Exposure, Proximity, Access, Unlock Hidden Potential
Level 4: Serious Player
Future Guardian,
Let me start by painting a scene for you:
The room is filled with peculiar yet captivating pictures, each adorned with uplifting messages. Tables thoughtfully connected to facilitate seamless conversations. In this eclectic gathering, I found myself among extraordinary individuals – an Olympian, a world-class glass artist, the innovator behind the body of the Model S Tesla, a financial manager with over $300 million in assets under his belt, and another who commanded a business empire with over 1700 franchise locations. And then there was me, an occasional writer and creator of memes.
This was the backdrop of the Gray Wolf Summit (GWS), where I sat among the audience listening to the presentations. It was here that the words “different man, different river”1 hit home. Although I had encountered these concepts repeatedly, having heard them on numerous occasions and even written about them, I found myself still able to take away something new.
Many loops were opened2 over the weekend, and they remain open, inviting further exploration.
However, one presentation, in particular, delivered by The Guardian Academy’s (TGA) cornerman, Dr. Jeff Spencer3, resonated deeply with me. While I won’t delve into the intricate details of his presentation, I found myself captivated by one specific concept: hidden potential, waiting to be unlocked through a state of receivership. Something that cannot be found by trying/pushing on the gas harder by yourself.
Hold on! I challenge you to just sit with that open loop.
The idea of hidden potentials, which can manifest many times throughout a lifetime, led me to think about my own journey. I came to realize that a significant number of my life's endeavors had emerged while I was in a state of receivership, surrounded by a network that allowed for exploration4.
This reflection brought into focus the critical roles of exposure, proximity, access, and the intricate dance between time and randomness in shaping our paths.
Sunken Cost Fallacy
Often, people become locked into a specific life path or career due to the significant time they've invested, making it challenging to transition. One could fittingly label this phenomenon as the "sunk cost fallacy" or attribute it to the inertia of consistency bias.
Consider the dilemma of those who have said, "I told everyone I would become a doctor; quitting now would make me appear foolish or I’d be disappointing my family and friends given how far I've come."
Or the internal struggle of someone who has achieved the title of "doctor" but realizes, "I don't enjoy what I do, but quitting after all the hard work and effort I've invested in getting here seems unthinkable.”
This was actually me, but on the path of engineering.
“I can already see this isn’t working out, it won’t make me happy. But how can I quit now? I’m almost done.”
Fortunately, I was introduced to a path I hadn't considered before (randomness). This unexpected turn altered the course of my life, and without it, I might not be here writing to you today, having avoided a lifetime of potential dissonance.
Exposure
It's not what you know, but who you know that counts. - Arthur Schopenhauer