Obligation or Opportunity?

Are you living under obligation or in opportunity? You could be doing the exact same task, but how you approach and experience it can change dramatically with that difference in perspective. When you live under obligation, it’s easier to do the bare minimum, follow the pack and risk little. This is also a fantastic recipe for mediocre results and minimal, if any, reward. But if you are looking at a scenario through the lens of opportunity, you will likely have more energy, better ideas and more joy doing the exact same work as Mr. Mediocre.

People talk about how they “have” to go to work. Now, that may be true in the sense that work is required to earn enough money to eat and pay bills, but too many act as if “work” is a necessary evil that must be endured instead of an opportunity to embrace. There are literally millions of people (maybe billions) who would love to have your job, and every new day that you go to work, you have the chance to introduce the world to a slightly better version of yourself than has ever existed before – one who is better able to influence and impact the world around you in more positive way.

You may be in a frustrating marriage or relationship and are living in obligation to that other person. But consider someone who has just lost their spouse, reeling from a tragic divorce and would be willing to give anything for just one more chance to make it work. You have the opportunity to sacrifice a little bit more, to give a little extra and to love until, and especially when, it hurts.

I hear folks talk about raising kids like it’s an 18 year prison sentence instead of an opportunity to mold and shape and inspire a human life. Now, I realize these people do genuinely love their kids, but still, they are viewing the experience as an obligation, not an opportunity. I could go on and on with examples, but I think you get the point. Heck, I have to remind myself of this when my wife and kids want to go pay money to live in the woods like we are homeless – some people call it camping – and I have to view it through the lens of opportunity in making memories and strengthening bonds with my family. We all have areas of our lives where we have the choice to view difficult circumstances and engagements as opportunity or obligation. How you choose to view those situations may be one of the most significant factors in the overall experience and outcome of those moments. Learn to live in opportunity.

Comments

Toxic Humility

We have all seen false humility: the guy who tries to hide his arrogance with feigned modesty. It’s usually pretty obvious and always obnoxious. But there is also another variation of false humility out there: toxic humility. This is often displayed in self-deprecating talk and a lack of self-confidence, belittling or undermining one’s own talents and abilities. The danger in this kind of behavior is twofold: it is too often accepted as true humility and like a virus, it spreads doubt and disbelief. To clarify, it is not that the bearer of this toxic humility isn’t honest about his view of himself. That is the very issue: he absolutely believes he has little value or utility. He thinks downplaying his own worth is humility but I disagree. CS Lewis said it best when he wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking about yourself less.” His point being, true humility is not an ever-present raincloud of self-doubt that follows you around. It’s a focus on...

The Art of Intentionality

“Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make you.” – Richie Norton I am not even sure who Richie Norton is, but I love that quote! I imagine a ship drifting out to sea, pushed around by the wind and the waves. No course of direction, yet the captain is frustrated when the ship ends up dashed against the rocks, trapped on a sandbar or marooned on an inhospitable island. It is easy to complain when life takes us where we do not want to go. But who is really to blame if we have never set our sails to align us along an appropriate course? Do we blame the waves, wind and the weather? Or should we blame the captain of the ship? It is our life and our ship. We must set our sails with intentionality and determined choices. Otherwise, we are doomed to aimlessly drift along according to the choices and decisions of others.

Hasty Hares

We live in a world full of hares. People darting from one thing to another. Always looking for a shortcut. Constantly seeking a quick fix. Ever searching for a hack. And more than anything, they want it NOW! Speed seems to have replaced diligent planning and patient determination. It’s all about quick results, immediate feedback and instant gratification. People seem to be less concerned with the direction they are headed than how fast they are moving. They don’t know where they are going – and are quite possibly moving in the wrong direction – but at least they’re making good time! But the pace and aimless effort catches up. They get jaded and burn out. Or they simply end up “lost.” They fail to notice that movement isn’t progress. They don’t consider that sheer velocity, without control and accuracy, is dangerous and destructive. They forget the tortoise wins. Every. Single. Time. “It matters not how slowly you go. It only matters that you do not stop.” – Confucio...

Mindset Matters

Search This Blog