Pliable Perception – Overcoming Challenges Part 3
This is the last instalment of insights to help you use the power of your pliable perception to overcome challenges…
Change your Surroundings
We have already talked about how our perception is formed within our frame of beliefs… the beliefs we hold about ourselves and the world. Think of this framing being like a picture frame that we look through to see the world… now imagine that frame on a stand at the top of a hill overlooking a valley…
As you look through the frame, you will see the valley from a particular perspective. You can move around a little and look through the frame from different angles; or you could choose to pickup the frame and move it to a different hill top to get a completely new and refreshed view of the valley.
The frame is the same, put the perspective is very different.
The work I outlined when we looked at remodelling our beliefs is all about developing an expanded and more adaptable frame… when you have this capacity, you can alter your perception without even moving… while this skill is still in development, you have the tactical approach of moving location.
In practical terms this can be as simple as physically removing yourself from a situation to give yourself time to reflect and plan your next move. If you are at work and have a tough decision to make, go outside and wander around a bit in an open space (ideally with some nature around) while you ponder your thoughts.
Of course, movement does not always need to be physical, it can be psychological too…
Time Travel
When faced with a challenge, where you need to plan you next move, instead of viewing the problem from the ground up (like the challenge is in front of you), spend a moment vividly imagining that you have already overcome the challenge… Imagine your position of victory or success. Imagine how you feel and what the world is like.
I specifically say ‘is like’ because for this exercise to work, you need to fully embody that feeling of success with all of your senses…
Now from this position of success, view the challenge that you are currently faced with and ask yourself what you did next… you may be surprised at how easy the right course of action comes to mind.
Be the Change
The principle of Be the Change is one of the five key principles for success that the mountain pathway is built around.
Put simply, the only way to overcome a challenge is to actually take action to overcome it.
Do you perceive yourself as a doer? Someone that takes action?
Taking action is a skill which can develop into a habit. This means the more we push ourselves to take action, the better we get at it, and the more consistently we do it, the more likely it will become our default state.
Remember though, choosing not to do something also counts as taking action too, or you could say non-action.
They key here is the word choice… when there are options available to us, we describe them as choices, when we choose one of these choices, we make a decision.
Decision is the spark which fires the cannon of action.
The skill of being decisive will unlock your potential to take action. Sharpen and hone this skill so that your perception includes a definition of you as an action taker.
When you approach a situation perceiving that you can take the necessary action to do what it needed, regardless. You have then achieved a state where you are ready for any challenge life has in store for you.
Decision is key.
Without the ability to decide we stagnate… the wrong decision is better than no decision at all.
“You will never know how sharp a sword is unless it’s drawn from its sheath.”
– Confucius
Enjoy, for now.
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