The new Egyptian sci-fi mini-series, “Omar Affendi,” is created around the idea of how some prefer not to face life challenges and instead escape to a temporary world that makes them feel good about themselves. The story revolves around a man so unhappy with his life that he escapes it by traveling through time to the 1940s, searching for happiness elsewhere. In one of the scenes, the hero character, Omar, is talking to a lady from the 1940s, Zeenat, who asks him about his future world, so he replies, “We are the same just like you, except our people live under constant pressure as if they are trying to achieve imaginary goals no one asked them to achieve. They do everything in a hurry. They eat fast and work fast; they love quickly and give up quickly. Then they go home and sleep to wake up the following day and do the same thing again. They live their whole life running as if they were late for something.”
In today’s world, we all live at a fast pace, and it has become a norm for most of us. While some of us feel it more than others, we are all in this race against time. We want to achieve more in less time, and the majority are just going through their daily tasks with no end in mind, with a daily repetitive cycle that runs for years. Feeling the pressure of their daily lives, they get busy with many useless tasks they name “responsibilities” to avoid looking at themselves in the mirror and asking, “Why am I doing this?”
Some are lucky enough to have a sense of purpose and clear direction in their daily race, which gives meaning to their lives. Others are wise enough to know the value of the present moment vs. racing to the future. They realize that we are all going through life as if we are climbing a mountain, hoping to get to the top, no matter how long it takes. So they stop occasionally to enjoy the view while going up. They know that happiness is in the journey, not the destination. They know it is in living in “the now” and enjoying God’s blessings to them in the present time.
While this fast-paced lifestyle is inevitable for most of us, we can still infuse it with meaning and purpose to truly enjoy the journey. Positivity, faith, and optimism are essential tools that can make life’s struggles more bearable. However, achieving our goals and living with purpose requires a realistic approach. We live in a world governed by universal laws that cannot be ignored. Therefore, hopeful thinking or hollow wishes without planning and action will not lead to success. While it is crucial to remain optimistic, it is equally important to plan effectively. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
In his new book, The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life, Steven Bartlett emphasizes the importance of negative affirmations. He dedicates one of the laws to assuming the worst and planning accordingly, calling it “The Power of Negative Manifestation.” The book advises us to start by asking ourselves, “Why will this idea fail?” Research indicates that there are five psychological biases that prevent people from asking this critical question. These biases are:
- Optimism Bias. Where we tend to focus on the reward and overlook all the possible faults, and around 80% of us have this bias.
- Confirmation Bias. Where we subconsciously focus on what we want
- Self-Serving Bias. When we believe that our success or failure is solely a result of our abilities and effort without considering external factors.
- Sunk-Cost Fallacy Bias. Sometimes, we tend to stick with our decision just because we have already invested a lot of time and effort and can’t go back.
- Groupthink Bias. Where everyone wants to be positive and supportive, and no one wants to be the party pooper.
Steven suggested a preventive-oriented methodology for tackling this question, “Why will this idea fail?”
- Set The Stage. Where you should gather the team and explain the question and how to answer it.
- Fast-Forward to Failure. The team must imagine failure and visualize it in detail.
- Brainstorm Reasons for Failure. Each team member must write down all possible and hypothetical reasons they think caused the failure. Each person must do this step alone and not with the rest of the team.
- Share and Discuss. In a team meeting, each person must share their finding.
- Develop Contingency Plans. The team must create contingency plans based on all discussed scenarios that might cause failures.
Those who lived before the era of fast-paced technological communications understand the difference profoundly. They often reminisce about the slower-paced days and the sense of privacy that characterized their times. While we can’t turn back the clock to the 1940s like Omar or relive the 1990s before the internet revolutionized communication, we can still find purpose and meaning in our lives today. If we must participate in this relentless race, we might as well make it enjoyable.
Sources:-
- The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life, by Steven Bartlett
- Omar Affendi, SHAHID Platform Mini-Series
