A Simple Hack to Benefit From Any of Your Problems
If you try to apply the concept I'm going to tell you now, your problems won't be problems anymore.
They will be a small sensation.
A sensation in which you can find an opportunity that will benefit you.
So what is the hack?
Well, it's a mental model that you can add to your toolbox.
We are talking about objectivity.
Let's put it like this.
You have 2 eyes.
- The perceiving eye
- The objective eye
The main difference between both is that the perceiving eye is weak and the observing eye is strong.
The Perceiving Eye
The perceiving eye gives you a point of view that comes with many struggles. It is filled with emotion, adversity, and headaches.
You cannot simply see an event for the event itself. You try to find out what's underneath, and since it is mostly adversity that you face, the perception is mainly negative.
Imagine you face a problem, your boss yelling at you, or you crash your car. The perceiving eye takes over and solely focuses on all the obstacles that come with it.
It is filled with anger, insecurities, and all sorts of emotions.
Everything that you face is only tailored to your life, and since you're faced with adversity that seems to make your life harder, you probably won't find many positive things here.
You interpret the situation to your limited reality and it makes things so much harder.
Your car will not repair itself, and your boss and the problems you see in him are not simply going away because you feel like that.
It's yours to deal with. It's totally up to you what your next steps are going to be.
And if it were up to the perceiving eye, complaining and whining would be the best way to start.
Not helpful…
The Objective Eye
The objective eye sees things as how they are. You could say superficial, but that is what you need to move on.
You only see what's really there, instead of making judgments and assumptions that are nonexistent.
For instance, you get a mail from your boss that your report needs to be done by the end of the day, which is totally unexpected.
The perceiving eye would overwhelm you with negative emotions and plenty of distracting questions that would serve you no purpose:
- What happens if I don't meet the deadline?
- Why do I have to write the report for him?
- He knows you're short on time, why me?
- If I don't make it, will he be disappointed and tell others, blablabla
Instead, take an objective view.
The objective eye takes the "YOU" away from the equation:
Okay, there is a task that needs to be done. I have a clear deadline.
- What options do I have to meet the deadline?
- What will bring me ahead as fast as possible?
- Wait, I have a friend in the department that could give me a hand.
- Oh, I know another person that could help me here…
You will find a solution much faster when you use objectivity.
As you can see, no unnecessary distractions or misconceptions are involved here. Only the situation itself.
When you're able to apply the objective eye to your next challenges, you will feel like you can do it and have more control over yourself.
You don't carry around that mental baggage, instead, your mind is clear and focused on what needs to be done.
Conclusion
Sometimes, it is better to see things as superficial because otherwise your receiving eye is taking the upper hand, and you're faced with much stronger adversity.
Objectivity will bring you solutions. Subjectivity will bring you obstacles.
You choose.