Issue 63: Commonsense with President Zelenskyy

We devote each newsletter to one Primal power. This week is Commonsense. 

Curious which powers affects you most? Take the diagnostic.

Imagine you're a former theater kid who finds professional success as a television actor and movie producer. You eventually pivot to political theater, running for president on an anti-corruption platform.  

 

You win by the largest landslide in your nation's history. 

 

Now imagine that Russia has invaded your country, killing tens of thousands of your soldiers and civilians.

 

As president, part of your job is securing military aid from your allies, which includes in-person meetings in the highest offices, like the Oval Office. You're a successful diplomat and you know the stakes. 

 

You're also a theater kid, who knows how to send a visual message. When dressing for your televised meeting with the US President and VP…

If you're Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, you choose option C, and deal with the fallout.

 

Commonsense is matching the newness of your plan to the newness of your situation.

 

Zelenskyy's situation was dramatically new. His was a country at war and under siege and he was appealing to a new American president. 

 

To him, traditional business dress didn't suit the moment, nor did military fatigues. So he created a new look— military boots worn with black pants and a black sweater, his only decoration a subdued Ukrainian coat of arms. 

 

The response in the White House wasn't terribly positive, but Zelenskyy stood strong.

The more you familiarize yourself with real-world, commonsense decisions of the past, the more you improve your ability to create calibrated commonsense responses to the challenges in your life.

Next week, Intuition.

 

In the meantime, listen to Angus discuss “Why Creativity Beats Anxiety” on the Curious by Nature podcast.

 

Key takeaways:

 👉 Why imagination, not stillness, can help anxious kids regulate more effectively
👉 The neuroscience behind creative play and emotional resilience
👉 How storytelling activates parts of the brain that support growth and healing
👉 Why conventional approaches to mindfulness may be missing the mark
👉 How creativity helps not just children, but all of us thrive in times of stress.

 

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