How to Turn on the Life You Want
In middle school, I learned the make-or-break difference between understanding and comprehending.
Understanding something — my teacher said — means that, when you press the power button on the remote control to turn on the TV, the TV consequently turns on. Nothing more, nothing less.
On the other hand, to comprehend something means that, when you press the power button on the remote control to turn on the TV, you understand every intricacy of the engineering process that takes place between the sender and receiver.
Now, I ask you: How much of what happens in your life do you understand, and how much do you actually comprehend?
First example, do you understand or comprehend why you’re good at certain things, and why you suck at others?
Do you understand or comprehend why some of your relationships run on all cylinders, while others are turbulent?
Do you understand or comprehend why you get angry, depressed and frustrated in certain situations?
Do you understand or comprehend what you really want in your personal and professional lives?
Do you understand or comprehend how to get from point A to point B when starting a new endeavor?
Do you understand or comprehend what motivates you, and what doesn’t?
Do you understand or comprehend who is meaningful in your life and brings out the best in you, and who isn’t and doesn’t?
Do you understand or comprehend where you want to be in one, two, three, four, 10 years?
When you comprehend something, you uncover the why behind the what.
Without the why, it remains almost impossible to pinpoint the how.
As in: how to improve, how to fix, how to change, how to grow, how to achieve, how to walk away, how to fail, how to be happy, how to move on, how to persevere, how to appreciate, how to live the life you want.
