What Would the Fly Say?

Simple Objectivity — and some fresh ideas

It’s easy enough to see what your friends should do. Find a better job, set up a small business to sell those cool table-top fountains, ditch the boy- or girl-friend, get the car washed, try a new hair style, stop taking everything so personally, discipline the kid, and so on.

But it’s Oh-So-Hard to see those same types of things in yourself. Correct me if I’m wrong. But experience says I’m not. What’s the difference between their stuff and your stuff? One simple quality:

Objectivity.

A fly on the wall would no doubt see your life much differently than you do. It would see past your self-imposed limitations to all the possibility that stands before you — untapped.

Is it a conflict — or a simple case of the "buts"?

The same old conflicts keep you stuck in resignation, apathy, and denial.

• I’d like to make more money, but I don’t want the longer hours.
• I’d like to move out of the city, but I’d miss the convenience.
• I’d start exercising, but I’d only have to keep it up.
• I’d have a salad for lunch, but I might get hungry in the afternoon.

The more you keep listening to yourself, the more you hear the same old ideas over and over. And you already know what you think!

Tip: See Word Cures subject chapters #2, #3, and #4 (Why bother?, I don't have a choice, What's the point?) for more.

How about some fresh ideas?

What could you do to generate an infusion of fresh new tricks?

• Recognize the price you pay for remaining stuck – in health, relationships, finances or personal satisfaction.
• Compare the cost of changing (investment of time, money, and energy) with the cost of not changing (loss of health & quality of life).
• Stop being so patient. If your situation isn’t working, change it. How long are you willing to wait to get things together? Until you’re 40? 60? 80? At the rate you’re going, will you even make it that long?
• Assign yourself a brainstorming exercise focused on resolving the situation that bothers you. Consider as many options as you can.
• Explore “stream of consciousness” journaling.
• Look outside yourself for expert opinions on what other people do in similar situations: books, seminars, CD programs, etc.
• Put yourself in the path of a mentor, coach, or counselor.

Even if you don't have the final most perfect solution ever, sometimes simply getting started will generate the momentum you need to find your way. If you're not satisfied with things in your life the way they are, trying a different approach is a pretty good bet.

CONTINUE — read Call In Your Inner Detective