The real geniuses don't have more options. They embrace limitation.

I hear so many snowflakes whining about how they were never afforded the opportunities others got.

Yes, in many cases, people are unfairly held back and this can suck, and they'll have to make the best out of these situations.

Life is indeed often unfair.

But I'd also argue that those with plenty of opportunities are often - somewhat ironically - more inclined to hold themselves back.

The paralysis of choice.

Heard of it?

You'll know it if you've ever stepped into an S-Mart in darkest Ohio and tried to decide on what washing detergent to buy.

There's like 7 million options. You have no clue where to start.

Ever heard of how, by reducing your options, creativity flourishes?

Why would that be?

Because of pressure.

There's an intensity of thought put into a single problem.

There's focus.

When there are hundreds of options, it’s harder to direct your attention to fewer things.

Without directed attention, there are no solutions.

With less, you're forced to be creative.

That's the very meaning of the word.

Like in the film ‘Papillon,’ the protagonist disguises himself as a leper to escape the isolated prison in French Guiana.

He made something out of limited options.

The same applies to feeling stuck in life.

The illusion is that we're face to face with a brick wall, perhaps after a setback.

It feels painful because we're creating the reality that there is no way around the wall.

But if we squinted a little, we'd see the faint outline of a door in the middle of the wall.

A door we could gently push, and we'd enter a new world.

That's what's on offer for the whiny snowflakes.

Before you resist, rejoice in the limitation presented to you.

Because when you have fewer options - or seemingly none - you get to use the greatest tool gifted to man - creativity.

How might your current challenge (yeah, the one that's been swirling around your head all morning) pose an opportunity for you?

How might the frustration of limitation be an opportunity for you to relax and get creative?

That's a whole new experience.

And most people never get past the head-banging-on-wall phase to get through the door.

Be contrarian.

—

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