A Perception of Perfection

Episode #9 of the course How to be happy now … not “then” by Colin Triplett

 

Welcome back!

Here’s a relevant quote to start our lesson:

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” —Viktor Frankl, Auschwitz survivor

Even when you are diligent in following the “AMR Method,” you will still run into challenges in keeping your mind right.

That is when perspective comes into play. How you see the world will play a huge role in your view of what happens to you.

So, let’s start by putting life into perspective.

Right now, you probably look at life as a series of problems to solve. You don’t necessarily see all of these “problems” as bad (how to get a bigger house/better job or become a better parent), but they are things to figure out.

You have a way that you want life to be, and you are working diligently to move closer to that reality.

The reason this perspective leads you down a path of stress and negativity is that there is a false sense of control that is innate in how you (and everyone!) interact with the world.

But how much control do we really have?

We think that we have control because for the most part, we can control our actions. But that has little to do with how your actions impact the world and life as a whole.

Think about this for a moment: How many of the following things did you make happen?

• your birth

• who your parents are

• where you were born

• who your friends were growing up

• who your spouse is

• what job you are in currently

These are just a few examples of the most important factors in how your life will unfold, and yet you had zero influence over most of them, and even the ones you did, you have to question the role you played.

If you are married, think about how you met your spouse.

Did you clarify the exact traits you were looking for in a partner and market that to the world?

Did you develop a strategy for how to approach someone you decided was the right fit and then fine-tune your approach based on what worked and what didn’t with that individual?

Even if you did do both of these things, the only reason they worked is that someone else (your spouse) was in the right place at the right time with the right background to connect with you.

But this is exactly why everything is so amazing! It took everything going exactly as it did for your life to be the way it is.

What could be more perfect than that?

It is important to reflect and meditate on this one point. Because as soon as you can start to see life as the sum of everything that has ever happened, you cannot help but be in awe of how incomprehensibly unique every moment is.

Seeing something as good or bad is irrelevant. Moments just are and they are perfect. You can battle them if you wish, or you can choose to sit back, be the watcher, and enjoy the ride.

Tomorrow is the final lesson, where I will share key ideas on overcoming the big three areas that you will get stuck on and the three commitments you must make to transform your life.

Until then, enjoy the perfection in every moment for the rest of the day!

To Your Happiness,

Colin

 

Recommended book

A Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

 

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