Insight Out

1. A Life Reflected I used to be totally satisfied with first impressions, many of which were negative. I'd stop short of stepping beyond two-dimensional thinking, and I'd make hasty conclusions without bothering to explore further. Because most of my reactions were judgmental, it reinforced my belief that life was difficult and not worth trying to improve. This mindset almost killed me. Those who break this barrier are rewarded with knowledge they can use to leverage solutions and ideas that others remain blind to. This skill is both highly valuable and simple to practice. If we accept something to be true, it stands to reason that the reverse of what we believe must also be true. We assign opposing definitions to a great many observations we encounter. For example, the opposite of male is female, the opposite of sunrise is sunset, the opposite of attraction is repulsion, and the opposite of misery is happiness. Although these examples appear to oppose each other, they are, in fact, symbiotic. They are in balance. Men cannot exist without women, dawn eventually gives birth to dusk, there is no north without south, and misery must be understood if happiness is to be appreciated. Elimination of one guarantees oblivion for the other. The extremes are there to be experienced—and visited occasionally—but we exist and thrive where they are in balance. In the examples, each combines to fulfill a singular expression—one human, one day, one magnet, and equilibrium. Before continuing, I'd like to point out an interesting trait to explain why we usually look at the world more from a negative perspective than a positive one. It's important to cover this because it gives us awareness as to how covert our impulses are, and it reveals why we tend to stop investigation just past initial observations. All humans have the“fight or flight" instinct. This means we subconsciously look for the safest route to the most productive outcome. It's natural to avoid danger, which means that our first impulse (usually) is to recognize potential threats. Yes, there are those who ignore this drive, but for the vast majority, the wheels turn silently. There's another, much more interesting reason we approach life from a negative point of view. When a task arises, we have the habit of asking ourselves,“What needs to be improved or fixed?”This forces us to look for deficiencies. We want to find imperfections, and once we've come up with solutions, our interest in a better or more efficient way normally vanishes. There's nothing wrong with this. And as we move forward in this book, you'll see just how common it is. It's also the first step in comparing our choices, which is where our tendency to manufacture opposites comes into play. Opposites always blend to form a complete picture, and this applies to belief systems too. If we take those ideas we are convinced of and look for seemingly opposing points of view, it's logical to assume we'll unveil more information. And more information will always lead to our better understanding and our increased worth. Let's take some examples of popular beliefs and see if we can extract better pictures of what they're attempting to illustrate. We start by looking at what we normally interpret as a negative example first because (as explained above) this is where we will align and understand things more efficiently. The first belief—or adage—we'll flip is "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." If we rewrite it with seemingly opposite words, we come up with "A purposeful mind is God's resting place.”All too simple. The lesson here is that both proverbs are directing us to the same conclusion. Our initial response is that they're completely different philosophies, but on careful examination, we realize that both mean the same thing. It's a fascinating revelation—one that offers us not only expanded insight but a way to counter the original observation. How does someone avoid the temptation of the devil's workshop? They create intention and, therefore, peace. Further examples can be found in common places. The Ten Commandments (which are culturally accepted for the most part) also prove to be fertile ground for continuing this line of thought. Perhaps "Thou shalt not kill”would become“Thou shalt promote life.”And“Thou shalt not steal”could be translated as“Thou shalt be giving.”In any case, the potential for expanded reflection is available to us on a continual basis. One of my personal favorites is Benjamin Franklin's famous saying“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." From what I can tell, and have learned from personal experience,“Late to bed and late to rise makes a guy sick, poor, and dumb.”Funny? Yes. But rewritten, this could have greater impact on those who read it. Remember, the reverse will be true only if you're totally convinced the original observation is correct. Throughout this book, this reversal technique will pop up—and for good reason. As soon as you turn full circle on any thought, you get the entire picture. Practice this in your day-to-day activities, and in no time, you will be expanding in ways you never thought possible. This approach will shed light on everyday situations and offer creative solutions that were previously hidden. Here are some additional adages, followed by a reversed possibility: The love of money is the root of all evil. The detachment from material things is the summit of nobility. Charity begins at home. Cruelty is bred in the street. Great minds think alike. Marginal minds care only for themselves. Look before you leap. Wearing a blindfold keeps you paralyzed. Don't judge a book by its cover. Feel free to judge a book by its contents. Laughter is the best medicine. Shame is the deadliest poison. Love is blind. Fear is an eye-opener. Variety is the spice of life. Repetition ensures a boring death.