Dwell in Possibility
Tanmay Vora
“Dwell in possibility”, borrowed from Emily Dickinson is one theme that is guided me so far and will continue to guide me in the future.
Every single day brings along a world of possibilities and one thing that determines what we see and how we see things is out own attitude. If you look for problems and constraints, you will always find them – even in the best of situations.
Possibility thinking is an attitude of seeing things and asking, “What’s possible here?” and then working to bring those possibilities to life. Because, ultimately all human progress depends on ability to see possibilities and make them happen.
In my own career, the mindset shift from constraints to possibilities has helped me immensely and continues to help. How do you dwell in possibilities? Here are a few things to consider:
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It starts with a belief that possibilities (and solutions) exists. It is not about denying constraints but working your way around constraints.
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It is about persistence in looking for answers when you are unable to find straightforward solutions to constraints.
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It is about having an eye for what’s working and how can that be amplified as much as it is about knowing what falls in your circle of influence.
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It is about learning to live with uncertainty and still acting with confidence.
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It is about realization that things don’t have to be the way they are and that making a change is a possibility.
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It is about being able to challenge the status-quo knowing that there are better ways of doing things.
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It is all about execution putting all your energy out there to take the right next steps.
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It is about riding the waves of change rather than being crushed by it.
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It is about consciously pursuing the path of your heart and go where it takes you – even if it means living on the edge. Because as Seth Godin says, “If you can’t fail, it doesn’t matter.”
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It is about moving beyond our best and being prepared to fail fast, early and often to succeed eventually. Having high expectations from the self and from others is vital because making possibilities happen is hard work.
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It is about being impeccable with your words (one of the four agreements) because our choice of words create our possibilities.
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It is about a strong desire to make a positive difference and contribution in your own life but making a difference to others (your people, organization, teams, family, friends etc.)
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Living in possibilities is a mindset of serving others by working with them, collaborating with them and finding people who can be your allies in making things happen.
It seems like the only option we have to truly steer ourselves forward is to embrace the mindset of possibility and abundance. Then why not commit to live by the words of Emily Dickinson and “dwell in possibility”?
A worthy goal for 2017 and beyond.
Also Read at QAspire:
In the sketch: Ancient 16th century windmills from Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands (illustrated from my visit there in Dec 2016).