When you’re confronted with something you’re afraid of, you have two options. You either run away or rise to the challenge. This is called the flight or fight response. In prehistoric times, the human fight or flight response was manifested in aggressive behavior as we faced a predator for example. In current times, fight and flight responses have assumed a wider range of behaviors. For example, the fight response may be manifested in argumentative behavior and the flight response may be manifested through social withdrawal. The thing is that by turning away from our fears, we allow them to remain alive and kicking. Whereas to rise to the challenge, ultimately leads to the eradication of our fears. So – whether it be in your personal or professional life – If you can’t stand the heat, get into the kitchen. For you will grow, by doing what you fear.
When we have fun our perception of time is shortened. We may even completely forget about time. And forgetting time let’s you live in the now, simply because history and future need time to exist.
Feel free? Choose your own way? Right, you might think, so easy for you to say, as you walk into the office on monday morning facing deadlines and seeing your boss, bossing around already. Sure, reality can be harsh. Making it seemingly impossible to feel free and choose our own way. Our surroundings can be so dominant, we sometimes think we ARE these surroundings, while instead, we are only IN these surroundings. That means we can get out of them as well. It’s not your boss making you feel not free. It’s not your deadlines making it hard to choose your own way. It’s your perception and how you deal with this, that makes you feel free or not. Reality begins in your mind. If you want to be free in reality, start feeling free within yourself. That means taking responsibility for yourself first. Don’t blame your boss, for that will make you their prisoner. Don’t blame the deadlines because that drives you away from yourself. You – is where your freedom begins. Let nothing stop you and let this picture, inspired by an original idea of Erik Johansson – fuel your sense of freedom.
Being successful or a failure, far away or close by, having lots of opportunities or no chance at all: it all depends on your perspective. Change your perspective and you will change your world. A glass that was half empty, is suddenly half full. A closed door turns into an invitation to find another way. And a setback becomes a lesson instead of a loss.
But often we’re not really aware of what our perspective on something is. We move through life on autopilot, experiencing reality without consciously examining the lens through which we see it. And so we do what we did yesterday, harvesting the same experience, unknowingly building and reinforcing patterns that become ever harder to change.
To actively check what your perspective is—whether it’s positive and empowering or negative and limiting, ask yourself one question: do I feel good or bad about this? Your feeling is a direct reflection of your perspective. And to change your perspective, gently challenge it. Ask yourself why you feel the way you do. Ask how others might experience the same situation. And most powerfully: ask whether your feeling is the truth. Because even when it’s based on your personal experience, it doesn’t mean it’s true. There are always other options to look at something. And being aware of that alone creates space. Space to make a different choice and start using the power of perspective.
It’s a mistake to be afraid to make one, just like it’s useless to feel useless. We often feel scared because we’re scared. Or we feel so excited because we’re so excited. Basically it’s a loop we’re getting ourselves into. When positive, ok, when negative, not ok. At this point awareness is key. Whenever, whatever you feel, take a moment and ask yourself: why do I feel this way? This creates a moment of choice for yourself: you can choose to enjoy it, or change it. And if you choose to change it, don’t be afraid to make a mistake for the biggest mistake in life, is being afraid to make one. That’s because mistakes, same as failure, don’t really exist. How that works? Read it here.
