In Episode 33 of the 1life podcast, titled "Optionality," host Behka White discusses the concept of optionality as a way to navigate limitations and boundaries. She shares an anecdote about her daughter Mariah's determination to fly a kite, highlighting how exploring different approaches and perspectives can lead to success. Behka defines optionality as the potential for options and freedom of choice, emphasizing that it is not limited to black and white solutions but encompasses a wide range of possibilities. She encourages listeners to cultivate a vision for optionality by asking themselves, "What can I do?" and exploring alternative paths when faced with challenges. The episode concludes with Behka reminding listeners that they have the power to create options and overcome limitations in their lives.
The 1Life Podcast with Behka White
Episode 33 - Optionality
In Episode 33 of the 1life podcast, titled "Optionality," host Behka White discusses the concept of optionality as a way to navigate limitations and boundaries. She shares an anecdote about her daughter Mariah's determination to fly a kite, highlighting how exploring different approaches and perspectives can lead to success. Behka defines optionality as the potential for options and freedom of choice, emphasizing that it is not limited to black and white solutions but encompasses a wide range of possibilities. She encourages listeners to cultivate a vision for optionality by asking themselves, "What can I do?" and exploring alternative paths when faced with challenges. The episode concludes with Behka reminding listeners that they have the power to create options and overcome limitations in their lives.
- Duration:
- 4m
- Broadcast on:
- 13 Aug 2024
- Audio Format:
- mp3
Welcome to the One Life podcast with Becca White. I am your host and this is episode 33 Optionality. Many years ago, my daughter Mariah chose a kite from the store as a prize that she had earned. She was so excited to fly that kite with daddy when he got home from work. As soon as he arrived, she raced to greet him and they went out in the front yard to put the kite together. She was so excited. The family gathered outside to witness the event. Rob held the kite while Mariah took off running and as soon as he let go, that kite ran its nose straight into the concrete and Mariah just kept right on running so that kite was just in the concrete. After several attempts with similar results, Mariah held the kite while Rob did the running and the kite was still eating the concrete. Rob tried running faster, slower. The two of them took turns running back and forth in front of the house. The nose of the kite was really chewed up and finally, Rob's patience had reached its max. He was ready to tear the kite in pieces. He turned to me and asked if I bought it at the dollar store. Clearly, the kite was not a flying kind of kite. But sweet Mariah was not done yet. She grabbed the string and handed the kite to Rob and said, "Don't give up Daddy. We can do it!" Rob defeatedly held the kite one more time while Mariah took off running. But this time, she ran in the opposite direction. The kite still dragging behind her, biting the concrete. But here's the thing. We lived on a corner. Running away from us, she turned the corner and started running down the side street. As soon as the kite got around the corner, it must have hit a crosswind or something, but it just shot straight up into the air. We all watched an amazement as the kite soared higher and higher. Mariah was running with the million dollar smile on her face. It was priceless. There are many things that we can learn from a seven-year-old and today I'd like to just focus on this. Sometimes we feel bound by our circumstances. For example, maybe life gives us a dollar store kite on a windless day. We think the only way to get the kite to fly is to run faster and farther, but sometimes we just need to run a different route. Sometimes we need to explore other options within our circumstances. The potential for options is called optionality. In his book, Anti-fragile, Naseem Nicholas Taleb names optionality as a trait of anti-fragility. He describes optionality as freedom of choices as a means of robustness and anti-fragility. In other words, the more options that we have, the more freedom we have to maneuver within unforeseen or unchangeable circumstances. Beyond this, optionality is more than simply having options. It is a way of seeing the world and our circumstances. The world of optionality does not only have two options of, for example, black and white, nor is it only limited to variations of gray. The world of optionality offers an infinite number of variations and mixtures of every color and hue available as options. We are only limited by our own ability to see and create options within our circumstances. Optionality gives us the ability to stretch the tethers of our circumstances beyond the perceived barriers and limitations. So the invitation today is this. Whenever life gives you limitations or boundaries and you are hearing all the things that you cannot do, stop and put down all the cants. Cultivate your vision for optionality. Instead of listening to the cants, ask, "What can I do?" And then again, "What else can I do?" Keep exploring your options until you find one that feels good. And as Mariah says, "Don't give up. We can do it." And cultivating vision for optionality will give us a path forward when we feel stuck in our circumstances. We only get one life. Let's make it our best.