By: Scott Prath, M.A., CCC-SLP, Bilinguistics
Reprinted with the express permission of the author as it appeared on the Bilinguistics Blog

I read the book A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink while searching for new ways to approach issues at work, such as having difficulty staying organized or trying to deal with an increasingly complex work day. Technology has improved our lives to such a great degree, but it has also increased the demands that are put upon us and the amount of information that we are expected to digest on a daily basis. Growing tired of optimistic clichés such as “think outside the box,” I was struck by how funny the notion of doing things differently really is. What is the box that we are trying to think outside of, and why is it so bad to be in it? If it is so bad, why do we spend so much of our time in there? This is what led me to read A Whole New Mind. Rather than inventing or gaining new abilities, he reintroduces us to innate tendencies that are right in our brain that are simply little-used or dormant.
I feel that this information is incredibly applicable to the field of Speech-Language Pathology. We get to explore how our own mind works, improve our day, and learn about how our clients think along the way. The sections on neural imaging speak to the profession and the sections on personal growth speak to the person. It has enhanced my therapy and improved my ability to facilitate tenuous meetings. I presented the chapters from this book to the Bilinguistics staff along with a lot of really fun activities to help us as team move in the direction of the ever-esteemed work-life balance. In the next few weeks, we will feature their reflections on six essential senses that Pink outlines: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, Meaning. I would recommend this information to anyone in any field.
Featured Guest Blogger: Scott Prath, M.A., CCC-SLP, Bilinguistics
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Scott Prath, M.A., CCC-SLP is Vice President of Bilinguistics, Inc.. Scott completed his master’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin in Communication Sciences and Disorders. He also completed his bachelor’s degrees at the University of Texas in Spanish and Communication Sciences and Disorders. His studies focused on second language acquisition and speech productions in Spanish-speaking children with cochlear implants. He has presented to Speech-Language Pathologists internationally and translates for the Spanish-speaking community in Austin.