Remember the time when you started learning how to ride a bicycle?
You were told, don't see around but on the road, don't lose your balance, don't stop paddling, don't move the handle too much, etc. I am sure you were told what to do as well, like keep calm, drive slowly in the beginning, and most of all enjoy the experience.
However, once we know how to ride a bicycle, we know what to do, it is very difficult to lose the balance intentionally once you have the skill.
We don't even think about what not to do anymore, we just do what is needed to be done.
As we have evolved with a mind that's biased toward negativity (the primitive part of the brain, always be alert about predators and treat every event as a life-threatening one to ensure a long-lasting life) we continue to focus on things that are not to be done.
Whether it is learning to ride a bicycle, delivering a performance on stage, or choosing a partner, we are looking for things to avoid. The majority of our time and attention goes to what NOT to DO.
However, when you look at most creatives or geniuses out there, they do or achieve things when they are in flow, where they aren't focusing on what NOT to DO but on what to do. Not even on what outcome to reach, just what to do.
As a species, we are driven by our impulses for self-preservation and that's why our brain tends to give higher priority to things that are not to be done, instead of things that are to be done. This is where we miss and expand our energy to avoiding the pain, rather than pursuing the joy in life.
So focus on what is to be done, from the simplest act of learning to ride a bike to having a great relationship, to being a great athlete.
Be aware and do what needs to be done. What is not to be done, will not be done automatically.
by Gaurav Jain
Comentários