What’s your problem?
“You know what your problem is? You think you know everything. You think you’ve got it allllll figured out.”
You may have gotten this lecture from your parents or teachers, as a kid. If not, you’ve probably seen it in movies and TV shows. There’s a time when youth start becoming adults and seeing the world through their own eyes and realize… Their world just isn’t the same as their parents’ world. They start understanding the impact that their choices have in their life.
To put it in nicer words: “You think the world is the way you think it is.” If you have a problem with the direction your life is going, there’s your answer, right there. You think the world is the way you think it is. The answer is simple, yet it is SO difficult for the mind to grasp how far reaching that answer really is.
What’s the difference?
Perspective. It’s the nature of evolution. All things change. But it can be difficult for our minds to keep up with too much change. We feel we must have a constant frame of reference within which to operate. It makes us feel “safe.” Otherwise, our whole world falls apart. Most humans will do anything to keep their world the same as it was yesterday. Predictable. Manageable. Understandable.
I’ll call this perspective the Quantum of Probability. It creates 98% of your existence. The sun will rise. Rain will fall from clouds to ground. You will go to the same job, in the same car, in the same clothes. You will feed the cat. The sun will set, and your world will be the same as it was yesterday. In the Quantum of Probability, predictability it high, change is slow, life is…. (put in your own adjective).
In this realm, the world is known to us. Or, we think it is known, and how we see it directly effects how we will behave in it. It’s like we paint a picture for ourselves, then try to figure out where we fit in that painting. Some see the world as a predatory jungle, with danger lurking around every corner. Others view it as a giant playground, full of adventure. Does that make the world a different place? Only to those people. What have you painted in the picture of your life? What’s your role in that picture?
The Challenge
The challenge here, is to ask difficult questions: “How is the world, maybe, not the way I see it?”
“What other viewpoints could be valid, even though they differ from mine?”
“What have I accomplished that I once thought was impossible?”
“What do I think is impossible today?”
“Can I see the world as a different place?”
“Can I see myself as a different person?”
The challenge is to live in that 2% of possibility. To not slip into old, defeating habits. To be open to a world where anything can happen. So many of us sell ourselves short because we have beautiful dreams, but put them off because of the endless, “Well, I have to take care of this first. This is real life.” The Realm of Possibility can be a scary and disorienting place for the mind. It is why possibly only 2% of human beings live there.
How to…
Try this exercise to raise awareness of how you perceive life, and your approach to it. It should also help you engage and expand your perception so you can live in the Realm of Possibility. Remember, life won’t change unless you do, so if there are things you’re unhappy with in your life, give yourself the gift of change.
Step 1
Get a pen and piece of paper, and write down the answers to these questions:
“How do I perceive life?”
Is it fun? Is it a chore? Is it a party, or a bore? Be descriptive, express your feelings.
“What are my roles in life?”
What gives you purpose, or a sense of importance? This could be parent, sibling, friend, great employee, loner, attention hog. Be honest.
“What do I feel obligated to?”
This is a tough one, and related to the previous question. More often than not, the things we do are motivated by feelings of obligation. “I have to,” is our call-phrase to living.
Step 2
Now it’s time to get creative. Do this exercise when you have some time. Create a quiet space for yourself. Take a few deep breaths to clear your mind. Now, close your eyes, and let yourself imagine your life as you would like it to unfold. Dream vacations. Dream job. Dream relationship. Don’t restrict yourself. Now, write these things down, and ask yourself this question: “Why can’t I have these things?” If you can come up with reasons, they’re probably the same answers you wrote for Step 1. And now you can see them not as reasons, but as excuses.
What if the ONLY reason you don’t have these things, is just because you think you can’t? Other people seem to get what they want. Is it because they’re blessed and you’re cursed? No way. Hm-mm. The Universe doesn’t work that way. We live in an endless Universe of infinite possibilities. That means you are always at the door of opportunity, and the Universe always responds to how you exert your will.
Step 3
Choose one Dream item. Write it on its own sheet of paper. Write underneath it, “I CAN have this!” Post on your mirror, at your desk, somewhere you will see it often. When you get to a point where you really believe you can live your dream, you will start doing something about it. Live in a universe of possibility.
February 22nd, 2009