The courage to change
When we mistake subjective interpretations with objective facts, we trick ourselves into thinking we cannot change. We tell ourselves, that's just who I am; we make that same mistake.
Welcome to another edition of Sunday Spark – where I share bite-sized ideas that challenge how we think about productivity, wellbeing, and personal growth.
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That's just who I am.
I'm sure we have all heard this before; you might have even said it to yourself.
This statement absolves us from taking responsibility for who we are, who we have become. Whether we're aware of it or not, we do it to distract ourselves from the discomfort of looking more deeply; it's a lot easier than having the courage to look at and face reality.
Just like we are not born with specific hardwired emotions, who we are and the capabilities we possess are not limited to what we are born with either.
There's a difference between a fact and our subjective interpretation.
A fact is defined as knowledge or information based on real occurrences. The earth is round is a fact.
A subjective interpretation is based on our personal opinions or beliefs rather than facts. An example might be, one needs to be educated to be successful.
We cannot change objective facts any more than we can change the roundness of the earth.
As written in The Courage to be Disliked:
We cannot alter objective facts. But subjective interpretations can be altered as much as one likes.
When we mistake subjective interpretations with objective facts, we trick ourselves into thinking we cannot change.
We tell ourselves, that's just who I am; we make that same mistake.
Beliefs can hold us prisoner, but they aren't necessarily facts. For an extended period, people believed that the earth was flat. We now know that it's not. While our beliefs on the subject have shifted, the reality about the earth’s shape remains unchanged.
We have the power to change; we have to believe we can and have the courage to do so.
Who do you want to be and how do you want to show up?
A favourite this week
The Courage to be Disliked: I've very much enjoyed reading this book. It does a great job of communicating powerful principles about happiness and life in concrete ways. What I loved most about it was the simplicity of the writing. It's written as a conversation between a philosopher and a struggling youth. Thank you to my friend Jedi for referring me this wonderful book.
Quote of the week
Your unhappiness cannot be blamed on your past or your environment. And it isn’t that you lack competence. You just lack courage. One might say you are lacking in the courage to be happy.
From Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga in The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change your Life and Achieve Real Happiness
Have a great Sunday and a wonderful week.
Miguel,
Sparknotion – Think Differently.