Today, we are talking about the third option. First, I will start by asking, what does that phrase “the third option” mean to you?

Thinking outside the box?

An alternative outside the conventional.

There are some basic facts of human nature we all contend with. First perhaps being that we all engage primarily in linear thinking, and by linear I don’t mean straight line or black and white thinking but more simply one thing leading to another, emphasis on the idea of one thing. It’s natural and to some degree unavoidable. But does having our thinking confined to this pattern serve us well most often?

Until we get stuck in a repetitive pattern. Which is more or less inevitable from time to time. They say we have the same basic set of thoughts from day to day more often than not.

The importance then comes of recognizing the repetitive thinking and at the very least acknowledging it. Indeed, that is very important, and we aren’t confined to it by any means. But usually, we aren’t taught much about how to redesign or more carefully manage our thoughts. The brain is really pretty amazing.

Sociologically, we aren’t expected to. That is so. If anything, we are encouraged to cling to a specialization like our life depends on it. It could be argued that our financial well-being does, to some degree.

But thoughts we think without really thinking about them. Normally, yes. The concept of the third point is really a realization of mental space. That there is room to not only choose how we think but how we perceive and what we choose to do with the attendant consequences of course.

We have a great many turns of phrase that support binary thinking. It’s my way or the highway comes most readily to mind, but do we have the same things for an idea beyond binary choice? Our subconscious minds perceive more depth to the world than our systematized thinking allows for, and this gives rise to a generalized anxiety. This anxiety I speak of seems to permeate most of our interpersonal activity.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~