MICROCOSMS MAKE YOU STRONGER

As I’ve continued writing my book, Escape Velocity, I keep thinking upon this notion of microcosms.

For more on what I call “The microcosm approach to success,” see the following two posts:

Making the most of microcosms (how to use microcosms to achieve large objectives)
Controlled Failure (how to fail on your terms)

There’s an additional point I thought I’d make.

The microcosm approach to success is about how to deconstruct larger objectives into smaller, more easily developed sets of skills, talents, tasks, and abilities, and then creating small, controlled environments where you can build those individually, with less risk.

But even if you don’t have something substantial you’re trying to achieve in life, there’s inherent value in living a life enriched by microcosms that challenge you. Mini-challenges, if you will.

Some of that value is that we obtain an increased ability to cope with failure, as explained in the second post above. But what’s more, we begin to perfect the sets of skills required to accomplish things, even small things.

After all, the whole definition of a microcosm is a smaller representation of something larger.

When you have a life in which you frequently encounter small, controlled challenges, when life tosses you something big, something unforeseen, you’ll have already kept honed the skills and innate capacity to overcome it. You’ll just be applying it on a larger scale.

I think this is why people who frequently exercise tend to face adversity with more optimism. Exercise, particularly weight lifting, is an ideal form of microcosmic challenges. Each day you’re forced to face fear, doubt, pain, and failure. In fact, you go into it with that in mind. That’s your objective.

But it doesn’t have to be weight lifting. The right hobbies can work the same way. They can challenge you in ways that prepare you for life’s larger challenges.

In short, microcosms make you stronger. If you don’t have a healthy dose of success microcosms in your life, I’d encourage you to find some. You’ll find that they leave you better prepared for life.

-Rusty