How cool would it be to have a personal genie? Any three wishes you want — poof. Done.
Whatever you can imagine, you can have — just like that
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Virtually Any Three
While I can’t give you an instant-done solution, I do think it’s true that you can have virtually any three things you want in life.
Virtually because it depends to an extent on genetics and other factors. But still — whatever you value, you can find some way of attaining at a fantastic level, even if it requires a creative solution forward.
Any three because your lifespan is limited. There’s no “wishing for more wishes” — you get one life, and it comes with a ticking clock.
You don’t know the limits to what you can do with that. The extent of that potential — limited though it is — is still unimaginable.
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Forever a Street Rat
If it’s true that we can each have virtually any three wishes in life, why is it that so many people never attain it?
Why is it that so many people run in circles with a magic lamp in their pocket instead of grabbing that lamp and rubbing it until they get what they want?
A few reasons…
- They never made a decision about what to go after
- They refused to sacrifice everything else
- They gave up when things didn’t play out the way they had hoped
- They got distracted by rubies “over there”
Ok — well, I want to live out my three wishes to the greatest fullness possible. So what does it take, if I don’t happen to have a magic lamp on my hands?
1 | Choice
Choice narrows. It takes the unlimited possibility in front of you, and it says “I’m going to choose to value this thing over that thing.”
Why?
So that you can actually get it.
You don’t get 10 wishes, you get 3. So which 7 are you going to cut from the list?
Choice drives story. And choice is what will drive your story.
2 | Experimentation & Awareness
When you’ve chosen what to value, you know what you’re aiming for.
Progress then becomes about experimenting with that thing — trying different ideas about how you might achieve that dream — and giving awareness to the incoming results.
You might expect that the path from Here to There will look one way. But as you experiment, you may discover a different side-path to get There.
3 | Creativity & Commitment
Experimentation & Awareness give you insight into your path forward.
Creativity & Commitment are the constructive tools you’ll use in order to act on those insights whenever you hit a barrier.
They relate to how you move forward.
- Creativity and open-mindedness help you adapt.
- Commitment keeps you focused and helps you say 'no' to everything else.
This is where it becomes vital to get clear on what you’re really trying to achieve.
Are you aiming to build your bakery business (for example) because baking is your zen, and you want to maximize your time doing that?
Or because you love building community, and this business gives you a way to do that?
Or because you want to prove to yourself that you can manage a business well?
…All are good reasons, but when you hit a barrier and need to adapt, the most useful thing to know is what your real target is. What’s the real reason why you’re chasing this thing?
Double down on your commitment to the right thing. Try to discover the real reason you’re pursuing what you’re pursuing — because this will tell you what you can give up and what you should adapt when those obstacles come.
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Any 3 Wishes
You don’t get to wish for more wishes. But you do get to have pretty much any three wishes.
The question is…
What are you going to do about it?
Each week, I do a deep-dive into the question of living meaningfully.
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