Healthy food concept.

Rightness of limitation is essential for growth of reality. Unlimited possibility and abstract creativity can procure nothing. The limitation, and the basis arising from what is already actual, are both of them necessary and interconnected. Alfred North Whitehead

I have always been a fan of limitations. I know this way of thinking doesnt fit in with todays message of pushing back against self-limiting beliefs and cultivating an abundance mindset. Where many people seek a life where they need nothing and succeed at everything, I believe that abundance and unchallenged success holds us back from being the best we can be. Instead, we must welcome restrictions, economic, temporal and emotional, to create bigger and better things for ourselves and others. When Ive had few resources and have hit bottom, these are the times when my best ideas have sprung to life. Its during these sparse times that Ive found that limitations are crucial to maintaining my creativity.

Limitations Can Work Towards Our Benefit

Limitations can indeed be advantageous, but only if you have the sight to recognize the upside of the meager offerings life is handing you at the moment. How you view these limitations either promotes or shuts down your creativity. Ask yourself this question, When I have been limited on time or resources, have I found creative options?

Imagine youre packing lunches for the kids and you have everything imaginable in the fridge. Having ingredients for any lunch item your kids want would make preparing meals easier, but it also means you wouldnt have to twist and challenge your brain to find something nutritious and delicious to prepare for them. Why is this struggle important? Well, according to researchers, obstacles exercise the brain and are necessary to keep us moving forward. Limitations give us the boost we dont realize we need to create something epic and wholly new.

Innovation Is the Reaction to Limitations

When there is a shortage of something, this gives us the chance to dig into our creative inclinations. In this space of lack, we innovate change and promote advancement. For creative individuals, that innovation is a positive reaction to limitations.

Take, for example, a 2015 study that investigatedhow people think when they experience a lack of something versus how the thinking process changes when they achieve abundance. The study showed a massive difference between the creativity and the innovation of people who had many resources and little challenges compared to those who had greater limitations. Individuals who were living in a state of scarcity, economic, emotional or both, could create more using fewer resources because the limitation motivated them to carve their own way.

I want to take a moment to emphasize that I am not a fan of being on the brink of famine and starving ones creativity to innovate more. Thats not what Im saying at all. The point I want to make is that were not always going to have an abundance of resources at hand when we need to come up with fast solutions. This is true in business and our personal lives. What we do have is control over how we view the situation. Thinking of limitations as blessings instead of burdens lets us grasp onto the limitation and ride with it through all the twists and turns to a place where we find solutions we would never have thought of if we didnt have those challenges.

A couple of years ago, I heard about the Japanese floral art call Ikebana. The method behind the art is to work deliberately to limit itself to create floral art that is sharper and more beautiful using limited resources. The idea intrigued me, and I wanted to try a self-limiting experiment of my own to sharpen my creativity, but Im not a floral artist by any stretch of the imagination. So, I went on a clothing diet. I decided that for 12 months, I would not allow myself to own more than 36 pieces of clothing. It was a relatively harmless and accessible challenge that is easy for most people to try, and it expanded my perception of how much I can do with so little.

Its actually quite beautiful how creativity thrives when its limited. Consider Twitters unique platform, which forces you to communicate ultra-briefly. Although the restriction can seem quite limiting, it forces you to make your communication concise, sharp and witty.

As we move into a new year and a new decade, I challenge anyone reading this to consider embracing your limited resources. Find the space within whatever you lack to create something that is yours and no one else. Time and money never guarantee success or happiness but leaning into our lack is where we can shine the most and find more abundance and joy than we ever imagined. So, limit yourself and discover limitless opportunities!

Read the original post:
Appreciate The Possibilities In Limited Living - Forbes