PERSPECTIVE: When in doubt, get some!

It is natural for many at this time of year to engage in introspection and take stock of things. That can be admirable, especially when it leads to further evolution and development. To that end, I offer the following thoughts...

When a mountain comes into view...

Do you see it as an insurmountable obstacle? Or do you wonder what the view is like from the summit, or what lies on the other side?

The very things which may challenge us may also reveal great rewards. We can embrace the challenge and advance forward, or we can remain rooted to the spot or return to the comfort of what we think we know, only to invariably discover, that place is not quite the same as when we left it.

Scarcity and abundance...

Are always intertwined. One never exists without the other.

Mindset reveals our most closely held beliefs. Sometimes what we most desire is indeed scarce. But if we take stock of what is in abundance, how can we use this to obtain or acquire what we really want?

Perception is reality...

Pierce the veil.

What we perceive to be true inevitably becomes our truth. Objective fact can be inconvenient under this circumstance. Remember that what another perceives will define his or her truth as well. If you cannot find mutually satisfactory definition, given the binary nature of “true or false?” conflict will result.

Use what you know today...

With rare exception, we all know more today than we did yesterday.

Experience may be gained through action or inaction. We learn from the outcomes of both. When outcomes are deemed not desirable, examine what led to them without rancor, bitterness or excessive regret. And avoid repeating the mistakes of yesterday today.

Do more...

Talk less.

Action ultimately trumps flowery talk and academic theory. Far too many pontificate and bloviate. Strategy requires execution. Execution emerges from tactics. Without the right tactics, applied at the right time, even a well considered strategy will fail.

Now is always available...

Use it wisely.

What has happened previously is over and done with. What may happen in the future is subject to change. Unless you believe in predestination. In which case, you will do what you will and the future will happen accordingly.

Trim your sails, adjust your course...

We cannot change the wind and the tide.

But we can harness them, and by keeping a weather eye, adjust as necessary to get where we want to go.

Acknowledge the Monkey Mind...

The Monkey Mind is rarely quiet and is ruled by emotion.

Emotion all too often clouds our judgment. Pause. Inhale. Exhale. Orient and find your center. Decisions made when ruled by emotion may in hindsight prove less than optimal, and sometimes quite poor. Seek to buy enough time to let the most unguarded moment pass. And then act decisively.

Remember...

The past should always inform us. But never define us.

What happened yesterday and all the days before was the result of things both within and outside of our control. The past is only prologue if we fail to exercise what we can currently control. Wiser decisions are always possible. Our fate, driven by unfolding possibilities, is fluid and always in motion.

Celebrate, mourn, move on...

Retain the lesson and those memories you cherish, but do not cling to what has passed.

There is a time and a season to every purpose under Heaven and Earth.

Regrets...

We've all got them. But seek to make them, "Too few to mention."

Sometimes things don’t work out as we planned. Or if we are truthful with ourselves, as we desired, even if we failed to properly plan. Some opportunities, once lost, are not regained. But this is not always so. Do not punish yourself a second time. The moment of lost opportunity is punishment enough.

Impermanence...

This too shall pass.

It is our attachment to things which are the source of pleasure and pain. Life will contain such highs and lows. Things happen in their time.

Beware those who claim to have all the answers...

Those who possess true wisdom understand that which they do not know.

We live in an era where self-proclaimed experts abound. Always consider the source. Good intentions with ill-conceived counsel or inappropriate action can be as detrimental to our welfare as those who act with indifference or outright malice.

Decide what matters...

This is your touchstone.

Over the course of your life, your answer may change. That’s not necessarily good or bad. But you must always be clear on what matters to you if you wish to make decisions aligned with your values.