Achieving Balance: Seeing Things As They Are
Tony Robbins, a renowned motivational speaker, shares valuable insights on maintaining a balanced perspective in life [1]. He suggests three key steps to achieving this balance.
- See things as they are, not better or worse.
- See things as you would like them to be.
- Take the next step.
Many of us tend to fall into two categories of biases:
- Seeing things worse than they are: This mindset leads to constant self-criticism and stress, which may yield short-term improvement but ultimately leads to burnout.
- Seeing things better than they are: This overly optimistic outlook can blind us to growing problems, leading to an eventual crash and burn.
Kobe Bryant, a basketball legend, exemplified the importance of recognizing reality [2]. When he noticed the ball wasn’t going into the basket, he didn’t assume he was a terrible player or that everything was fine. Instead, he identified the issue — a lack of strength — and then trained accordingly to improve.
So, how can we see things as they are?
- Practice mindfulness: Catch yourself getting into a stressful mode and stay present in the moment.
- Journal: Writing down your thoughts can provide clarity and help you recognize your biases.
- Allocate time for self-reflection: Dedicate specific time to analyze your faults so your mind isn’t preoccupied with them constantly.
By acknowledging where we might be seeing things as worse or better than they are, we can work on developing a more balanced perspective. This shift allows us to effectively address challenges and move towards our goals without succumbing to unnecessary stress or unrealistic expectations.
[1] T. Robbins, “See things the way they are not worse than they are,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdfLvsKHu2E
[2] Outcast Motivation, “Kobe Bryant’s Greatest Speech | BEST Motivation Ever,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTRBnHtHehQ
