Tag: outcomes

A million different outcomes

Posted on by philipdodson

That’s at least how many thoughts about a future event that we could muster and I am sure our minds could come up with more given enough time and energy, like say a lifetime.

Given all the outcomes we can come up with regarding any situation or challenge we are faced with how many of them actually happen? In fact, how many outcomes are even remotely as bad as we have imagined them to be?

The thing is, the mind will do anything to protect it’s created self-image. So, it will do everything it can to come up with the worst outcomes so that we can protect ourselves in advance and talk ourselves out of doing anything that might put us at ‘risk’. Risk as in self-inflicted pain that we choose when something happens.

If we accept that we only control ourselves, and in fact, mainly badly, then we can choose to let go of most, if not all, of the outcomes we imagine. The next thing is to assume we have done all we can and if there is something else we can still do, then do it. If we’ve done everything we can, then simply do nothing, accept what is and carry on enjoying our lives at this moment and chill out.

Worry is a needless thing we inflict upon ourselves by speculating about imaginary things that others might do to us in the future based on absolutely nothing.

Madness, eh!

Trying too hard

Posted on by philipdodson
‘Whirlwind’ by Philip Dodson

When we try too hard all our energy is wrapped up in the result. The future outcome may or may not happen, as the future never occurs, it will always be now when or if we get there.

So the mind is constantly willing an outcome that only exists in our mind and therefore the energy does not go to the actual doing of the work in the now.

When we are actually doing work towards that future, with the focus only on the result, we are unable to concentrate on our work in a good way as we are full of anxiety about the future outcome that we are so desperate to achieve.

The outcome is not important, it is the actual focus on doing our very best now and nothing else. What we do now always creates the future, but we can’t predict the outcome today. We can choose to accept that by enjoying the process of work now and thus relieve the anxiety and pressure the expected result always brings.