We often think of the optimist/pessimist statement about the glass being half full or half empty. A standard engineer joke is that the glass is twice as big as needed. But how often do we think about it like Bill Cosby did? The Cos said, "Is the glass half full, or half empty? It depends on whether you're pouring, or drinking."

I have a page called Quotes I Love and Future Fodder. It is rather long, as I have been adding to it for several years, but as I read through it in advance of posting it I gleaned this quote as a potential topic. It is the old "outside the box" thinking. So often we get caught up in looking at an issue in just one way, as having only one solution, and overlook the obvious.

Take any issue on your plate today, and think of it in a different way, from a different angle or perspective. The view you get may just reveal the key ingredient you need to move forward.

But while you're at it, don't get too proud of what you do. One of Michelangelo's most famous works was described thusly by the artist: "I've finished that chapel I was painting. The Pope is quite satisfied."

Update: By a coincidence, while I was finishing this post, Jonathan Fields posted this one: http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/steven-spielberg%e2%80%99s-brand-of-visionary-thinking/