The Fabric of Our Lives

(Adapted from the book, Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less, by Sam Carpenter)

Could it be that the common presumption that the world is not functioning well — that the world is a mess — is wrong? Yes, that presumption is wrong, because in any given life, on any given day, countless events and connections — systems — work perfectly.

This world we live in is incredibly efficient when one considers the infinite number of systems around us that execute with amazing proficiency: plants, animals, oceans, airplanes, bicycles, toasters, societies, and six billion human bodies are all systems that quietly execute with near flawless precision. We don’t notice the countless efficient systems around us so we take them for granted, never appreciating the impeccability. Miracles surround us! And the tiny number of systems we consider flawed seem that way only because they are not what we want them to be, as they stand in stark contrast to the massive perfection around them.

Yes, there is pain in the world – I am not a Pollyanna – but, we hyper-focus on personal, mechanical, and geo-political systems that are not to our liking and conclude that imperfection is the default way of the world. Swallowed up in this, we see perfection as an anomaly; imperfection as the norm.

This ubiquitous perception of life is more than flawed. It’s exactly backwards.

Here’s the crux: If you see the world as chaotic, your life will be chaotic. But truly grasp  that the world is profoundly organized and you will find your life beginning to click along efficiently. There’s nothing mystical here, and this isn’t about having a positive attitude.  The world really is an organized place and once you really get that, you will effortlessly work the mechanics of the world as they really are, and not as you falsely perceived them in the past.

Systems want to execute perfectly. They want to reach their goals, and for your personal situation you can count on an overwhelming bias toward efficiency rather than the other way around. If things aren’t to your liking it won’t take long to get them straightened out because there probably isn’t that much to fix.

So, these lives we live are composed of a countless number of nearly perfect linear systems, many of which are under our control. These systems are the invisible threads that hold the fabric of our lives together. If there is an outcome that doesn’t suit us, we can change that outcome by making a component adjustment within a system, adding a system, or eliminating a system. In a typical life’s rejuvenation, it will be “all of the above.”

Understand this in your belly: Whether an outcome is to your liking or not, the underlying system that produces that outcome is performing exactly as it is constructed. We are not at the mercy of mysterious conspiring forces or the swirling backwash of chaos. If it is in our power — and so much that affects us is in our power — we can fix things one small incremental step at a time!

So, what of those things we can’t fix because they are out of our control? Relax. If you can’t fix something, don’t worry about it. Do what you can, walk away and accept it, or ignore it. And for sure don’t spend time or energy agonizing over it. If you live in a democracy, vote and then don’t incessantly complain. If you have a problem with a co-worker, talk to him or her and then don’t obsess about the outcome. Metaphorically speaking, if you don’t like the TV program, change the channel or turn off the set.

Do what you can and/or let it go. Save your energy for system improvement efforts that will incrementally deliver the life-results you want.

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Photo by Egor Gribanov via flickr used under a creative Commons License.

Tagged as: invisible threads, positive attitude, simple mechanics, system, system improvement, systems methodology, world chaos