Your perception can change your life: The obstacle is the way

Our perception makes our lives and destroys our lives. Thinking negatively about the future, and being scared of consequences, we tend to make things worse for ourselves. Having a clear perception is necessary for a bright future, seeing opportunity in chaos is strength; seeing chaos in normalcy is a curse. Facing a setback teaches us valuable lessons, and we are prepared for our next hardship in life since we are brave enough to face hardships because our perspective about our future is positive, and we are no longer scared of horrible things. Perception can either make your life a heaven or a living hell; it depends on how you think and perceive your surroundings and future. It is likely that you will be a failure if you think about failures all the time; your mindset does matter, and your life depends on your thoughts since thoughts lead to acts and acts define you.

“Rockefeller could have gotten scared. Here was the greatest market depression in history and it hit him just as he was finally getting the hang of things. He could have pulled out and run like his father. He could have quit finance altogether for a different career with less risk. But even as a young man, Rockefeller had sangfroid: unflappable coolness under pressure. He could keep his head while he was losing his shirt. Better yet, he kept his head while everyone else lost theirs.”

Key Points:

  • Learn to keep your mind calm.
  • Avoid temptations and fight them.
  • Emotions can destroy you, and control them.

Rational and disciplined mind:

It is hard to think clearly and decide about your future if your mind is foggy. It is likely that your perception will deceive you when your mind is hazy. To see things clearly, you need to have a rational and disciplined mind, and it is possible when you accept the diversity of life and do not get scared if things change drastically. True strengths come from accepting the harshness of life and seeking opportunities in negative situations. Your perceptions get clearer when you embrace things as they come to you, not complaining and whinnying, but seeking strength in the unknown. A rational mind allows you to make informed decisions based on logic, evidence, and reason rather than emotions or biases. This can help you avoid making impulsive or irrational choices. A disciplined mind helps you to analyze problems systematically, break them down into manageable pieces, and develop effective solutions. A rational mind enables you to express your thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively, which is crucial for effective communication with others. A disciplined mind helps you to manage stress more effectively by avoiding negative thoughts and staying focused on solutions rather than problems. In conclusion, a rational and disciplined mind is essential for making good decisions, solving problems, communicating effectively, managing stress, increasing productivity, and personal growth and development.

“Speculation led to disaster, he realized, and he needed to always ignore the “mad crowd” and its inclinations.”

Resist temptation or excitement:

Temptation leads us astray, and when we have led astray, we hardly focus on our goals. Our perception gets foggy when we succumb to temptations. It takes discipline to fight intense pleasures in life, which stoics called unhealthy pleasures. Getting addicted to alcohol makes your life miserable and your perception foggy; you need to fight the temptations as you feel you are going to be destroyed by them. It’s important to remember that temptation is a part of being human, and it’s not always possible to completely avoid it. However, we can learn to manage it in healthy and productive ways. Some strategies for managing temptation include:

  • Setting clear boundaries for ourselves
  • Avoiding situations or environments that may trigger the temptation
  • Developing healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with stress or difficult emotions
  • Building a support network of friends or family who can help us stay accountable

Ultimately, the key is to recognize that temptation is not necessarily bad in and of itself, but rather it’s how we respond to it that matters. By cultivating self-awareness, self-control, and healthy coping strategies, we can learn to manage temptation in ways that promote our overall well-being and success.

“As he once put it: He was inclined to see the opportunity in every disaster. To that we could add: He had the strength to resist temptation or excitement, no matter how seductive, no matter the situation.”

Control emotions:

An emotional person cannot think clearly about his future; he is always confused. To think clearly and rationally, you need to control your emotions. Emotional people can sometimes experience challenges with their ability to think clearly and objectively, particularly when they are feeling overwhelmed by strong emotions. When our emotions are running high, it can be difficult to think logically and make rational decisions. Here are a few common problems that emotional people may experience when it comes to their thinking:

Difficulty focusing: When we are feeling emotional, it can be hard to concentrate on a task at hand or to stay focused on what we need to do. This can make it challenging to complete work or make decisions effectively.

Overreacting: Emotional people may sometimes react strongly to situations that don’t necessarily warrant such a strong response. This can lead to unnecessary conflict or misunderstandings.

Black-and-white thinking: When our emotions are intense, it can be easy to see things in extremes, without considering the nuances or complexities of a situation. This can lead to oversimplification and inaccurate conclusions.

Bias: Emotional people may be more likely to let their feelings and personal biases influence their thinking, which can cloud their judgment and make it harder to see things objectively.

Impulsivity: When we are feeling emotional, it can be tempting to act impulsively without fully considering the consequences of our actions. This can lead to poor decision-making and regret later on.

To overcome these challenges, emotional people can work on developing healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult emotions. This might include techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or talking with a trusted friend or counselor. It’s also helpful to take time to step back and reflect on a situation before reacting, and to practice seeing things from multiple perspectives. By learning to manage our emotions and think more objectively, we can make better decisions and lead more fulfilling lives.

“We can see disaster rationally. Or rather, like Rockefeller, we can see opportunity in every disaster, and transform that negative situation into an education, a skill set, or a fortune. Seen properly, everything that happens—be it an economic crash or a personal tragedy—is a chance to move forward. Even if it is on a bearing that we did not anticipate.”

Conclusion:

It is hard to think clearly when our mind is foggy, we need to be calm to make rational decisions about our future; we need to resist temptations and excitements to focus on our goals.

References:

  1. Holiday, R. (2014). The obstacle is the way: The ancient art of turning adversity to advantage. Profile Books.

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