“It’s possible.”
Those two small words, liberally applied, could change your life. When
you come from a perspective of possibility, you see options and you see
potential. Obstacles exist, but like whitewater rushing over and around
a stone, you don’t let them define your path.
Today I want to explore eight ways to pack your life with a sense of
possibility.
Focus on possibility
1. Ask, “What’s possible?”
If you want your life to be packed with possibility, you first have to
see it. Prime the pump by asking yourself one simple question every
day: “What’s possible?”
You might apply that question to specific goals. Or you might apply it to
different areas of your life. Your career, for example, or your
relationships.
Asking what’s possible is useful as a point of departure for brainstorming.
But more than that, asking it consistently is a way to develop your
mind’s possibility muscles. When your possibility muscles are strong, an
expansive perspective comes more naturally and you’re less likely to
cage yourself in by limiting thinking.
Don’t let obstacles control your world
If you see an obstacle and stop dead in your tracks, no amount of
possibility awareness matters. You’re still stuck. In addition to expanding
the universe of possibility in your life, you may also need to shift your
relationship to the obstacles you will almost inevitably encounter on the
way there.
2. Explore options
When we get stuck and sink into thinking, “That’s not possible,” that’s
often only part of the truth. The whole truth might look something
more like, “It’s not possible to get there exactly the way I planned.”
The question then is what alternative routes exist.
If you have a goal, make a game out of finding as many routes as you
can think of to take you from where you are to where you want to go.
You might be surprised at the abundance of possibility when you start
looking at multiple paths.
3. Make obstacles a starting point
This is less about what you do with obstacles and more about how you
think about them. Too often, we use the existence of obstacles as
proof that something isn’t meant to be. Our obstacles become the end
of the road.
Do a little mental judo on that idea and flip it on its head. Instead of
choosing to allow an obstacle to mark the end of the path, make it a
starting point. Make solving the problem the door that leads you into
the next stage of your journey.
4. Check your stories
I’m reading an interesting book right now called, Be the Hero, about
how the stories we tell – positive or negative – impact the world we
create. It points to three main types of stories: ones we tell about
others,ones we tell about our situation, and ones we tell about
ourselves.
Make a point of regularly exploring what stories you might be telling in
any of those three areas that deplete your possibility and keep you
stuck. If you find any, come up with an alternative story with a positive
angle.
5. Reign in your toxic inner critic
There’s nothing that douses the flame of possibility more readily than
the toxic haranguing of the inner critic. Pay attention to what that
critic is saying and ask, “What are some alternative positive
perspectives?”
Foster a possibility-focused environment
You can create an environment that maximizes your receptiveness to
possibility. Think of it as choosing what inputs to take into your mind
and absorb.
6. Surround yourself with possibilitarians
The people you surround yourself with day in and day out can play a
significant role in how you experience your life. Positive, uplifting
people tend to spread that feeling. Negative, pessimistic people drag
others down.
Norman Vincent Peale coined the word possibilitarian to describe
people with a strong inclination towards the possible. Take a look at the
people around you. Do they feed your sense of possibility, or do they
suck it dry? If there aren’t as many possibilitarians in your life, where
can you find more of them?
7. Feed your brain with possibility
Garbage in, garbage out, the saying goes. Just like your body needs good
healthy nourishment to function at its best, your mind needs good
positive input to stay tuned into possibility.
Make a point of seeking out inputs that reinforce your sense of positivity.
Read inspiring books or magazines. Watch inspiring movies. Look for
stories that accentuate the positive. Find stories about people who
proved that possibility can become reality.
8. Support others’ dreams
Some say that the best way to learn something is to teach it. Be a
possibilitarian in the lives of others. Support their dreams. Help them
figure out ways to overcome obstacles. Use other people’s lives as a
training ground for your own positive perspective.
Reinforce possibility achievement
Possibility is only reality that has yet to be realized. You can reinforce
this fact by focusing on the times when you have transformed possibility
into reality.
9. Celebrate your successes
How often do you stop to celebrate your successes? Too often, our
achievements get little more attention than a checked box on our mental
to-do list. Reinforce your belief in your ability to turn possibility into
reality by stopping to celebrate your successes, large and small.
Pat yourself on the back. Acknowledge to yourself that you – YOU – made
it happen. Write down the factors that contributed to your success for
future reference.
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