What is easier to change: the world or our mind?
Our brain is one of evolution’s greatest inventions. It can simulate futures, detect patterns, and anticipate danger. This ability kept our ancestors alive through tough winters or away from dangerous predators. But in modern life, the same mechanism can turn into a curse. We overthink. We assume worst-case scenarios. We build invisible prisons out of thoughts.
This post is about the power of shifting perspectives: those moments when a single idea clicks and forces you to stop and say: “Wait. I’ve never thought about it that way.”
Imagine a watchmaker showing a broken watch to his apprentice and asking, “What happens if you change it?”
The apprentice answers, “I’ll fix it… or it stays broken.”
“Great,” says the master. “Now what happens if you modify a perfectly working watch?”
The apprentice instinctive answered: “I’ll probably break it.”
Then comes the line that completely shocked me:
“Have you considered that you might improve it?”
That’s how most of us live. If something works (a job, a relationship, a system) we freeze it. We protect it. We stop touching it out of fear, and fear to change leads to stagnation. Breakthroughs require the courage to disrupt stability.
I see this constantly in my work. Experimental setups that “work”. Code that produces results. Methods that are good enough. If I protect them too much, I guarantee predictable outcomes, and predictable outcomes rarely produce discovery. Real progress often requires introducing breaking changes and accepting the risk that things will temporarily get worse.
The same thing shows up in relationships. A relationship that “works” can still become more honest, more intimate, more meaningful. But only if both people are willing to risk uncomfortable conversations. Growth always carries the chance of exposing cracks. Avoiding that risk feels safe, but it slowly flattens everything.
Growth is rarely safe. But safety is often the ceiling.
Another perspective shift came from a simple reframing.
Most people say: “I can’t afford that.” A house. A trip. A goal. A lifestyle. A partner “out of my league.” The moment you say that, you shut your brain down.
But you can turn it into a challenge by simply changing the question: “How can I afford it?”
Now your brain has work to do. It starts getting creative. It looks for strategies: increase income, save differently, invest, build skills. You name it.
The difference is subtle but profound. The first statement is a verdict. The second one is an invitation.
If you’re attracted to people you admire (healthy, kind, passionate), instead of saying “they’re out of my league”, ask: “How can I become someone they find attracted to?” I’m sure you’ll find the answer.
For a long time, uncertainty felt like an enemy to me. I wanted control. Clear goals. Predictable outcomes. Guarantees.
But when I look back at the best things in my life, all of them came from random decisions or external factors.
I could have never predicted the impact a PhD would have on my life. Or that I’d fall in love with trail running and dancing. Or that I’d settle down in Australia. And I definitely could have never predicted meeting the friends I now consider my family.
Each of those came from stepping into the unknown. If I had tried to script my life in advance, I would have missed them.
That realization changed something fundamental. Uncertainty isn’t a flaw in the system. It is the system. And that’s what makes life exciting! If everything were predictable, we would never be surprised.
Now, instead of trying to eliminate uncertainty, I’m curious about what’s coming next.
I still prepare. I still train I still improve what I control. But I don’t demand guarantees from life. I stay ready, and excited, for whatever shows up!
When worried about something, stop and imagine three circles:
Inner circle: what you control.
Middle circle: what you influence.
Outer circle: what you cannot control.
Now ask yourself: Which bucket does this worry belong to?
Most anxiety comes from fighting the outer circle. You can’t control how people think. You can’t predict natural disasters. You can’t force someone to love you. You can’t dictate outcomes.
But you can control your actions, your effort, your character. You can influence situations through communication and preparation. Beyond that, let it go.
Last year I wasn’t motivated at work. I found myself complaining regularly: Why isn’t this solved? Why isn’t it a priority for the company? Why isn’t someone fixing it?
Then the obvious fact hit: Did I try to solve it?
No.
I was expecting someone else to act because it was “outside my role”. That was the mistake. If I care this much about a problem, what was actually holding me back?
The moment I decided to take action, my brain moved from frustration to strategy. Energy redirected from resentment to action. Overtime, I started to see the changes I wanted, and I’m proud of it.
If taking initiative ever becomes a problem, then I’m probably in the wrong place. I’d rather risk stepping forward than spend my days waiting for someone else to move.
The most powerful changes in life don’t always come from new resources, new jobs, or new places. They often come from within. A sentence. A reframing. A conversation. A shift in perspective.
A moment when your brain pauses and says, “Wait… I never saw it like that.”
Those moments are rare. But they’re leverage points. They change the direction of effort without changing the amount of effort.
And when uncertainty shows up, as it always will, welcome it. Be curious. Take the opportunity. What’s next? I don’t know.
And that’s exciting!