REALITY REPAIR RX

MAXIMUM RESULTS WITH MINIMUM TIME/TOOLS
by
Bill Cottringer


Problem: Too much of reality isn’t the way we want it to be and there’s not enough time or tools to do the job.

Solution: Invent a new toolbox of “P” Point tools. There are the few tools that can do the most good in the least amount of time.

A “P” Point toolbox only has seven tools: a hammer, magnifying glass, pliers, screw-driver, ruler, saw and duct tape.


It really is getting more difficult and complicated these days to repair the realities we don’t like and are convinced need fixing. For one thing, there are much more of them around since we are now all an active (but maybe no-so willing) participant in this so-called Information Age, which seems to be inventing new realities and bringing about their awareness simultaneously by the nanosecond. ‘Multiple realities’ is an under-statement today.

To get more in touch with what is actually going on here, all you have to do is a “reality” Google search. That is if your computer won’t explode in the process. And another thing, we all seem to be getting into the spirit of this “Oneness” thing which makes everything related, including the realities we don’t think are related. This phenomenon has more than doubled the realities for us. There are bigger ultimate, absolute realities and a whole bunch of littler relevant ones. What a mess.

Regardless of how we got ourselves into this mess, we have to use a variation of the same solution that may have actually caused the problem—using certain tools to repair realities we don’t like and feel a need to do something about (in the psychological reality world, these are thinking and communication). Really all we have to do is get rid of the useless or ineffective tools we already have in our over-flowing tool boxes and re-invent new and unusual uses for the few we really do need to become more successful reality Repair RX experts.

Consider cleaning house with your present tool box, leaving these basic seven tools:

HAMMER

The best tool to drive a nail into something is a hammer because that is what a hammer’s primary purpose is. Ah, purpose! Now that is a novel idea—use something for the basic purpose which it was created. Thinking and communicating were both “invented” for the combined primary purpose of: (a) discovering important and useful information that captured the most accurate and complete version of reality (b) conveying this information to others (c) using it to successfully deal with reality and fixing the parts of it that needed fixing to produce a better world for all of us. The sooner we return to this basic purpose in our thinking and communicating, the less realities appear that need fixing, and the better we can use these other tools to be more successful in repairing the ones that need repairing.

MAGNIFYING GLASS

Before you charge ahead with a work project—building something or fixing it—it is generally a good idea to take a good look at what you have and what you want from it, as well as what you have or don’t have to make it right or better. Taking the time and making the effort to understand the reality you are wanting to change will always offer two valuable clues—what does and doesn’t actually need changing, and how to best change what needs changing.

An odd phenomenon happens in life, as explained better below with the screw driver. We generally start out with a huge change list of 95% which somehow gets moved over to the acceptance list, leaving the change list at a much lighter 5%, later on in the game. This is not laziness but the real reality we have been trying to think and communicate all along. Isn’t it a bit odd that we have to wade though such a sea of complexity to reach a small island of simplicity?

PLIERS

Pliers can be good to grip slippery things and turn them, tightening or loosening them, and also pull things out from where you don’t want them. But it could be their size, strength, vice-grips and rubber handles that make them so useful. There are lots of realities like this, where you have to try these other tools first and then go to the pliers with the right design, when all else fails. This is the determination, focus, hard work and tenacity that are often needed to change something for the better. This is where short cuts don’t work. Thank heavens for the pliers when you need them.

SCREW-DRIVER

Life and everything in it goes around in circles, so it a good idea to having something in your toolbox that turns things around this way. And all you really need is a flat head screw-driver. I am not sure what the person had in mind inventing Phillip’s head screws and matching screw-drivers. He probably just needed to give his name to something, because they don’t turn or un-turn any better and you never have one when you need it. In the psychological world, our screw-driver is our perspective or viewpoint—use it to take you far enough over time and space and it will get you back to where you started, full circle. And a half-screwed in or out screw won’t get you anywhere in the reality changing business

RULER

The wise Carpenter’s Rule has been around as long as there have been people trying to think and communicate: Measure twice and saw once. Pretty simple. When you fail to heed this simple rule though, you usually end up guessing wrong and wasting time and materials in the construction business. So, better safe than sorry—spending a little time planning to prevent a disaster ahead of time instead of having to go back and re-repair it, is time well-spent. Too much wasted time and lost materials. Our ruler in the psychological world is good time management and that starts with thinking ahead how to best spend this valuable resource, which takes us right back to the hammer. We can’t ever lose sight of our purpose and how these other tools can help us be better reality repair doctors.

SAW

Since the invention of the Carpenter’s Rule there had to be something to saw off, hence this tool’s main purpose and availability at Home Depot and Lowes and everywhere else. No matter how well you use these other tools above, there will always be part of reality that you don’t need and that is what you cut off. Heck, nobody’s head is big enough to hold all that there is to know and useless scraps just clutter the mind. If you must download them onto a storage CD to make some space for yourself.

DUCT TAPE

Duct tape may be the most important tool to have in your “P” point toolbox. In fact sometimes you can use it when you can’t use the other six tools—the time you are really stuck. Duct tape is also very versatile. Actually the best purpose it can serve is to hold things together and keep them from getting worse, until you can fix them properly. Improvising a short term, temporary fix and then using patience for the long-term cure to come to you, is the translation here. Just don’t forget to take the duck tape off when you have company. Duct tape has a bad reputation.


When you toss most of the tools in your tool box and use the seven that are left—hammer, magnifying glass, pliers, screw-driver, ruler, saw and duct tape—wisely and according to your main purpose, you will experience nothing but success in your Reality Repair RX efforts, guaranteed.


William Cottringer, Ph.D. is President of Puget Sound Security in Belleview, WA., along with being a Sport Psychologist, Business Success Coach, Photographer and Writer. He is author of several business and self-development books, including, You Can Have Your Cheese & Eat It Too (Executive Excellence), The Bow-Wow Secrets (Wisdom Tree), and Do What Matters Most and “P” Point Management (Atlantic Book Publishers). Bill can be reached for comments or questions at (425) 454-5011 or bcottringer.pssp.net