Dieting made Betsy feel grumpy, bored, and isolated. She and her friend Janet began e-mailing each other for support, then— ping! —decided to create a blog ( bitchyourselfthin.com ) where dieters could gather to share food fantasies and grumpy harangues. Now Betsy has her ideal body and an Internet community.

Brenda was unnerved by an ex-boyfriend's increasingly paranoid, angry phone messages. Then she realized— ping! —that his very paranoia could shut him down. She had three private detectives ask him about his phone messages; he became convinced she was having him followed, and he disappeared.

All of these women puzzled about a difficult situation, tried many solutions that didn't work, let the problem go, and got a brilliant response from their own creativity. They couldn't force that to happen, but they made it highly likely with Kitchen Sink thinking.

Turning on your right brain is a skill, one that grows steadily stronger the more you work at it. Trigger the sensation of deep practice by mastering any unfamiliar task, feed challenges and stray information into your right brain's database, and see new ideas begin to emerge. As they do, you'll move more confidently and productively through an increasingly complex world. When I see you out Rollerblading, eyes locked in a vacant yet squinty stare, I'll know you're getting the hang of it.

Martha Beck is the author of six books, including Steering by Starlight (Rodale).

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