Posts Tagged ‘mindset’

The Abundance Mentality

Martin Buber (1878~1965), the Austrian-born Jewish philosopher who became famous for his work on the I-Thou relationship, wrote of a Hasidic story in which a seeker prayed that God would show him the difference between Heaven and Hell. His prayers were answered in his sleep, when God took him to a place with a room of starving people seated around a large round table, though the table was covered with a fabulous feast. Each of the people had long wooden spoons tied to their arms, which could reach the food, but the length of the spoons made it impossible to feed themselves. So they languished and starved in the face of abundance. This was Hell. Then God ushered him into another room with the same table, the same feast, and a group of people seated around it who also had long wooden spoons tied to their arms. However this group was happy and well-nourished, because they had learned to feed each other. This was Heaven, in the face of the same abundance.

This simple secret is missed or grasped on the strength of whether your mindset is one of giving in the grace of abundance, or one of taking on the assumption of scarcity. Even though it is also ultimately in their interest as well to take the wider view, they miss everything through their tunnel vision.

The assumption, or some would say the illusion of scarcity can drive people to mad behavior, like two dogs fighting over a single bone, when there is a whole plate of bones nearby.

The abundance mentality is a shift in mindset, a broader and more generous view. It is also the realization that you are not stuck with what you start with. Regular practice with the Mandala Chart gives you the ability to take any idea and quickly multiply it by eight to generate new ideas, applications, perspectives, or connections.

From Consumer to Creator

The assumption of scarcity causes people to hoard things, and fight to protect what little they have. The assumption of limited resources leads to the idea of give and take, bartering, trading, buying and selling, the economy as we know it. While this approach is functional, it tends to divide people into haves and have nots, and when the gap becomes too pronounced, it leads straight back to the scarcity mentality and conflict, if not revolution.

The assumption of abundance, when based on experience and not blind faith, produces an interesting transformation in people. Where once you may have been mostly a consumer, now you become mostly a creator. Instead of give and take, your mindset becomes more one of give and give.

Creating Value in Business

This new mentality changes the way you do business. Instead of seeing people as targets for your marketing campaign, or as prospects to be persuaded to purchase your goods and services, instead you see opportunities to help add value or improve the quality of their life and experience. Imagine how differently people would respond to you if every contact they had with you left them better served, better off than before.

Businesses which operate from an abundance mentality are automatically more attractive than businesses which are always trying to sell or take something from you. This applies equally to interruptive advertising and promotion, which distracts your attention and adds little value. Research has shown that repetitive advertising, even when it is annoying, can still be effective. However, this is more likely to apply to commodities, in which all things being equal, you are more likely to chose the brand that you have heard the most of. Unfortunately, this is also true in politics.

To be more creative in your business, multiply the number of ways that you serve, and magnify the quality of the way that you help people. Chasing after customers is like chasing butterflies, you trap a few, but most will fly away. The best way to attract butterflies is not to catch them at all, but to cultivate a garden to which they be naturally attracted. You need to move less, and attract more.

All of this manifests in very tangible ways, but it begins in the mind with a thought process. The seeds you plant and cultivate bear fruit, or becomes choked with weeds through neglect. I covered how you create a system for doing this in an article called, How Does Your Thought Garden Grow?

As a reminder of the themes to consider here, download a PDF Mandala Chart called MOVE LESS, ATTRACT MORE.

Your Mandala is your mirror. What do you see in it, a world of lack or a world of plenty?

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Tagged as: abundance, active garage, Flexible Focus, mandala, mandala charts, manga, mindset, move less attract more, scarcity, william reed

In the art of flexible focus, dimension is more important than sequence. To emphasize this point I have selected for review eight of the Mandala Charts which have been featured in earlier articles in this series. Like a card deck that can be shuffled to create new combinations, these Mandala templates can be reshuffled and reviewed for a new perspective. In a world where change is constant, this is one way to stay on top of the wave.

Through the links below you can download the Mandala Charts, as well as reference the articles in this series where they first appeared. Each one contains a visual image in the central frame which was selected as a visual anchor for the central theme. These images resonate powerfully with the sub-themes, and can stimulate new images by association.

The images can help you recall and recreate new ideas around the central theme, as well as serve as a connecting bridge between the surrounding sub-themes. Images keep your Mandala interesting and alive, and if you print them out, you can also sketch images of your own inside the surrounding frames to enhance the key words, phrases, and text which you will add.

The images are assembled in the Mandala shown here, referenced from the articles and downloads below. In the conventional Mandala fashion, they are marked A (bottom center), B (left center), C (top center), D (right center), E (bottom left), F (top left), G (top right), F (bottom right).

Here are a few notes to set your thoughts in motion. For easy reference, and to trigger new insights, download the Mandala Charts and review the original articles from each of the links below.

8 Fields of Life (From Flexible Focus #3: The Principle of Interdependence)

Happily interwoven?…or a tangled mess?

The image of a Celtic Knot is a powerful icon of the 8 dimensions of life interwoven in perfect balance. The weave of the knot is loose enough that each dimension is distinct, and yet each strand crosses through every other. Look at this knot as you consider each of the 8 fields of your life, and ask yourself if they are in balance. Which fields need more time, care, or attention?

Mandala on Health (From Flexible Focus #4: The 8 Frames of Life: Health)

Radiantly connected?…or bent out of shape?

The image of a radiant tropical sun symbolizes the radiant quality of health. It includes what you eat, how you move, your attitude, and your relationships. It makes no sense to sacrifice your health for the sake of profit or convenience. Consider all of the factors that contribute to your health, and you will have many leverage points to improve it. Are you neglecting one or more of these factors in your life?

Refocus Your Business (From Flexible Focus #11: The Principle of Comprehensiveness)

Focus on the spaces between…and the possibilities therein

The optical illusion of flashing dots is a reminder of how we need to look closely to see what is really there. If you keep your eyes open you will discover many opportunities to make improvements. It is not enough to make a living. You must also make a life. Business and work can easily dominate your life, occupying an unreasonable amount of time and energy. The irony is that working harder is not always working better. If your work does not support your mission and identity, it will create conflict and sap your energy. Look for better, smarter ways to work. Find ways to work with others to accomplish more than you can by yourself.

Empowerment Mandala (From Flexible Focus #10: Become the Change)

Are you receiving fish?…or learning how to fish?

The image shows the moment of catching a fish, not asking for one. Empowerment is the ability to fish and fend for yourself. It is the opposite of entitlement, which is expecting others to fish for you. Constant preoccupation with receiving confines creativity. It is better to build momentum through action, than to succumb to inertia through passivity. To quote Dr. Seuss, with brains in your head and feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

Magic of Mindset (From Flexible Focus #9: The Magic of Mindset)

Rabbit or duck illusion…and mental perception?

This image appears to be a rabbit, until you shift your focus and it appears to be a duck! It is a reminder that mindset is truly magic. The way you look at things determines what you see. Life tends to live up to our expectations as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Don’t be taken in by first impressions, because things and people are not often as they seem. Both positive and negative judgments can be contagious. Keep an open mind and a positive attitude, and you will attract people of like mind.

Opportunities for Engagement (From Flexible Focus #12: The 8 Frames of Life: Business)

Keep your ideas flowing…Keep your passion high

The image of a fountain of ideas spiraling from an open mind is enhanced by the color of red for passion. The flow of ideas is a measure of your interest, curiosity, and enthusiasm. Keep it strong by looking for new ways to engage with people in your work and private pursuits. Business is a dynamic process, and you are better off being an active player than a passive spectator. Look at the Mandala and ask yourself, where are there opportunities for greater engagement?

Decision Mandala (From Flexible Focus #16: The Decision Trap)

Learn from others…with a better perspective

The image of question marks lost in a labyrinth shows the difficulty of making decisions in complex circumstances. Many of life’s challenges do not lend themselves to simple logic. Sometimes it is best to lift yourself out of the labyrinth and seek wisdom from a higher perspective. Well selected quotes can provide that perspective, but the inspiration of a quote depends on timing and its relevance to the problem at hand. Working with the Mandala chart you will find that eight quotes can be better than one.

Karma Connections (From Flexible Focus #15: Karma and Connections)

Act, action, performance…not fate or consequences

The image shows the interplay of opposites, the balance of yin and yang. It also shows the dynamics of interaction. The more actively you engage in the game, the more opportunities you have to take advantage of critical moments. The pitch on which you play is where you are here and now. When you see that negative words and thoughts lead to negative results, it is easier to leave them behind. Karma is a dynamic and ongoing process. Your actions are the script for your life.

The visual images in each of these Mandala charts help you to engage visual thinking. Visit them often.

NOTE: The articles in the Flexible Focus series are updated with graphics, links, and attachments on the FLEXIBLE FOCUS Webbrain, a dynamic and navigable map of the entire series. It has a searchable visual index, and is updated each week as the series develops.

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Tagged as: active garage, art of flexible focus, business, decisions, empowerment, Flexible Focus, health, karma, life, mandala charts, manga, mindset, opportunities, william reed

The word mindset often refers to a frame of mind, a point of view, a perspective that is single or fixed, and not flexible in focus. The question to ask is whether a singular mindset helps us or harms us?

Having a point of view enables us to be very clear on where we stand. The disadvantage is that once we gain a clear viewpoint, there is a tendency to believe that our point of view is the only one that is right. This is not a light matter. Differences and inflexibility over point of view can put people on the warpath.

Flexible focus changes your point of view

Two friends were walking on a busy summer New York Avenue. One was an entomologist, an expert who was able to identify insects by sound and shape, even on a busy urban street. The entomologist astonished his friend by hearing and pointing out insects along the street, despite the clamorous sounds of people and traffic. His friend asked, “How can you possibly hear such small sounds with all of this traffic noise?” The entomologist removed a coin from his pocket and dropped it on the street, which instantly turned all heads. “We notice,” he replied, “the things which interest us.”

A mindset is a mental filter, predisposed to select certain types of information and shut out the rest. The more knowledge or interest you have in a subject, the more you are able to see and find things which are related to it. A mindset can work for us if we need to specialize, or against us if we sacrifice flexibility, the ability to change points of view. F. Scott Fitzgerald said that, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”

Flexible focus gives you a strategic advantage

Miyamoto Musashi (武蔵 1584~1645) was a master swordsman, painter, and philosopher. Fighting more than 60 duels from the age of 13 to 30, he was an undefeated samurai. His book on strategy and swordsmanship, The Book of Five Rings, is a classic of martial arts literature from Japan and is still quite popular today.

Musashi’s most famous duel took place on Ganryu Island on the 13th of April 1612, and was fought against Sasaki Kōjirō, The Demon of the Western Provinces. This duel has been immortalized in film and literature. Musashi combined courage with unconventional strategy to defeat his hot-headed opponent. Musashi gained the advantage in three ways: psychologically upsetting his opponent by deliberately arriving two hours after the appointed time; choosing a wooden oar as his weapon against Kōjirō’s long sword; and running to position himself with the sun at his back, thereby blinding his opponent at a critical moment.

The first character in Musashi’s name (武) is also the character for Bu in Budō (武道）meaning martial arts. It appears in the illustration here eclipsing the rays of the sun, exactly as Musashi did in his duel with Kōjirō.

Flexible focus opens your eyes

A classical optical illusion is the Rabbit-Duck, which appears as both a rabbit facing right, or a duck facing left, depending on how you look at it. Even more surprising is the animated optical illusion of the dancing girl, who appears to be turning clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on which leg you focus on.

Dutch artist M.C. Escher took optical illusions to a level of artistic perfection. Optical illusions remind us that things are not always exactly as they seem. A slight shift in perspective produces a completely different picture.

Just as our eyes play tricks on our visual perception, our mind also plays tricks on our mental perception of people, places, and phenomena. The Buddhists go so far as to say that the world we see is void of fixed forms, and modern physicists agree.

Flexible focus lets you frame and reframe

If you get too caught up in the illusions, then the world appears as unreal as a house of mirrors, which indeed it is to the person who plays a passive role in life. When you realize that you can also shape, imagine, and influence what you see, then the game changes and the real fun begins.

As long as you accept your assumptions and believe that everything is just as it appears, you will miss the opportunity to make new discoveries and to shape your circumstances. This takes practice, and a good way to start is by framing and reframing the things you see using the Mandala Chart.

To assist in framing and reframing a question or problem, try downloading the Magic of Mindset Mandala as a reminder and worksheet for the following questions.

1. Metaphor. What is this situation most like? What can the problem be compared to?
2. Game Changer. What strategy can I use to change the situation?
3. Second Opinion. Who else can I ask that can give me informed or expert advice?
4. Sleep on it. Gain a fresh perspective by getting away from the problem for a while.
5. Win/Win Solution. What would help all parties?
6. Mastermind. What help can I get from mentors or books?
7. Ask Better Questions. Reframe the problem by asking new and better questions.
8. Empty Your Cup. If your cup is full of opinions and prior knowledge, you may have no room for anything new.

Remember Musashi and see if you can reframe the situation, put the sun at your back, and find a winning strategy. Have fun learning the art of flexible focus, and make magic with your mindset.

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Tagged as: active garage, certainty, Flexible Focus, japanology, M.C. Escher, magic of mindset mandala, mandala charts, mindset, Miyamoto Musashi, perspective, The book of five rings, william reed

Many times in our life, we feel stuck or helpless when we encounter a situation.  We would have encountered this same situation before but when we tried to control it, we couldn’t, so we accepted that it cannot be controlled.  When the situation occurs again we think we are helpless and are resigned about it. This is called “Learned Helplessness” i.e we have learnt to be helpless and we get depressed. As grim this might sound, there is a silver lining to it – Since we have learnt to be helpless we can also unlearn it and come out of it.

Tagged as: active garage, attitude, control, helpless, learned helplessness, learned optimism, learning, martin seligson, mindset, positive, vijay peduru