Want to make the world (or your life) a better place? Elevate your thinking.

Adapted photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash

What’s in the news and in our lives changes but it’s no news that the world has a lot of pain points. The open hearted among us tend to want to do our part to solve them.

And it’s all too easy to let the problems we see become boxes within which we operate. This constrains our creativity and our thinking. If we want real perspective and motivational mojo beyond the present problem, we have an opportunity to elevate.

Elevation looks like:

• Reflecting on what we want to create, beyond the current problem.
• Asking ourselves, if the problem were NOT a problem, what would be the opportunity?
• Finding the heart beneath any sense of hurt if present, including anger, blame, and indignation. Tending to our own or others’ pain and needs, then showing up as we’d like to.
• Getting curious, asking questions.
• Accepting the situation for what it is, in all its messiness and holy and unholy glory, before entering the nitty gritty of problem solving.

Toiling in the trenches for a lifetime is not sustainable. If we want to effect real change or create things in our businesses and lives that are incredible, we need to keep our eyes on the prize as much as possible.

You can call this having a sense of purpose, perspective, or positive thinking. Whatever you call it (and I recommend you choose ones that really resonate even if you need to invent new ones), it’s advantageous to always have in mind that the problem is only one thing in the space.

Elevate your thinking to see beyond it. Think of it as vitamins for the brain, body and soul. It’s not only productive, it’s smart thinking and it’s good for you! Take a problem and try it.

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