Uncovering Options

Today, let’s talk about how important it is to have alternatives, and how our thoughts can keep important alternatives out of our reach.

How would you feel if only one candidate was running for the country’s highest office? In democracies around the world, we are very used to having choices. What if, when you got sick, there was only one doctor you could see? You’d feel very uncomfortable, right? These are areas in which most of us are used to having alternatives.

When you have options and the opportunity to choose, you have power in your life. But sometimes we develop blind spots, or scotomas, and we lock-on to one idea, one way of looking at a problem or solution. This may be because we were raised to think a certain way, or because we prefer the security of the known to the uncertainty of the unknown.

Now when we lock-on to one idea, or a singular way of doing things, we automatically lock-out other alternatives. It’s the way our brains are built, how our minds work. It’s how the mind focuses its attention. However, in the process of willfully locking on to one way of thinking, one way of doing things, we rob ourselves of power.

The more alternatives you can see, the more power you have. Personal and professional success depends on exposing ourselves to different ideas and other points of view. There is no need to feel threatened by differences, because you are the final authority about what is best for you, whether it is treating an illness, dealing with a difficult relationship, or deciding on a career move.

When we uncover options, we automatically give ourselves more control of our thinking and increase our personal power.