This is Perhaps the most easily understandable Ideas of all. But every now and then, it’s lost on people. Good guys, Nice people, people who can do no harm often end up feeling betrayed used and more often than not, alone. We try and try so hard to be the best. To be the best in what we do, the best friend, child, lover, parent or simply the best person. And sometimes it’s in doing this too hard or too much, we end up doing it wrong. Ever wonder why the bad boy or the manipulative chick always stole your crush away. Because they understand something you don’t. Or perhaps in your current state of mind, won’t. It’s the concept of artificial scarcity if you understand Economic jargon.
Losing sleep over something is a good sign. It means you care. But show up too often. Do the same things over and over and You lose. I can’t say this any better than this. Only the most scarce of resources in nature are considered more precious. Do you have a lot of Gold? Congratulations, you’re rich, even though it’s a soft metal that attracts attention and can only be used to make things shiny. Do you have a lot of fresh air? My sympathy, you’re a bum, even though you’ll live a lot longer than most civilized fools. What withdraws, what becomes scarce, suddenly seems to deserve our respect and honor. What stays too long, inundating us with its presence, makes us disdain it. It’s the concept of artificial scarcity if you understand Economic jargon. It works equally well in other areas of life.
There is no denying this fact. You’ll chase this elusive boy/girl to the ends of the earth if you like them. Can you ever show the same love and respect to your parents? Why do you think relationships fail? Because they turn from a few hours of fun to full-time commitments. Television is all boring, the same shows all over. Can the people in Hillside villages and African deserts say the same? Do you remember when you saw an old friend or an acquaintance after years? Your reaction was as if they rose from the dead. Why do you think does that happen?
Becoming needy, obsessive and attached are signs of a specific kind of greed. It is the greed for things that are already there. Let’s have no illusions here, attachment can help you stay loyal as much as greed can make you grow rich. But the thing is, the more you invest in feverish feelings to make things happen in real life, the more you are addicted to them. And the more you are addicted, the higher the chances are that you are going to slip up. You can apply this logic anywhere in life. A boss is respected often because he’s the one that’s rarely present. Would you respect or fear a boss if they came to your desk often breathing down your neck, telling you that you were wrong?
Stars athletes, performers, even soldiers on a battlefield are asked to have that zen-like mindset. They set themselves to something and without fearing any consequences they follow their instincts and do it. They never follow set patterns while doing something. In training, they have schedules and rules, they repeat stuff until the feverishness takes over and they enjoy it. But when the task is at hand. They understand that patterns are traps and frequency of action is reckless. They slow down. They calm themselves. They see things and conditions unfazed by feeling and act. Thus, they make it look it all so easy. Too much presence creates the opposite effect.
I myself am constantly trying to learn, to adapt, to grow. I started this blog with that mindset in mind. I urged people to crave the growth like all things in nature do. What do you think will happen if I run around posting ads and hoardings all over? Will that work? Or will it work better that I invest in myself, applying my own advice in action and return with hardcore evidence? How about I make a point of walking the walk, and then coming to talk, no matter how long it takes? Being too common won’t help me. Being rare makes me more valued. It works the same way for you. I do not mean for you to take random breaks at the office or vanish on your loved ones. Be wise about it.
Vary your routines. Make changes in your surroundings. Train yourself to adapt in different situations. Go a few repetitions longer in a workout. Don’t call the unavailable partner for a change. Have fun. Have discipline. Have a little self respect. Have a little humility. Balance things out. Let yourself loose. Make things happen in a way you never imagined. You can choose to grow by fixating on a target and not flinching until you reach it. It tests your determination, but can break your heart often. You can choose to grow by adding a bit of randomness, going ahead with more than one heading. Allowing yourself to be distracted, captivated, inspired. It is a road full of dangerous detours, but tests your courage.
Until next time.
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