We all can find ourselves in a rut. Here’s how to break free
Did you forget?
Did you forget what used to work?
In the rush of life, we often lose sight of the activities that we used to enjoy and that brought us business and a sense of purpose…
Awareness & Anxiety
Informed but not worried
Being aware of what’s happening in the world at large can help one be prepared, but it can also lead to anxiety. Uncertainty is a fact of life yet preparation, planning doesn’t have to include needless worry.
What if they’re wrong?
When common knowledge & the status quo are wrong
History is replete with examples of when commonly accepted wisdom was flat out wrong. Remember the doctors who treated an ailing President George Washington with bloodletting- so much so that they hastened his demise? What about the use of home equity or reverse mortgages?
What will you do next?
Reacting is normal but what’s next?
When the stock market tanks 800 points in one day or your family doctor tells you that your recent bloodwork is concerning you naturally react to a stressful situation. The Greeks and early Stoics called this ‘phantasiai’, or the immediate impression you form. The question is what will you do next?
Finding the win
Finding the small advantage for a win
Do you remember a time when facing certain defeat you found a way to pull out a win? An inconspicuous, unnoticed, and seemingly unimportant detail that shifted the tide into your favor?
The Comparison Trap
Unhappy? You may be comparing yourself to others
Theodore Roosevelt famously said that comparison is the thief of joy. Often our dissatisfaction and unhappiness are rooted in comparing ourselves to others.
Monitoring your inner voice
What is your inner voice telling you?
Seneca recounts the story of a fellow philosopher Crates walking the streets of Athens when he came upon a young man talking to himself. “What are you doing?”, he asked. The man replied, “I’m talking to myself”. “Be careful” said Crates, “for you are communicating with a bad man!”.
An interesting story which illustrates the importance of…
Allergies
Allergies: they’re more than physical
After walking out to my car the find a fresh yellow blanket of pollen, and sneezing so loudly I wondered if nearby drivers could hear me, allergies came to mind. Top of mind.
Allergies are our body’s immune system reacting abnormally to a foreign substance it sees as harmful. We are familiar with common allergies, but what about mental allergies? That is how we react to negative stimuli or situations in our environment.
One effective method is immunotherapy. Immunotherapy patients with severe pollen allergies have minute doses of the offending allergens introduced into their bodies in increasing doses over time until the body produces its own immunity. Applying this method to mental or emotional allergies has its merits as well. If you’re fearful of a specific situation, make it a point to place yourself in that circumstance and practice a new more effective response.
If you find yourself riddled with anxiety, begin to employ healthy methods to reduce and ultimately sooth your troubled mind. Are you continually vexed with rudeness, dishonesty or selfishness? Make it a point to eliminate all contact with toxic individuals whenever possible. Living with allergies is no fun, but doing nothing to treat them is even worse. What mental allergies do you encounter and how do you overcome them?
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The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Be wary of false narratives
Modern philosopher Nassim Taleb has warned of the “narrative fallacy”—the tendency to assemble unrelated events of the past into stories. These stories, however gratifying to create, are inherently misleading. What’s need is a strong sense of objectivity. A difficult task when it comes to ourselves, and perhaps our chosen profession. Yet, that objectivity is key to helping us take the steps toward improving our business, personal life, and even our health.
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