We all go through numerous changes, people and scenarios in our work and personal life.
In every new environment or scenario, we have multitude of thoughts, feelings and emotions. Many of this are influenced by our conditioning, habits and natural tendencies.
As a result, we tend to see things in a certain manner.
The wise teachings from the past do indeed play an important role everyday in our lives — “What we see in the world is to a large extent a reflection of what lies inside us.”
We tend to see people, environments and situations from our own perspectives and world views. This can be a strength many times depending on how well we’ve developed our valuable point of view and awareness through experience, reflection and learning. This may also be a major weakness.
Neuroscience studies seem to indicate that we tend to pick up or read threats in our environment more easier than opportunities. In a threat state, our brains don’t work effectively. Fear plays tricks with our memory and our perception of reality.
Individuals and organizations may lose a lot of valuable energy focusing on threats (especially internally), rather than opportunities. This may result in turf wars, personal conflicts, lack of collaboration and stress. If we were to consciously shift our focus to the possibilities and opportunities, our intent to ‘flourishing’ increases. Dr. Martin Seligman identifies five endeavors crucial to human flourishing — positive emotion, engagement, good relationships, meaning and purpose in life, and accomplishment (PERMA). Our ability to work well with other people in a group depends on our ability to appreciate other individuals’ emotions.
When we start consciously focusing on the opportunities, the environment or people around seem to become less threatening. Our outlook and capacity to influence increases. We inspire people around us to move to a higher energy spectrum.
References
1. Fear in the brain
http://discovermagazine.com/2003/mar/cover
2. Your Brain At Work, David Rock
3. Flourish: The Father of Positive Psychology Redefines Well-Being
http://www.brainpickings.org/2011/04/05/martin-seligman-flourish/
4. Why Organizations Fail
http://fortune.com/2013/10/23/why-organizations-fail/
Indeed a thoughtful article, especially the part
“Fear plays tricks with our memory and our perception of reality.”
Many a times we are led by illusions and entangled by our own cobwebs, that tend to impair our wisdom, decisive power and almost anything within us.
We are born fearless, but down the line, somewhere we tend to pick up fear and inhibitions thus beginning to address the threats above the possibility.
But then we see, men/women of success evading these threats and flying out with achievements, what may its kind be.
Seems to me like, there is a mechanism where we do get deviated from the instinct to explore; a transformation from the confident human baby, that learnt to put his/her feet on the ground and walk, despite several falls to a man/women that is too lazy to come out of the cozy cocoon of security and comfort.
Thank you for sharing very interesting thoughts, which seem to merge science and philosophy. Best wishes.