Relying only on a single metric to evaluate something is almost always a bad idea. Single metrics inevitably fail to capture the many different aspects of a situation. They can so easily make us focus on one thing to the exclusion of everything else. However, when it comes to how you feel about yourself, a single metric can be everything.
The general
Lets look at the general problem first. Consider using only GDP or stock market performance to measure the overall health of an economy. Or using just your blood pressure to measure your own personal health. These metrics are indicative of something, but on their own they are highly inadequate and potentially even dangerous.
So, most situations favour the use of a suite of different metrics from which we can build-up a truer picture of what is going on. But, there is a very important area where a single metric can actually be very useful.
The exception
This exception is none other than your relationship with yourself. Here, the most important, if not the only metric that matters, is how you feel about yourself — your inner state.
Why is this the case? Think about it. No matter what external indicator of success (e.g. status, wealth, something else) that you use to derive your sense of satisfaction, everything boils down to how you relate to these indicators. How you feel about achieving or not achieving them. How you value their importance in your life. Whatever the external measure, you choose how you feel about it.
Remember that it is possible to have everything and still feel hollow. On the other hand, it is also possible to have nothing, but still feel a sense of inner freedom and contentment.
How you feel about yourself
Single metrics are dangerous because they oversimplify. But, when it comes to your inner wellbeing, nothing is more important than the single metric of how you feel about yourself.
In a sense, your inner state is where it all begins and where it all it ends — the origin of all experience. And, it is something that can tell you a lot about yourself if only your dare to investigate it.
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Harsha is a 1:1 coach and independent thinker based in London. He empowers people to find more clarity, confidence and focus in their lives — to cut through the noise, in a world so full of it. Harsha’s new book, Machine Ego: Tragedy of the Modern Mind, is now available in paperback and Kindle through Amazon.
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