Flect

Reflection is the essence of consciousness. It is the impetus of self-awareness, and necessary for acquiring wisdom and learning.

I was laying on the couch yesterday afternoon, in a hazy daze, a result of a cold and the persistent heat throughout the day, and I was reflecting on my state of being. I began asking myself some questions to get my stagnating mental state moving in a productive direction. Far too often we drift with the momentum of days past, our daily activities driven by the inertia of the day prior, and we rarely pause and take stock of where we are, where we want to be, and a host of other questions about the state of our life.

What don’t I know?
What do I wish I knew?
What do I want to know more about?
What are the biggest questions?
What areas of life am I unclear about?
What skill do I wish was better?
Which knowledge areas would make me a better person?
What qualities make a good person?
What qualities make someone successful?
What is success?
What is happiness?
What is joy?
What is a lifestyle?
What lifestyle do I want?
What lifestyle encourages happiness and success?
How do I design an excellent lifestyle?
What do I want more of in my life?
What do I want less of in my life?
How do I become a better thinker?
How can I maximize my time?
What are my biggest challenges right now?
What are obstacles prevent me from achieving my goals?
What obstacles prevent me from achieving happiness?
How can I improve my relationships?
How can I work smarter?
How can I work harder?
What does working smarter look like?
What does working harder look like?
What does it mean that life isn’t fair?
What does it mean to be healthy?
What is the importance of balance?
Is balance important?
How do I identify self deception?
What is the benefit of silence?
How can I listen more?
How can I learn more?
How can I manage my time better?
How can I be more present and focused?
How can I ensure finance stability?
How can I manage my money better?
In what ways can I invest in my future?
What are the best investments?
What are anticipated life changes? List them out from now until the future
How can I plan for them?
Is there a formula for success?
Is there a formula for problem solving?
What books do I wish I read more of?
What is stopping me from reading more?

I just scribbled this list down, one after the other, and I felt like I had less answers than ever before, a great feeling that assuages this anxiety provoking feeling resulting from the equilibrium of drifting through daily living.

I desire stability at this point in my life, however I desire growth, so I must constantly seek challenges that disrupt this comfort.

Attitude is paramount.

I was thinking the other day, ideas are a dime a dozen. The premise of a story doesn’t guarantee a great story. The execution is all that matters. I recall being in art school as a child. The instructor had us draw a scribble on a piece of paper. I complied. They then told us to use that scribble and draw a character, or a scene, or some other artistic picture using the crude outlines of the scribble. I looked at my scribble: it was not impressive. I was disappointed. I wish I had a better scribble to start with, a better premise to build this artistic vision upon. I glanced at the student next to me, and watched as he transformed his otherwise dull scribble into an animated character, complete with expressions and a lively backdrop. I grew more despondent. I said, I don’t know what to do with my scribble. It’s lame. He had a pony tail and big lips and eyes that seemed to indicate his mind was elsewhere. But helped himself to my paper and transformed my scribble into something magical. I was beside myself.

This little scenario taught me that its not what you start with that matters. Execution and the imagination will bring you there, despite where you believe you are starting from.

Don’t get hung up on an idea. There are millions of good ideas. Don’t worry about the best idea. Take a good idea and execute brilliantly. Use your imagination to breath life into the idea, and it will blossom.