Human thresholds
Human thresholds are not set they are discovered. Systems have measurable limits, humans do not.
A boiler room may have a stable threshold of 50 °C. On the other hand, a man can endure stinging remarks for his whole life only to break from a short pun. You can measure the boiler threshold, but you can only discover the man’s threshold. The difference lies in complexity and emotion. You may want to discern with empathy why and when you want to push someone to their threshold – Is it for their growth or for control?
When done with care, challenging human thresholds can be empowering – but it needs to be done with compassion.
“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” – Dale Carnegie
Joy of missing out
Imagine going a day without checking your social media or WhatsApp updates for one day. Suprisingly, you realize you haven’t missed out much.
You experiment for a week without doing any mindless scrolling and you find that nothing truly valuable is lost.
You go further and temporarily step out of digital spaces . You discover you are still breathing, and those who matter still remain connected with you.
Transforming the fear of missing out (FOMO) into the joy of missing out (JOMO) is a subtle art. What you reclaim may be far more precious than superficial updates – your energy, time, and attention. Embrace your JOMO to live more intentionally.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.” — Anne Lamott
Performance to Partnership
Andy felt anxious about frequent review meetings with his boss. He was concerned about the efforts he had to make to look good in front of his boss. He sought advice from his peers on how to shine. Then he met Joe, who shared a different perspective. Joe didn’t aim to impress. He aimed to collaborate . He co-owned agendas during reviews and treated reviews as opportunities to align and move forward as a team.
This shift in perspective transformed Andy’s mindset and thereby his experience. He realised his boss was there to evaluate him, but to support him. In a performance-based environment, the urge to impress the boss is a common mindset. However, it stops you from tapping into your boss’s potential as a resource and ally. When you approach your boss as a performer seeking approval, you unconsciously invite them to take on the role of evaluator. When you engage as a collaborator, you make progress as a team.
“The less you try to impress, the more impressive you are.” — Denis Waitley