How to Crowdsource a Better Life

Theorycrafting a way to turn stuck moments into open invitations for insight, help, and fresh perspective.

Photo by Haydn Golden on Unsplash.

Sometimes, you just really need a good idea.

Or maybe it’s a solution to a problem that’s been quietly devouring your attention for weeks — one that keeps resurfacing at inconvenient moments, like when you’re trying to fall asleep or zone out on the drive home. Maybe it’s a puzzle you can’t quite solve or a next step that still feels out of reach. Whatever the situation, there are times in life when you need something outside of your current perspective. Something new. Something better.

In many cases, community is our first line of defense.

Friends. Coworkers. Family. The wise stranger you swap thoughts with at the gym. A lot of the most valuable insights I’ve ever received have come from these circles — people who know me, people who can gently challenge me, people who see the things I miss. One of the best parts of close friendship is the ability to say, “Hey, I’m stuck,” and get a fresh set of eyes on the thing you’re struggling with.

But even that has its limits.

Because sometimes, the people who care about you most aren’t the ones best equipped to help you with a particular…