Life isn’t magic, but you probably think it is.
We all fall for the tricks to some degree.
Being able to see through the smoke and mirrors (ones that we put in front of ourselves) helps you make better decisions, and get better results. Now that’s magic!
Here are the illusions we have trouble with:
- Making assumptions
- Jumping to conclusions
- Making false correlations
- Not seeing what is missing from the picture
- Ignoring or overlooking important details
- Telling ourselves stories or inventing explanations
- Assuming causes or conclusions based on a single data point
- Believing superstitions, propaganda, stories, marketing, advertising
What happens when I fall for these illusions?
Poor thinking leads to poor decision-making, which leads to poor results. You’ll be left baffled at how something didn’t work out or where it went wrong. Missed goals, broken promises to yourself and others, hit-n-miss performance at work, stress, frustration, poor health, bad mood, unhappiness. You’ll see life as unpredictable at best, and a nightmare at worst. So, you’ll run. You’ll try to escape from it with ‘well-deserved vacations’, booze, pills, television, games, anything to ‘unwind’. Sound familiar?
Of course, you’re the one doing the winding up in the first place. You’ve caused it by putting a layer of unreality over reality. Like trying to drive blindfolded. Frustrating, with poor results guaranteed. And even if you could get good at it…why make it so hard on yourself!
Okay, so how can I fix it?
Learn to live in reality. Question your assumptions, ask why again and again, don’t pretend things happen by some magical force in the world – see the reality of cause and effect in life. Once you start to look critically at your assumptions and self-illusions, you’ll start seeing more of reality. You’ll see the ace peeking out of the magician’s sleeve. So it starts by trying to be conscious of the shortcomings of your own brain. Slowly you’ll pull back the veil of illusion on your world.
What can I expect if I do fix it?
Nothing short of a better life. Better health, less stress, better relationships, and most importantly a new-found kind of wonder that comes from realizing how life works, and that you ultimately can choose your experience of it. You start to see others as they are, and judge them less. You’re more patient. You’re more kind and compassionate. But mostly, life gets a lot easier. You start to do things with less effort. You work smarter, you’re better at everything you do, you get results you never realized you could, and you appreciate it every moment. You’re able to appreciate the amazing way life works, and come to the realization that you have the power to create it any way you wish.
Presto changeo!