What's It Like?
Dec. 25, 2022"Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you."
- Aldous Huxley
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It’s tempting to ask others “what’s it like...?”
What’s it like to…
- Raise a child
- Conduct a performance review
- Be turned down on a date request
- Move to a new city
It makes sense to ask others about their experiences, especially if they’ve been where you want to go. But the experiences of other people are only reference points, examples for learning. There is no guarantee your experience will be just like that of others, for two important reasons:
- Your situation is unique. No one else has the exact same circumstances as you.
- You will be there. And you can shape the experience you have by the way you interpret and respond to the situation.
Raising a child might be a Herculean task for one person, but an exciting adventure for you. Conducting a performance review might be a piece of cake for another person, but a stressful ordeal for you.
So by all means, be curious. Ask others for their perspectives and wisdom. But don’t assume your experience will be anything like theirs, and don’t reduce your power by limiting yourself to their line of thinking.
Recognize and celebrate:
- Circumstances may happen to you, but experiences are something you create.
- You are not a pawn at the mercy of your surroundings.
- You have authority.
What will you do with your power?
