The Art of Possibility summary

What do you think subconsciously drives you when you wake up each morning? Perhaps it’s achieving that work goal, or conquering that piano piece you’ve been learning, or maybe it’s doing the best you can for your family. But what really underpins your motivation – whatever it is – might surprise you: it’s survival.

From the moment you were born, you were thrown into what the authors call the World of Measurement – a place where everyday life is defined by endless comparisons, standards, and grades.

Picture yourself on a beach where thousands of starfish are stranded on the sand. You see a woman nearby. She’s tossing them – one by one – back into the ocean. How pointless! you think. After all, she’ll never be able to save every single creature. But while that might be true, her actions make all the difference to each individual starfish she saves.

It’s all about perception. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin. We’re conditioned to focus on our successes: improving our grades, getting that promotion, winning a baseball game. But in doing so, we live in constant fear of failure.

Being a member of a professional orchestra has a certain romance to it – days spent surrounded by fellow artists rehearsing, nights spent in glamorous concert halls moving audiences to tears.

But the reality is quite different. In the Spring 1996 issue of the journal Harmony, an article about working for a symphony orchestra revealed something shocking: orchestral players were less satisfied with their jobs than prison guards.

Imagine you’ve just arrived in Florida for a much-needed vacation. It’s raining, and the weather forecast says it’ll stay that way all week. You can’t believe your bad luck. All you wanted was a week of swimming and soaking up the sun, and now your holiday is ruined.

But if you commit to being present in the circumstances as they are, instead of wishing they were different, new opportunities emerge.

Think of a time you felt fully energized. Perhaps you were immersed in an activity you love, or you were vibing with someone you have great chemistry with. If you’re like most people, you’ll see energy as a limited resource, one you must battle to generate for yourself, and carefully ration.

But there’s a power socket available 24-7 that can supply you with endless energy – and it’s this: when you’re deeply connected with something you love, not worried about success or missing out, you can give yourself to passion.

Lighting a fire from scratch was difficult in the Middle Ages, when you had to rely on flint or rubbing two sticks together. So, people would carry around a smoldering cinder in a metal box and feed it bits of kindling all day to keep it alight. That way, they could easily light a fire whenever they needed to.

Every human is like that smoldering cinder. You carry the potential to spark a fire in the hearts of everyone you meet, over and over again. When you embrace that potential, you can light passionate fires everywhere and transform people’s lives.

History is full of stories about conflict: nation versus nation; competing political parties; management locking horns with its workforce. Resolving claims on territories or resources in a respectful way seems as fanciful as the tooth fairy. But, by using possibility, you can overcome these hostilities.

As we’ve explored, possibility dwells in a universe where there’s no competition. And by removing competition, there’s no longer a need for labels like “me” or “you.” Let go of your individuality and something magical happens. Suddenly, you can embrace a new identity: “we.”