The chip on your shoulder is there because you put it there.
At any point in time you can let it go, brush it off, release the shackle it has on your mind.
You can also choose to let it be your excuse to start fights, stay in a bad mood, blame someone else, or to simply do nothing and just say “oh, that’s just how I am.”
The choice is yours.
When people hear this phrase most think of doing something incredibly well. Maybe they’re driving a golf ball 300 yards, picking up ladies at the bar, or are having a hair day so epic, so flawless, they can’t help but feel like the sassiest gal in town (I love feelin’ sassy!).
All of these situations are great and imply some sort of higher-being moment for the individual who’s in the zone. But maybe there’s another way to think about it…
I was playing Settlers of Catan last night (which, if you don’t know, is the greatest game of all time – kind of like Monopoly mixed with Risk but easier to learn) and at some point during the game I looked at the board and thought to myself:
“There is no way I am going to win this game. There aren’t enough resources and there are too many obstacles.”
Then I looked around the table and it dawned on me. Everyone else likely felt the same way; eyes glued to the board searching for options, hands running through their hair in frustration, and all looking at the exact same thing:
A crowded board with too many obstacles and not enough resources.
Once I had that realization my mindset shifted. Everyone has mostly the same problems and perhaps if I change my outlook I will find a way to at least be competitive. Since I was going to play the game anyway, why not try to at least make the most of it.
I decided to crush it, but not like you might think.
I wasn’t trying to re-invent the wheel and create some insane new strategy. Instead my aim was to crush my limiting mindset:
“not enough resources, too many obstacles.”
So I looked at the board, more closely analyzed the other players’ situations and continued to move ahead despite what seemed like an implausible scenario.
This happens in art, science, and business all the time. We all look at the same game and conclude it’s too difficult based on the resources available and the obstacles in the way.
Yet people always manage to succeed.
People even come in second and third and do pretty well despite not coming in first place.
So the next time you think someone’s really crushing it ask yourself: Have they re-invented the wheel? Are they playing out of their mind? Is her hair REALLY that silky and smooth?
Or have they simply crushed their limiting beliefs?
The C-levels at a music publisher I used to work at would drop by my cube once every few days. All nice people, they did their best to be friendly when asking “working on anything big?”
They’d ask that question because I was the person who had developed a system and brought in deals (licenses worth anywhere from $15K-$400K per side). My answer was typically “yes, I’m always working on something big.”
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