3 tiny mindset changes, on counting each day as a separate life, enough and more
Feynman, Munger, and Frankl all agreed on this secret to a life with no regrets
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3 tiny mindset changes for life
“Reality is a question of perspective.” — Salman Rushdie
Reality is not fixed. In fact, the people who demand the best versions of themselves keep changing their mindsets when they come across updated or better realities. Tiny shifts in perspective, the seemingly insignificant changes in our minds, can radically change our experiences. I like how spiritual teacher and best-selling author Gary Zukav explains reality:
“Reality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends upon what we look for. What we look for depends upon what we think. What we think depends upon what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality.”
What you think is true is how you live. But you don’t need monumental epiphanies to change your life or live your best life. The most profound transformations often begin with the smallest of mindset changes. It starts with a tiny shift in how you see yourself and the world around you. Sometimes, adjusting your lens is all you need to upgrade your reality. The small, often overlooked adjustments in thought patterns and perspectives can create the ripples of change we expect. These three seemingly insignificant mindset adjustments can reframe your experiences and allow you to access your “great life” mindset, hidden in plain sight.
1. Curiosity over certainty
Craving certainty is a human instinct, but it can stifle growth.
Holding onto what you know means closing yourself off to new experiences and the wisdom they hold. Cultivate a sense of playful curiosity. It’s a simple mental shift that opens doors to new perspectives and invites empathy and growth. The stranger on the bus becomes a potential storyteller. The colleague with opposing views becomes a teacher with a different angle. Curiosity breaks walls of judgment, paving the way for richer relationships and a more expansive worldview.
“It is simply this: do not tire, never lose interest, never grow indifferent — lose your invaluable curiosity and you let yourself die. It’s as simple as that.”― Tove Jansson
“I don’t know” is not the enemy. Instead of fearing the unknown, see it as an exciting invitation to explore, discover, and learn. Ask questions. Delve into the unfamiliar and allow yourself to be surprised.
Look for the unusual, the unexpected, the details that reveal a different story. Approach new experiences with a lighthearted spirit and a willingness to try silly things. Let the unfamiliar tickle your brain. Ask questions instead of seeking immediate answers. That’s how you change your reality.
2. Appreciation over expectations
Expectations, the little whispers of “should” and “have to,” can cast a pall over our present experiences. It makes us stall. We wait for the “right” time, the perfect circumstances, to finally find contentment.
Shifting to appreciation, actively noticing and savouring the small joys of the present, unlocks happiness now. The morning sunlight filtering through the leaves, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, the laughter of a loved one — these fleeting moments, when appreciated, get you closer to a fulfilling life.
Appreciation doesn’t negate the desire for growth or betterment. It only fills you with gratitude, making even the most mundane moments shimmer with significance. The mundane routine — commuting to work, tidying up — might seem monotonous, but it holds hidden potential. Approaching these everyday tasks with mindfulness and appreciation.
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” — Laozi
Start tapping into the power of “diffuse thinking.”
Our unconscious minds, free from the pressure of focused attention, make better unexpected connections. So, let the rhythm of daily life lull your conscious mind into a state of relaxed awareness. While you take a walk, let your mind wander. Listen to the sound of nature, feel the warmth of the morning sun. Enjoy the moment. Appreciate the new reality.
3. Victim to alchemist
When faced with adversity, the natural tendency is to retreat into victimhood, blaming external forces. Some even lament their misfortune and do nothing. That narrative, however, keeps us stuck in a reactive cycle, where circumstances dictate our actions. Every experience, even the painful ones, can be a stepping stone. It’s all perception.
And the stories we tell ourselves.
“There is no reality except the one contained within us. That is why so many people live such an unreal life. They take the images outside them for reality and never allow the world within to assert itself. — Hermann Hesse
The good news is you are not a victim but an alchemist. The shift to a protagonist mindset is life-changing. When you view yourself as the primary author of your life, capable of shaping your life through conscious choices, everything changes. Suddenly, you actively participate in the direction of your life. You gain a new sense of control.
And begin to influence the course of your life.
John Bogle’s (founder of Vanguard) life lesson
“At a party given by a billionaire on Shelter Island, the late Kurt Vonnegut informs his pal, the author Joseph Heller, that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular novel Catch 22 over its whole history.
“Heller responded, ‘Yes, but I have something he will never have … Enough.’”
Friedrich Nietzsche on the accumulated record of your days
“The history of every day. — What is the history of every day in your case? Look at your habits that constitute it: are they the product of innumerable little cowardices and lazinesses, or of your courage and inventive reason?”
Source: Die fröhliche Wissenschaft
Maya Angelou on perseverance and defeat
“There is, I hope, a thesis in my work: we may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody-two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it’s just plain dirt. In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics, the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats—maybe it’s imperative that we encounter the defeats—but we are much stronger than we appear to be and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be.”
Source: Maya Angelou, The Art of Fiction No. 119
New on Medium
Feynman, Munger, and Frankl All Agreed on This Secret to a Life With No Regrets
In the late 1940s, Richard Feynman (once described as “the best mind since Einstein) was burned out. The Manhattan Project had ended, and his young wife had died of tuberculosis. He was sitting at Cornell as a tenured physics professor, feeling like he had nothing left to give. He described himself as completely blocked and useless. Then one day in the cafeteria, he watched someone toss a plate into the air.
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About me: I’m Thomas. My essays cross between productivity, philosophy, psychology. More than 100,000 people have subscribed to my life and career newsletters: Postanly Weekly and Career Growth Insider (LinkedIn). I also write a Fast Company column on smarter living. My readers include intellectually curious people from Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Apple, BBC, HubSpot and Morning Brew.
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