A BIG GOAL Mixed With a Little Pronoia
“You’re conspiring to help me, right!?!”
A few weeks ago, my friend, Greg, sent me a list—103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known—created by Kevin Kelly, founding Executive Editor of Wired, with the following message: “A good list to start your day.”
Little does Greg know, I’ve started my day with the list every day since then.
I should probably tell him!
Earlier this week I was scrolling through the list and came across a gem that made me scratch my head:
“The universe is conspiring behind your back to make you a success. This will be much easier to do if you embrace pronoia.”
Huh?
Pronoia?
I had to look it up.
noun.
people are plotting behind your back to assist you
the universe is conspiring to deluge you with blessings
you are secretly scheming to create your own true happiness
We’re told to steer clear of irrational beliefs.
They don’t help us, we’re told.
But, maybe they can help us.
I mean, going after your ridiculously ambitious goal—your BIG, SCARY, HAIRY GOAL—requires a little bit of irrationality on your part, right?
Since you’re already being a bit irrational, why not embrace another irrational belief—one that actually works for you?
What if you started to—somewhat deviously—develop a sneaking feeling that someone is conspiring behind your back to help you?
What if you started to live your life as Rumi suggests, “as if everything is rigged in your favor?”
What’s the worst that could happen?
Optimism!?!
Lower levels of stress!?!
Strong feelings of community!?!
Doesn’t sound like the worst of outcomes to me.
Here’s a Tip
The next time you get stuck when going after your goal, flip the script—rather than looking at it as a negative, maybe it’s worth working on retraining your thinking so that you’re able to believe that life is giving you exactly what you need, when you need it.
Maybe it’s worth being a little irrational.
A little pronoid.
Thanks for tuning in.
Now I need to thank Greg because I have a sneaking feeling that he’s conspiring behind my back to help me—I mean, he’s changed my daily habit and, well, he helped me get this blog out.
But, before I do, I just wanted to thank you—for plotting behind my back to assist me.
Yep, I’m pronoid.
It sure is a lot of fun to think this way.
