Use This Simple Mindset Shift to Change Your Life Overnight
The art of turning challenges into opportunities
I originally wrote this short piece in 2023 and imported it into my publication when I first started on Substack. Since then, it has been gathering dust at the bottom on my publication, so I decided to republish it. The message remains as important as ever, and we can all use a reminder about the power of our minds from time to time. I hope it resonates with you!
How many times have you felt irritated at the things outside your control?
Maybe a flight delay made you miss your connection.
A storm ruined your weekend plans.
Perhaps a coworker was mean to you, which ruined your whole day.
All of these are examples of things outside our control.
Here is the truth:
Most of the things in life you have absolutely no control over. The only thing you can control is how you respond and react to them.
Your mindset is the only thing you can control 100% of the time.
If your way of thinking is aligned with whatever happens to you, nothing that happens can cause distress.
“The task of a philosopher: we should bring our will into harmony with whatever happens so that nothing happens against our will and nothing that we wish for fails to happen.” — Epictetus, Discourses, 2.14.7
Turning HAVE TO Into GET TO
One of the most annoying things is when we feel we have to do something.
We have a long to-do list, we have to go to work, we have to walk somewhere in the rain, we have to, we have to, we have to…
However, changing the things we HAVE to do into the things we GET to do can make the biggest difference in our everyday lives.
“A to-do list seems burdensome, but a get-to-do list sounds like a privilege.” — Ryan Holiday
You don’t have to take out the trash, you get to move around and be active.
Instead of firing back at the rude and annoying coworker, use this opportunity to practice restraint and calm.
Instead of being annoyed at the flight attendant for the delay, practice patience and mindfulness despite the ruined plans.
Instead of giving in to despair after your failure, use it as an opportunity to learn from your mistake.
Your lives are filled with opportunities and things you get to do, but you are usually too busy projecting your own will to see these things for what they are.
Instead of imposing your own will onto the world around you, accept the will of the world onto yourself.
By accepting the things that happen to you, you automatically feel at peace with the world. No more having to do the things you don’t want. Instead, you get to do the things that will make you a better person.
In every challenge, obstacle, and failure, there is an opportunity to learn and grow. The hardest part is being able to see that opportunity.
Allow yourself to see the potential for growth in everything you do.
If you do, you will marvel at the results.
One layer I have seen in practice is how contagious this mindset can be in teams. When one person shows up seeing obstacles as opportunities, it changes the group dynamic. People start mirroring that behavior without even realizing it. I think it is worth remembering that our mindset does not just change our own experience, it can actually influence an entire culture around us if we are intentional about it. Great reading!
Great reframe here mate, big shift from we have to, to we get to. We are very lucky for the life we get to live, most people would kill for how we live. I think it's a good little game too to realise that some things which might annoy you can easily be resolved by shifting your perspective.