Please Don’t Squeeze Your Naked Grandma
Several years ago, the university that I attended attempted a ‘rebrand’…and spent months (and I’m sure quite a bit of our funds) coming up with a new logo. Bam!…the new logo was revealed. It was placed all over campus. It was celebrated and accompanied by a back story and a new vision statement.
And it was… Meh.
I stared at it and tried to match the narrative to the image, but I just couldn’t get it. It looked abstract, like two extended leg half rounds lying perpendicular to one another.
Now…most of you are NOT in the window business, and are trying to figure out what the F an extended leg half round is. But I digress.
I stared at the new logo, and that’s all I could come up with.
Then, a buddy of mine said to me, “hey, did you see the new logo?… Looks like a fat guy holding a surfboard, doesn’t it?”
I stared some more.
And behold…it DID look like a fat guy holding a surfboard. It looked exactly like a fat guy holding a surfboard.
I saw his beer belly. I saw his arm. I saw the surfboard, tucked under that arm. I saw the fat guy holding his surfboard…with absolute clarity.
And from that moment forward, the new logo had no meaning to me that associated with this proud university. It had no relevance to the grand vision statement that had been created. It was one thing, and one thing only… A fat guy holding a surfboard.
I could not “unsee” it. Ever.
This ever happen to you?
Ever notice that Tom Cruise has a tooth directly in the middle of his face?
Have you ever accidentally walked in on Grandma getting out of the shower?
Can’t unsee it.
I find this phenomenon to be akin to the one described by this phrase: “the toothpaste is out the tube”.
It describes a situation that cannot be recovered or returned to its original state. And it happens more than we think.
It certainly happens in the physical…when something changes or grows. But more often the phrase is used when something happens in the interpersonal realm. When someone reveals something that was previously ‘unsaid’, or does something that changes how you view them. Or perhaps some sort of precedent is set that alters business relationship.
Regardless, it seems that most times the phrase is attached to a negative connotation.
You did what? Oh boy…now they’ll always expect it.
You said what? Oh boy…you can’t take it back now.
But you know what I’ve been thinking about?
Those times when we WANT the toothpaste out. Those times when something NEEDS done…or said. Those times when all that’s stopping you, is the fear of forcing that toothpaste…out of the tube.
Maybe your toothpaste is fear of failure.
Maybe your toothpaste is a fear of conflict.
Maybe your toothpaste is a fear of embarrassment or rejection.
Maybe your toothpaste is a voice inside, causing you to doubt your own ability or strength or resolve or fight or even worthiness.
Maybe your toothpaste is actually an unwillingness to do what’s right, or what’s hard, or what’s necessary.
Whatever it is…there’s a good chance that all that you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of that toothpaste.
And to that I say…start squeezing my friends.
