Do The Exact Opposite

Several weeks ago I happened to catch Yes Man on cable TV.

Jim Carey portrays a loser – a banker whose wife has left him, whose friends refuse to spend time with him, and whose main activity at work involves rejecting loan applications.

On the advice of an old acquaintance, he finds himself at a motivation seminar where he commits to a new approach to life – saying “Yes” to any proposal that comes his way, no matter how ludicrous.

In true Hollywood tradition, this triggers a complete turnaround in his life, by the end of which he has found his true love, boosted his career and become a hero to all his friends.

Maybe I’m going through a minor mid-life crisis, but lately I find myself reading, seeing or hearing a lot about personal empowerment and self improvement.

As anyone who has ever dipped into this rich world knows, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of different techniques, all promising to help you get more out of life.

Some focus on positive thinking, some stress action. Some recommend top down goal settings. Others focus on bottom-up task management.

One message that is to common to most of these philosophies, and that somewhat resonates with me is this :

“Do the exact opposite of what your first instinct tell you”

If our rational mind tells us to remain safely within our comfort zone, to seek out the safe and secure approach, the road to empowerment lies in venturing outside, taking risks – pushing the envelope so to speak. If we tend to gravitate toward the path of least resistance, we should tackle what is difficult, challenging and frightening. Therein lies the reward of satisfaction, achievement and fullfilment of our true potential. Instead of being guided by our rational mind we should follow our much deeper instincts that come from the heart.

Lately I have been trying to implement this approach in my life. I use it like a compass, but a faulty one that always points in the opposite direction.

If my first tendency is to avoid something, whether due to fear or laziness, it serves as a clear indication to me that it is what I must do. Almost always, the decision turns out to have been the right one .

In conclusion, I recommend viewing the very inspiring TED talk given Roz Savage, who left a lucrative yet unrewarding job to pursue an extreme goal, through this found her true calling in life.