Because of our busy schedules, we have little time to truly think things through. Random conversations with friends gives us some other ideas. A little bit of internet research may help fill in the gaps in our knowledge.
Most times, doing these and other things, we tend to manage our lives adequately. But what about the times where we want something to change but it just doesn’t seem like it’s happening?
I have found that this is usually caused because we approach and interact with the world by the way we see it. If I don’t view myself as an athlete, I most likely won’t volunteer for the softball team after work. Even though, most on the team have never played the sport in high school and are just not in the best of shape.
You don’t join the team because your worldview is that you are not an athlete. And, more importantly, you accept this worldview as the only one you could imagine. It’s a great example of how the way we think can be self-limiting.
But what if you challenged yourself and said that I am an amateur athlete and want to play on the softball team. What then, would you have to do to support this or so you don’t embarass yourself when playing?
You might change the way you eat. Or you might walk on the treadmill every day so that you don’t get as winded. Maybe lose a few pounds.
You could go to a batting cage or play catch with a friend. All of these things are possible. Never asking for perfection, just incremental changes.
Above all you could simply try. Because the opposite of what you thought can be true as well. It’s just how you first look at things.
Thinking in opposites is a great mental exercise that forces you to examine your own thinking by challenging each assumption or worldview you hold. Many I find, you may not be aware of up front.
There are enough obstacles in life to achieve your goals. Don’t sabotage your efforts on your own. Thinking in opposites could be a fun way to spend an evening showing you just how much more may be possible.