I have been working from home more often in the last month and have recently decided to ween myself off of my dependency on coffee to make it through the day. I am one of those people who can drink a few cups of coffee after dinner, and still fall asleep without an issue - granted, I tend to go to bed later than most nocturnal animals. My wife drinks more tea than the inhabitants of a mid-sized English town, so I thought I would pick the habit back up, something that I let slide since childhood.
Not sure if cutting back on coffee is going to be better or worse for me, but I don't like having withdrawal headaches, so I think it is good to detox a little and get my body into better condition. As they say, "healthy mind, healthy body" and both my body and mind are a mess.
The decisions we make in life are of course affected by the way we feel in the moment, and I often wonder how my own choices are influenced by the condition of my mind and body. I also wonder how many of us would be in better circumstances if we were in better condition - if we felt better physically, weren't tired or stressed, were content with ourselves, felt relevant or loved. Would we think differently, choose differently?
Mindset matters. A lot of people put a lot of emphasis on IQ, but it is meaningless if a persons thinking doesn't support good decision making. For most of us, our worst enemy is ourselves, where we get in our own way, trip ourselves over, self-sabotage, even if we are completely unaware we are doing so. A lot of the victimhood mentality apparent in culture today and especially online, is creating self-imposed hurdles in a loop that makes it feel like the world is against us.
Is it possible to truly think differently?
It is hard to say, as we only think as ourselves and can never be in another's mental shoes. However, we can see the outcomes of other's decisions, which means that we can at least alter our own activity and perhaps through that, create new mental habits. For example, one of the most important traits of a trader is patience, yet how many actually practice it in their lives to hold the skill? I suspect not many, especially considering that much of our lives are lived in an "on-demand" environment online, where we can literally demand what we want and have it delivered to us in an instant. There is no more need to wait for much of what we consume.
So, how does this affect our decision making when it comes to buying and selling? Or at a more personal level, how does it affect our relationships and the way we treat people?
I think it is hard to "act well" when we don't feel well and that means that if our activity and condition isn't conducive to feeling well, we are probably disadvantaged in comparison to someone who feels great. While we are born with certain factors, we can affect at least some of our conditions in our lives and I wonder if those who feel victimized by the world, are also the ones who feel they have the least agency in their ability to self-improve. This would then lead to worse decisions being made and a self-fulfilling prophecy loop of continued victimization and a spiral downward, while watching others move up in the world, setting off the triggers for feelings of more victimization.
Now, a cup of tea isn't going to help me or anyone really change much in our lives, but perhaps a cup of tea and using the moment to reflect on where we are, what we can do, affect or have no control over and perhaps, think of next steps, could lead to a better mind and perhaps, instigate a step along a new path. All it takes to reset life's course, is a decision. We can make it ourselves, or let external conditions make it for us - but in every moment, it will be made.
Taraz
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