In our household we share interesting tidbits from whatever we are reading at the time.
My partner has been reading a book called Switch, by Chip and Dan Heath.
Switch is about how to change things when change is hard, and there is an analogy used in the book which I think explains why the Highlanders, Black Caps, Irish cricket team and All Whites have managed to pull off performances that have been against the odds and exceptional.
The analogy was used by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who suggests our emotional side is like an elephant while our rational side is its rider.
The rider sits atop the elephant, giving the impression of being the leader, but looks can be deceiving.
In a nutshell, whenever the elephant (our emotions) and the rider (our rational thought processes) disagree, more often than not the rider is going to lose.
When efforts to change fail, it is usually the elephant's fault, since change often involves short-term sacrifices for long-term payoffs.
The elephant's weakness is the desire for instant gratification, which is the opposite of what the rider's strengths are.
The rider has the ability to plan, and to think beyond the moment.
Are you following so far? What many of us don't register, however, is that the elephant also has strengths and the rider weaknesses.
Emotions can come in handy when under threat, and instincts kick in (for example - when flooded with adrenaline).
The elephant is the one who gets things done, who has the energy and the drive to make progress.
The rider, on the other hand, tends to overanalyse and over-think things and this can lead to paralysis by analysis.
If we could all get our elephant and rider to go in the same direction, we'd be unstoppable.
If we could harness our emotions in a way that complements the rider's intentions, we'd be unbeatable.
And unstoppable and unbeatable is exactly what happened with the Highlanders in South Africa and the Black Caps in India.
In the past, the Highlanders have probably been a lot of elephants running around the field with no-one holding the reins.
And I'd almost given up hope in the Black Caps, who appeared to be full of riders (and one Ryder) over-analysing their lack of form while failing to just get on with the job.
Now the Highlanders have elephants and riders, and one can't help but feel this may be because Jamie Joseph has managed to harness the raw emotion of his players, the region, and the franchise.
Rather than a weakness, he has realised the potential of emotions and with a bit more focus and strategy the long-suffering Highlanders have had three wins in a row.
Alternatively, the Black Caps have let go of the paralysing thought processes and let the elephant perform a little.
I don't know whether Daniel Vettori (the ultimate rider?) leaving the pitch had anything to do with their surprising performance but after a few lucky breaks, birthday boy Ross Taylor found his rhythm late in the innings and unleashed.
In the 47th over he smashed 26 runs, including six to bring up his hundred.
He smashed the ball over the fence nine times in a 20-minute period.
It was as if he finally let his emotions and instincts get the better of him and rather than try to control his elephant, the rider and elephant worked in perfect unison.
They say success breeds success, so it was no surprise that the bowlers came out with guns blazing after Taylor's inspirational performance.
Can the Highlanders continue to cajole the elephant when they face the Stormers? Can the Black Caps suppress their overactive riders to unleash the beast again on their next opponents at the World Cup?What a powerful force we would all be if we could combine the strength of our emotions and the will of our minds.
