I recently finished reading “Beyond Power, 12 more rules of life” By Jorden B Peterson, and I have to admit it is one of the best books I’ve read so far (not that I’ve read a lot of books :D). Peterson dives deeper into the formal and latter of life expectations, behaviors, why things work a certain way and how gratitude works for self and social development.
One of the most inspiring takes for me was the fact that we usually tend to ask more from life, the ‘If x then y condition’, constantly expecting things and setting goals for our happiness. “If this happens then only I’d be happy”, “If I get a job then only I’d be happy”, “When I overcome depression then only I’d quit smoking”. We regularly set conditions for ourselves to stop us from acting on the root cause or what needs to be done (Things that move the needle).
It’s only if we set the right equation, we can use this for our leverage instead of liability. If I complete this task then only I’ll reward myself with a treat. That’s the type of approach you need to have with the If X then Y condition. We’re afraid to set things right in perspective for few reasons, we’re either lazy, the pain is not painful enough or we pre-estimate failure. For instance if you ever had a good idea for a Startup, chances are you never acted upon it (got lazy), You were not hungry enough for the potential or too comfortable where you’re now (Not painful enough) or you just ASSUMED it will not work (Pre-estimate failure).
But what if it worked? What would happen if you DID take the efforts to do it? What would happen if you had no other option but to put all of your stakes on it? Would it still work? there’s 50-50 chance but the risk factor is directly proportional to you expertise.
The second thing I now relate so hard to is to always be grateful about what you have no matter where you are in your life. We always compare ourselves to people superior to us and feel empty and inadequate. But if you look at people whom you are superior to in terms of materialistic assets, health and peace, you’d find it difficult to justify how they’re living their life every day suffering through the pain and tragedy. All of a sudden you feel you have more than enough and you’re privileged. But that’s not the end of the story. For those people, they have even someone they look down on who’s life is even more tragic to theirs and they’re just grateful to life for what they have going on for themselves.
Life is unfair and you never know what comes your way, they best we can do is to find peace and happiness in the easiest and toughest situation and help make the world a better place or at least less worse.
Artwork: https://dribbble.com/shots/13301020-Madness
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