October 3, 2018 – JOLT – Are you rethinking before “necessary”?

“I like situations that force me to rethink things.”- Marc Almond

It would be so nice…

if it didn’t take certain situations, events or circumstances to force us to reconsider our version of reality.

But, the way life generally goes is “If the truth fits, wear it.”

It’s a real challenge — and seemingly unnecessary one (?) — to actively question what we hold to to be true about [her], [him], [them], [it]…and, the biggest challenge of all, [me].

Yet, all of us accept certain challenges when there’s a possible payoff, a big potential reward for letting go of the comfort zone.

Not to get dark, but there’s a sobering story by Leo Tolstoy of a lawyer, Ivan Ilych, who didn’t question until his deathbed “What if my whole life has been wrong?”

That possibility alone — avoiding such a late wake-up call — is enough of a payoff, isn’t it?

But, to get traction, let’s start with the easy stuff…before moving on to tougher challenges.

Look at the people you work with or hang around today: what can you question of what you hold to be true?

Are the folks at the coffee shop actually friendly and want to chat, if you just make an overture? Is that person down the hall actually a worthwhile human being, if you just discover so by learning something personal about him/her?

Making even little inroads like these gives us the muscle to then start handling the bigger weights like…

If I treat my spouse or significant other like a mystery, what might I discover about them?

If I question what I hold to be true about my parents or kids, how might I see them differently?

If I wasn’t so believing of my Personally-Impossible List, what new directions, actions, or bold moves might I take?

Preemptively asking “What if I have it all wrong?” might be the most right move you can make.

Need a wingman as you ask that question of yourself? Click Here to schedule a free 15min chat, or here to see a menu of services. Trust me: you’re far more capable than you know. 

Got preemptive rethink?

“Change can be frightening, and the temptation is often to resist it. But change almost always provides opportunities – to learn new things, to rethink…and to improve…” – Klaus Schwab