We look at the things we see other people do easily and think ‘Wow!’ Then we look at the things we find easy and think ‘Meh!’
I love watching golf. It’s such a relaxing game and I always feel more human and uplifted after spending some time watching people take a good long walk in the sun with the occasional interruption to hit a small ball with a tiny, tiny stick.
The year’s premier golfing tournament has just wrapped up in Augusta, Georgia with Patrick Reed picking up his first golfing major and the coveted Green Jacket.
One of the other things I love about golf is that the professionals make it look so easy. They make it look almost effortless. Like it’s natural for them. Like they were born to play.
I can’t play golf. I’m dreadful at golf! Embarrassing. A danger to myself and others, unless there are windmills and little houses to knock the ball through. I’m in awe watching The Masters at Augusta. The talent, passion, commitment and focus on display is mesmerising. And the beautiful manicured course, basking in the sun, just adds to the effect.
You may not like golf (or any sport), but I’m sure there are things watch other people doing with ease and marvel at the talent and skill. We often see people do things and think they are so accomplished and talented and successful.
Then we look at the things we do and think, ‘well that’s not particularly interesting or skillful or difficult or much of an accomplishment’. That was just something I do easily!
We look at the things we see other people do seemingly so easily and think ‘Wow!’. Then we look at the things we find easy and think ‘Meh!’, precisely because we find them so easy. We think, anyone can do it! We look at others and think they’re brilliant, because they can do things easily. We look at ourselves and think we’re not much good because it was easy.
Spoiler Alert: Not everyone can do what you do as easily as you can.That’s your sweet spot and others look at you the same way you look at them. People look at the things you do easily and think ‘Wow!’. They see you achieving and think I could never do that.
That’s the paradox. You treat yourself differently to the way you treat others.
There is an old saying that you should ‘treat others the way you want to be treated’. I say, treat yourself the way you treat others.
What skills are you amazed at when you watch other people? What do find easy that maybe others don’t?