Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.
—Proverbs 18:13
I remember once my late uncle in Atlanta came to visit my siblings and I here in New York City. As we were taking him sight-seeing, he stopped us and asked a question that is very strange for a person to ask a New Yorker. He said, “Why are you guys walking so fast?” Then he explained that we (New Yorkers) seem to be in a rush even when we have nothing to do and are not even going anywhere of real importance and relevance. I stopped to think about it and realized how true of a statement that was. From that time on, I began monitoring myself to check if I was ever rushing something, being Hasty, or getting antsy to get to a destination for no real reason other than because of my own programming. One of the biggest illusions many live by in this world is the illusion that we are running out of time.
There is so much we miss out on when we are hasty. There are so many unnecessary treasures that are lost when we act without deep thought. On the flip-side, there is so much understanding out there to be gained whenever we choose to slow down, Observe Things, remain silent, or just practice patience. We all see the world filtered through the eyes of our own biases—our perspectives, beliefs, and experiences. One of my favorite quotes is the saying that says, “We do not see things the way they are. We see things the way we are.” We are living in a time when sober-mindedness is absolutely critical and essential for our advancement and successes. Those who desire to win in life should desperately seek to maintain the clear-sightedness needed to develop objective strategies to win; not the judgments tainted by our biases.
Objectivity can be a winner’s best friend. Most people want to win at whatever they are undertaking. In order to win, we must realize that it takes time to still our minds, observe things properly, allow our intuition (not fear) to kick in, and/or wait for more details about a situation to be revealed. We are not running out of time. Once again, this is an idea that is an illusion. One thing that unfortunately wastes time is when we judge things prematurely and then have to take time and effort to reverse the damages caused by our hasty actions or responses. A successful Chess player, for example, rarely ever rushes to play his/her next move because doing so can cause them to lose the game. It is advisable for those who aim to win at anything, to do so by implementing patience, observation, and strategies toward challenges and opponents. When doing this, things may seem to be moving slower than we’d like, but it gives advantages to the person whose ultimate goal is to win.
Lots of Love, XO
