What do I mean by “If you can’t see possibility, you won’t find the solution”? In this post I’ll explain, and also share some resources that help us see possibility.
Mental fitness and wellness are important topics and at the core of both are how are we looking at the world. How we look at the world is a choice, although we don’t always realise it, and it starts in our minds.
Our minds are amazingly complex, and are pretty funny things too.
The human body sends 11 million bits per second to the brain for processing, yet the conscious mind seems to be able to process only 50 bits per second. – Britannica.com
Isn’t that amazing and weird all at the same time? We have access to so much information, but we can only consciously process a tiny part. (It’s kind of like the world right now, so much information, so little knowledge).
So if you can only process 50 bits per second, what information are we actually processing? What are we focusing on?
Who’s deciding what we focus on?
Good thing: we get to decide. When we focus on hope and a future we want to see, we create remarkable realities for ourselves.
Bad thing: we get to decide. Most of the time, we aren’t even really thinking about what we are deciding, and we don’t always decide well.
This is the funny bit: we believe whatever we tell ourselves.
Our funny brain in action
You’ve lost your keys. You keep saying, “I can’t find my keys, I can’t find my keys”.
Bingo, decision made and you didn’t even realise. Now your brain is filtering based on “can’t find keys” so the only info you will get is about where the keys aren’t – the coffee table you’ve checked five times, under the sofa cushions, the fridge…
And then our partner comes along and points to the corner of the coffee table that we weren’t looking at and says “there they are”. Argh!!!
They were obviously using the “I can find keys” filter.
So what can help you to find a filter that serves you? How can you get into a perspective that gives you possibilities?
Sprinkles of wisdom from wise people
Resources and perspectives to help with wellness / mental fitness
Make friends with the idiot in you, and let that part of you make friends with the idiot in others.
Alain de Botton
When we can actually recognise that all humans are weird, it takes the pressure of perfection and being normal away. It lets us just be our creative, powerful, and weird selves. If connecting with yourself, or connecting with others is on your wellness list, check out this post with a great tip on how to create authentic human connection in seconds.
There is no winning in business, no “best”.
Simon Sinek
And there is no winning in wellness, no best in wellness. Approach it like it’s an infinite game. Check out Simon’s talks on YouTube etc for more info on the Infinite Game, or buy the book.
Or if you want to meet the idiot in me, check out my post about when I met him
May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears
Nelson Mandela
Now this perspective is what mental fitness and wellness is all about. Fear is a powerful driver, but it exacts a heavy price. Well being and long term success are sacrificed.
When we can build a buffer of hope, we can start to see possibility.
See Possibility
When we can see possibility – of a better future, of where we want to be in five years, of us actually finding our car keys – then we can start to come up with solutions.
And when we have the courage to make our choices based on our hopes, we pick solutions that helps us now and in the long term.
Choose hope. See possibility. Get sh*t done.
This post is part of my special Coaching Tips Series. This series was inspired by my clients and the core themes in their challenges. When we can apply these tips, we bring a lot of ease into our lives and step into our leadership.