Have you ever had a discussion that changed your life? In the blog below, Joe Polish explains the important role that discussions have in overcoming challenges. There have been times that discussions I’ve had with myself and others have completely changed my mindset or the way I was looking at an issue. My three takeaways are:
- Value Discussions: Every problem usually involves a discussion, either with yourself or with others. Discussions help us gain clarity. If something confuses me at work or numbers aren’t adding up I often talk to myself about the problem and most of the time I have a better idea of how to fix the issue at hand once I do this. It forces me to slow down. Having a discussion forces me to slow down and give the problem my full attention.
- Learning from Others: By engaging in discussions with educated people, we can learn how to have better internal discussions with ourselves.
- Discussion Groups: Having a supportive group is important as well. Discussion groups can provide people with experience, strength, different perspectives and hope, especially when facing difficult or seemingly impossible situations.
Sometimes all you need to do to solve a problem is to discuss it with yourself, a friend, or even a group.
The Fantastic Life Rule #9
Recognize There Are Two Kinds of Pain
Oftentimes, solving a problem doesn’t just require a discussion — it requires a difficult discussion. Some conversations are easier to have than others, even with ourselves. But solutions are waiting on the other side of that conversation. So start talking.
The Discussion
By: Joe Polish
Every problem I’ve overcome has one thing in common: There was always a discussion. Either a discussion I had with myself or one I had with other people.
Most people have terrible discussions with themselves, let alone with other people.
By having discussions with other smart people, you learn how to have better discussions with yourself.
If you have a lot of angst in your life and you want more serenity, you have to talk it through.
You can do this with questions, tools or conversations.
You may not get immediate answers, but if it’s the right discussion, you will discover how to think about the problem or issue.
In Anthony Greenback’s “Book of Survival” he says, “To live through an impossible situation, you don’t need to have the reflexes of a Grand Prix driver, the muscles of a Hercules, or the mind of an Einstein. You simply need to know what to do.”
If you’re facing what seems like an insurmountable, difficult, impossible situation, you simply need to know what to do – and when you feel lost, it’s great to have a place you can go to and talk through your situation.
When you feel hopeless, you want to be surrounded by people who will believe in you more than you may even believe in yourself.
Discussion groups can give people experience, strength and hope.
I’ve always been good at getting smart people together and having them talk to each other, and as a result great things come out of it.
Wrap a structure around this and you can have magic.
Here’s the one sentence solution: Seek out people you can have great discussions with and places you can go to continually grow.
Best,
JOE