SEEING THE INVISIBLE
THE POWER OF DISTINCTIONS
3-Minute Read
I was walking through the spacious lobby of Hotel Cosmos in Moscow, at a rather quick pace, and collided, full body, into the four-inch-thick wall of glass I had failed to see. I thought I was walking through an open passageway; turned out to be a transparent divider separating the lobby from the elevators.
Thankfully, the only damage done was to my pride. And for the rest of my stay at Hotel Cosmos, I never mistook the glass wall for an open passageway again. I chose to walk around the wall—every time—and that, my friend, is the power of distinctions; to see the invisible and use it to make empowered choices.
In today’s issue of The Grip, we show you how this fundamental skill of making distinctions—a skill you utilize everyday already by default—can be intentionally harnessed and leveraged for your benefit.
Why does that matter? Because where distinctions increase, so do options to navigate your world—how you lead, love, create, and serve. The opposite is true as well: where distinctions decrease, so do options to navigate your world.
Grow your capacity to identify distinctions as a leader and you will grow your impact with those you serve. It’s X-ray vision for your life.
Let’s dive in!
mastering distinctions
Distinctions 101: The Fundamentals
By default, you make thousands of distinctions a day:
Right-Left
Up-Down
On-Off
North-South
East-West
In-Out
Hot-Cold
Red-Green
By distinguishing “this” from “that,” you are empowered to make choices that produce your desired results. This capacity is so fundamental and constant for most of us that it’s hard to appreciate how valuable it truly is—we take it for granted. So, consider what happens in life without distinctions:
People with leprosy lose their sense of touch; they can’t distinguish when they’ve placed their hand on a hot burner or stepped on a pile of fire ants.
10%-30% of the human population has difficulty distinguishing right from left; a “simple” instruction to “turn right” isn’t so simple for them.
Depending on the country, people who can’t distinguish between colors (color blinded) can be restricted from obtaining a driver’s or pilot’s license or becoming a doctor or electrician.
It’s your capacity to distinguish that gives you the opportunity to choose.
In life, you don’t have the choices you don’t see—and that gets painful. You have no choice to avoid walking into the wall if you can’t distinguish where the wall ends and the open passageway begins. Seeing the distinction is what makes choice possible; it’s what empowers you to effectively navigate your world.
Question: Where in your life are you experiencing repeated frustration or unworkability? Right there exists a distinction between “this” and “that” you’re not yet seeing. The instant you see it you’ll be empowered to make a choice that wasn’t previously available to you. That’s how distinctions work.
“When you see what you’ve never seen before, you have choices you’ve never had before.”
Distinctions 201: Empowered Vs. Disempowered
Do you know how to spot being empowered vs. disempowered in your own life? The following definitions will get you started:
Disempowered: The state of not having access to the necessary power for acting effectively on behalf of oneself or another. It is often experienced as stuck-ness and helplessness.
Empowered: The state of having access to the necessary power for acting effectively on behalf of oneself or another. It is often experienced as liberation and capableness.
Where distinctions increase, so does your capacity to choose. When you see what you’ve never seen before, you have choices you’ve never had before. Spotting the difference between being empowered and disempowered in your life positions you to choose your next move.
One of my favorite resources for harnessing advanced distinctions is the book, Straight Line Leadership by Dusan Djukich. It’s a masterclass on distinguishing empowered versus disempowered ways of being, both personally and professionally.
Ultimately, the results you produce come from either an empowered or disempowered way of being. Which do you want more of in your life?
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by Becky Henderson
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Distinctions 301: Advanced Applications
At The Plenteous Life, mastering distinctions is a big part of our work. Today’s issue of The Grip is a primer for utilizing the advanced distinctions we’ll introduce to you in future issues. We plan to thoroughly equip you with distinctions you can use for specific areas of unworkability at work and home.
One incredibly useful distinction we introduced several months ago is Agreements Vs. Expectations. Give it a re-read and uncover new ways to apply it.
Making distinctions is one of the most immediately applicable strategies we know to create more than enough of what matters to you. Master this skill. It will serve you and your mission powerfully.
Keep creating!
May you prosper in every way!
Becky & TPL Team
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