It was 4:30pm and we were on our way to the next location.
We were about 45 minutes away.
We had planned to pick up a script from the local doctors on our way.
I thought they closed at 5:00pm but thought I’d ring and see if I might be able to collect it.
“Could I please check what time you finish please?” I asked.
“5:00pm”, said the receptionist.
“I have to pick up a script and we’ve been travelling and I don’t think I’ll get there by 5:00pm”, I shared.
“You can pick it up tomorrow”, she said.
Oh well. It was worth an ask. I was no worse off.
That night we decided to get up early the next day and head to our next location, en-route to Kangaroo Island via ferry.
“I won’t be able to pick up the script”, I said to Ross.
“Oh well, it’s not urgent. It can wait for another week or so”, I thought to myself.
As I started to pack up, the thought struck me that I could have asked the receptionist to put it in an envelope and leave it at the pharmacy next door.
The pharmacy and surgery were joined via a connecting door internally.
“You know there’s always a solution to a problem, if you’re looking for one”, I said to Ross.
“I could have asked them last night.”
Our brains are goal achieving machines and they must find you an answer.
But and the but is, you need to be in the right state of being to be open to creative solutions.
Clearly, I was not in that state when I spoke to the receptionist.
I’ve mentioned it before that our goal each day is to be in, what David Bayer calls “The Powerful State” every day, for as long as we can.
It’s from this state of being, that our creativity and problem solving ability flows. It’s from this state of being that magic happens. It’s from this state of being that we come up with different thoughts and ideas.
I really wished I had been in this state the night before and asked the receptionist if she could put it in an envelope. If so, it would have saved me a whole lot of time and effort.
What state are you in right now?
If you’re in the state of anxiety, anger, frustration or sadness, you’re in the Primal State. This is not a good state to be. It’s not helpful for solving problems.
Do what you can to get back into the Powerful State. Simply becoming aware of the fact that you’re in Primal can help change it.
If that doesn’t do the trick, go and do something that makes you feel happy or that you enjoy.
Remember, everything you want comes from the Powerful State.
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