Fixing What Isn't Broken

For years, the field of psychology seemed to be fascinated and fixated on abnormal psychology. There was a tremendous amount of research studying and analyzing those who suffered from mental and psychological abnormalities and/or those afflicted by brain injuries and deformities. It seemed as though the collective energy and experience of that field went into finding ways for those who were impaired in some way or another to get to “normal.” Only recently have we seen more breakthroughs in the areas of sports psychology and performance psychology, exploring pathways taking ordinary to optimal.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with the desire to treat illness and repair what appears to have been damaged, we must be careful to not become obsessed with that which we see as having gone “wrong.” For one, it can taint our perspective and outlook on life in general, but for two, we might miss the opportunities to improve what is already working.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a terrible motto to live by unless you are satisfied with “average” and just getting by. While it’s easy for your attention to be drawn to things that appear “broken,” you must not allow that to distract you from developing what is already functional, thus seeking to take “normal” to excellent.

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Mindset Matters

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