“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The journey to peak performance in any aspect of life starts by understanding the power that lies within each of us: the power of choice. Whether free will exists or not, I leave to philosophers to discuss. I can only speak from a place of experience when it comes to this subject. Choice creates paradox. It is in the paradoxes of life that we find our strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, it is in action that we express choice.
As a recovering overthinker, I learned the perils of being stuck in my head. As far as I can recall, thinking has occurred in parallel with life. It is through thinking that I have experienced the highs and lows in life. It is through thinking that I have expressed action in life. It is through thinking that I have wrestled with the paradox that is life. Complex thinking is the gift we all possess, granted to us as a result of our collaborative ways.
Scarcity is where our species emerged from. The timeline is also subject to philosophical debate; however, the fact remains that we were survivalists for most of our existence. Whether it was a saber-toothed tiger, drought, famine, our species endured a rite of passage. Survival was for the fittest. As a result of our lack of substantial defense, we made it to this point mainly due to our innate adaptive capabilities.
One of our adaptations was the development of the cerebral cortex, the newest addition to the brain, known for its ability to think in complexity. As with most things in life, it is both a blessing and a curse. The need for survival prompted our ancestors to use this complex thinking machine to solve the problems that life in the wild presented. Just imagine being on the show ‘Survivor’ your entire life. It was complex thinking that advanced our species to the top of the “food chain.”
During that time, there was no space for self-referential thinking. Primarily there was the instinct for survival and the free will to live. Managing resources for one’s clan was the goal of every day. Protecting our tribe was a common unified action. Fast forward to today: survival is no longer viewed in the same way. We have such abundance in developed nations. Emerging economies throughout the world are also entering this abundant space. So what of complex thinking in the world?
Self-referential thinking has replaced survival thinking. Labels have created shells that represent us to others. We are more connected than ever through technology, yet most disconnected from one another. Nearly two years ago, I experienced the lowest period of my life. This season was marked by isolation, starting during the global pandemic we all experienced. It was during this time that I was developing QHP. I became consumed with the project, working tirelessly. The culmination was a diagnosis of acute stress syndrome, also known as burnout syndrome.
Hopeless and helpless at the bottom of the barrel, I slowly worked my way out of survival thinking. External isolation had created a sense of internal isolation. Wait…or was it the other way around? Major depressive disorder is diagnosed when an individual has a persistently low or depressed mood, anhedonia or decreased interest in pleasurable activities, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, lack of energy, poor concentration, appetite changes, psychomotor retardation or agitation, sleep disturbances, or suicidal thoughts.
I was experiencing all of these. Perhaps my external isolation was a projection of my inner isolation. My self-referential complex thinking had me believing a story it had created about my life, a story that was untrue. The stress endured during those difficult times had produced a side of me that lies within all of us if the conditions align themselves. Fortunately, my story did not end then. Through complex thinking and the help of trained professionals, my personal holistic health began to improve.
It was when I chose to collide with the story I had been telling myself that I was able to find the strength to move away from the past to welcome what was to be. Thanks to the amazing adaptation skill we all possess known as neuroplasticity. Complex thinking allowed me to shift from survival thinking to a mindset of abundance ripe with opportunities. From that point on it was time for action. The greatest beauty of this path? The emergence of amazing relationships. Collectively, we are sharing energy while learning to vibrate harmoniously together.
The power that lies within us is immense. It can drag us down into the depths of despair, but it can also lift us to the heights of our potential. The key is to harness this power, to recognize the stories we tell ourselves, and to choose actions that align with our true values and aspirations. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Our inner strength, resilience, and capacity for growth are what define our journey and our ultimate success.