Is It Really All or Nothing?
February 6th, 2009
WORD COUNT: 397 short, Yet Interesting Words
TIME to Expand: * Less than 2 Minutes *
In the recent week I’ve had several conversations about the “all or nothing perspective”. It’s a form of habitual thinking that can keep us from experiencing the joyful outcomes we desire.
Here are some examples. Do you ever find yourself not exercising, or not making a phone call to a friend, because you think you don’t have “enough time”? I have to admit, I’m guilty of both.
Have you ever struggled to reconcile your feelings about an author or program, because you agreed with some of the perspectives offered, but were uncomfortable with others? So then you found yourself wondering if you should reexamine everything?
This approach is a lot like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Yet it’s easy to get caught in this line of reasoning, if we don’t pay attention to our basic assumptions.
When we think in such concrete terms, we give up an opportunity to experience more pleasure, progress and the benefits that come with a different choice. One that’s not black or white, or “all or nothing”.
For example, if we choose to skip the exercise, because we think we “don’t have enough time”, this implies that there’s no benefit to be gained from a shorter workout. Yet isn’t some activity better than no movement at all?
The same can be said for “all or nothing” assessments about teachers, events, associations, and experiences. If we find aspects we don’t like, but have benefited in other ways, that doesn’t mean we need to throw away everything else. To do so, is to lose past and future benefits!
The same is true when we want to connect with a friend, but never seem to “have the time”. Maybe she lives in a different time zone, you have different schedules, or you talk yourself into thinking that you need at least an hour on the phone to really connect. And so you rarely talk.
Yet wouldn’t we all rather have the pleasure of a friend’s company for ten minutes, then none at all? If you ever feel yourself making “all or nothing” choices (and who hasn’t), ask yourself; is there another way for me to look at this? Is there a way to connect with the experience that I want, AND feel good about the time and energy I can invest right now?
Sometimes a little bit, really does go a long way!
Your friend and partner in self discovery,
Copyright© Laura Cardone 2009. All Rights Reserved. This is a Daily Discovery Series edition. http://www.profitswithpurpose.com is for conscious business owners and enlightened leaders who are passionate about creating a successful business, AND a fulfilling and balanced life.
