate the exciting and enjoyable aspects of the future, we enhance our happiness

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Rachael Gorjestani

How do you usually feel on Friday compared to Monday? If you have engaging plans for the weekend or have a career you enjoy, your answer is usually very positive for both scenarios.

What happens to many working folks on Sunday evenings if their jobs don’t exactly light them up?

The situations above are examples of positive and negative “Creative Tension,”  where the nature of the future has a significant effect on our moods and overall satisfaction with life.

EXERCISE:

In what ways can you be more intentional with your life to use the power of “creative tension” to envision and realize more of your hopes and dreams?

“To some this may look like a sunset. But it’s a new dawn.”

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“To some this may look like a sunset. But it’s a new dawn.”

—Chris Hadfield, first Canadian to walk in space

Image from Unsplash by Nelson Santos Jr.

When things come to an end—particularly what we consider “good” things—many people feel let down.

Consider the “wind down” after the holidays, a vacation, or even an enjoyable weekend.

These examples demonstrate the power of creative tension, and the impact that looking forward to things can have on our attitude and overall mental state.

EXERCISE:

In addition to feeling delight, joy, and happiness because you experience such positive events, how can you better see the new dawn each day brings?

Please reply to this post, and I will be happy to send you a one-page description of Creative Tension.

Hope smiles from the threshold

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“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’”

-Alfred Lord Tennyson, 19th Century Poet Laureate of Great Britain

Image from Ware Malcomb

Have you ever heard of the concept of “Creative Tension”?

It appears that Robert Fritz, the founder of this idea, mixed the positive nature of creativity with the frequently perceived negative nature of tension to coin this new catch phrase.

The creative aspect conveys a forward-moving, generative focus.

Tension, on the other hand, seeks resolution, and in this case, Fritz wants us to resolve the gaps between our reality and the desirable future to which we have committed.

EXERCISE:

Google the concept of “creative tension,” or check out this post about it online. See where it can propel you forward in the new year.

#77: “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp – or what’s a heaven for?”

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– Robert Browning

In the early 1990s, Robert Fritz wrote a book called The Path of Least Resistance. A key concept from this book is “Creative Tension.” Fritz describes this special form of tension as an attractive force that pulls and draws us from our “current reality” to our “committed vision.”

The phrase “I’m looking forward to the weekend” is a good example of positive creative tension. Many people, however, do not look forward to Mondays, due to their undesirable jobs or unfulfilling careers.

With this simple concept in mind, maybe all we need to do each day is to formulate something worth reaching for, beyond our current grasp.

Exercise:

What will you reach for today, tomorrow, and in the future?

Perhaps you will even experience a bit more heaven, here on earth.

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