The Common Denominator
Life can often feel overwhelming. Work, friends, relationships, family, health, diet, money…when we think about all the different parts of our lives, we realise there is much to consider.
With all this variety, how can we hope to learn all the different skills needed to thrive in all of these areas?
We need to work smart, not hard. This means focusing on gaining skills that give us the biggest bang for our buck. With this in mind, once we know what the common denominator is, we will then know where to focus our efforts.
To uncover the common denominator, lets first establish a couple of principles.
The Past and the Future
The past is the past. It has happened and it is gone. We may choose to learn from it, but we must accept that we cannot change it. While it may influence the choices that are available to us right now, it does not need to influence the decisions that we make. That in itself, is a choice.
The past is the past.
The future on the other hand, is yet to happen. The future arrives in the present moment as the present moment slips in to the past. The only thing that influences the future is the decisions that we make in the present.
The future is yet to happen.
So what is the common denominator?
When you simmer life down, stripping away the past and letting go of the future. All that is left is you and your actions in the present moment.
Life is simply a sequence of choices, decisions and actions occurring moment, after moment, after moment…
Action in the present moment
is the common denominator.
When we accept that the sole biggest contributing factor to creating the future we desire, is our own actions within the present moment; we accept our responsibility to be decisive. This paves the way to accept responsibility for the outcomes of our actions; both good and bad.
Where is the Skill in that?
A skill is a repeatable behaviour that can be improved over time with practice. Someone is classed as skilled in something when they can perform that behaviour with certainty of outcome.
Taking action is a skill. A universal skill that when developed in one area of your life, can be applied to all areas.
The process is simple:
- Awareness of choice
- Make a decision
- Take action
- Repeat
The core skill of taking action is simple, but its application is not simplistic. This means the more you learn to take action, the more you realise that you have more to learn. It is like peeling a never ending onion!
I have already started peeling the onion and in the next series of posts, I will share with you what I have found.
Enjoy, for now…