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Course 2, Discussion 4: The problem is the path

FrenchToast December 5th, 2022

Hello LDP Team!

The problem is the path is the core insight that helps us evolve as individuals and as a community here on 7 Cups.

Here is an overview of this course:

Course Description: It is natural for us to want to avoid problems. Problems can cause worry, anxiety, and frustration. These are feelings that we often want to avoid. Problems, however, are the key to growth. When we face our problems directly we get smarter and grow stronger. A saying that captures this is: Progress = Pain + Reflection. This course helps you learn the value of problems by highlighting the difference between problems you might be concerned about and problems you can directly solve. Next, it walks you through the ancient practice of steering into problems directly in order to unlock their value and gifts. Finally, it helps you identify and measure progress so you can make continued gains in your personal and professional life.

✒️ Watch the following video and identify 3 things in your circle of concern, 3 things in your circle of influence, and 1 thing you can do to remind yourself to focus on your circle of influence.

Watch the video here

✒️ Next, watch the following video and highlight what stands out to you about this executive? What did they do that would be considered proactive as opposed to reactive?

Watch the second video here

Further Reading (Optional but recommended):

This idea of problem is the path is a reoccurring theme in self help books and especially stoicism. If you are interested in learning more about this thought process, we recommend the following books:

The obstacle is the way by Ryan Holiday

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, by William Braxton Irvine

✒️ Please reply to at least 1 of your peers in this thread with encouraging or supportive words!

After fulfilling the requirements of this post, please check out the next post here!


🔉This post is brought to you by the Leadership Development Program, find information on it here tinyurl.com/AcademyLDP

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Shannon1996 November 8th, 2023

@FrenchToast

✒️ Watch the following video and identify 3 things in your circle of concern, 3 things in your circle of influence, and 1 thing you can do to remind yourself to focus on your circle of influence.

3 in the circle of concern: my mental health, what other people say about me, what is happening externally in the world

3 in the circle of influence: self-care, my contributions to society, kindness

1 thing I can do to remind myself to focus on my circle of influence: remind myself that if I focus on my circle of influence, it will only get bigger whilst my circle of concern will get smaller and easier to deal with.

✒️ Next, watch the following video and highlight what stands out to you about this executive? What did they do that would be considered proactive as opposed to reactive?

I liked that the executive focused on his strengths rather than his weaknesses, and focused on his circle of influence. Focus on taking responsibility for your life.

1 reply
ChillingRain November 10th, 2023

@Shannon1996 Great points, Shannon! You're awesome. B|

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ChillingRain November 10th, 2023

@FrenchToast 


Watch the following video and identify 3 things in your circle of concern, 3 things in your circle of influence, and 1 thing you can do to remind yourself to focus on your circle of influence.

Circle of concern:

1. Political issues

2. Other people's behaviors

3. The economy

Circle of influence:

1. My attitude

2. My health

3. My responsibilities/ behavior


One thing I can do to remind myself to focus on my circle of influence is to map my circles as detailed as possible. 


Next, watch the following video and highlight what stands out to you about this executive? What did they do that would be considered proactive as opposed to reactive?

He focused on his circle of influence despite his boss having a dictating leadership style thus alienating everyone. Instead of criticizing his boss' weaknesses he compensate for them. And he worked with the boss' strengths and creativity. 

1 reply
8grim8 November 11th, 2023

@ChillingRain

Nice! That can be a pretty affective thing to do indeed

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8grim8 November 11th, 2023

@FrenchToast

Circle of concern:

1.] Accidental judgement or criticism towards others, my actions and how I affect people.
2.] My appearance, physical and mental. Being a little lost in identity
3.] Issues going on in the world that may be out of reach.

Circle of influence:

1.] Taking accountability such as apologising and trying my best to not repeat mistakes. Showing more empathy and allowing people to take their own paths.
2.] Being kind to myself and knowing that my efforts to change will show progress the more I that I try.
3.] Listening and showing compassion for the problems going on in the world, and the things that other people may be facing. Learning about the history to therefore be aware of when such things may repeat. Knowing about the roots of things is always good, no matter what the case is.

Reminder for myself:

Being kind and patient to myself in my reminders, and hopefully carrying all of this with me and developing it as a good habit.

The executive:

I think that the executive was fairly proactive and took the right approach to some of the things shown. I believe they may have done well at focusing on their circle of influence too.

1 reply
ABrightBlueHeart December 3rd, 2023

@8grim8

So well-written! I loved how detailed and well thought-out your points about the circle of influence are :)

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WeEarth November 11th, 2023

@FrenchToast

  • Circle of Concern: Personal health and well-being, Keeping a passionate learner alive in my heart, Doing my best in life.
  • Circle of Influence: Continuous Learning, Yoga & mindfulness, Myself - values & ethics which I inherited through my Ma.
  • Reminder to Focus: Always do your best, from your heart & mind!
  • Executive's Proactivity: proactive approach to personal and professional development. Involves actively seeking growth opportunities and embodying core principles rather than waiting for external circumstances to dictate their actions.
  • Encouragement for Peer Listeners: Always remember, our empathetic presence is a beacon of comfort for those seeking support.



1 reply
Kristynsmama December 2nd, 2023

@WeEarth

i relate to personal health being a part of your circle of concern!

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Kristynsmama December 2nd, 2023

@FrenchToast

My circle of influence:

    *bondaries

    *self care

    *strong support network 

my circle of concern:

     *poor health

     *government

     *the weather 

2.  What stuck out to me in the way the executive handle the challenges was as a buffer.  I love how he tried to make up for any weaknesses that the President had.


1 reply
NewYorker11 January 7th

@Kristynsmama

very nice observations and comments regarding the videos! also, very nice job identifying with yourself and your circles of influence and concern!

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ABrightBlueHeart December 3rd, 2023

@FrenchToast

✒️ Watch the following video and identify 3 things in your circle of concern, 3 things in your circle of influence, and 1 thing you can do to remind yourself to focus on your circle of influence.

Three things in my circle of concern:

1) Climate Change

2) Global Conflicts

3) Poverty and hunger


Three things in my circle of influence:

1) Planting a tree every month

2) Consciously checking and rooting out my biases

3) Help teach skills to children lacking access to formal or quality education


One thing to remind myself to focus on my circle of influence: Set measurable, realistic and achievable goals.


✒️ Next, watch the following video and highlight what stands out to you about this executive? What did they do that would be considered proactive as opposed to reactive?

Some of the things that stand out to me about this executive are:

  • They took the initiative to empathize with his boss and understand his vision and concerns.
  • They anticipated the boss’s needs and prepared their analysis and recommendations accordingly.
  • They compensated for their boss’s weaknesses and buffered the people from his dictatorial style.
  • They worked with his boss’s strengths and complemented them with his own.

Their actions would be considered proactive as opposed to reactive because:

  • They focused on their circle of influence, where they could make a positive difference, rather than the circle of concern, where they had little or no control.
  • They chose their response to the circumstances, rather than being affected by them.
  • They read the situation with empathy and creativity, rather than criticizing or complaining.
  • They made the boss’s weaknesses irrelevant and his strengths more effective, rather than feeling threatened or resentful.

1 reply
Comfortablesmile December 8th, 2023

@ABrightBlueHeart

You're correct!!!?

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Comfortablesmile December 8th, 2023

1. identify 3 things in your circle of concern, 3 things in your circle of influence, and 1 thing you can do to remind yourself to focus on your circle of influence.

Past, present and future are the three things in my circle of concern.

For my circle of influence are optimism, sympathize and support when necessary.

I always remind myself that i don't have control over what happened in the past and what the future holds but to focus mainly on my present in other to get my desired outcome.

2.Next, watch the following video and highlight what stands out to you about this executive. What did they do that would be considered proactive as opposed to reactive?

Well, what stood out for me was his sympathetic nature and how he compensated their shortcomings.

What they did that will be considered proactive was that they focused on the main issue which is helping the company to make progress.


crypticwhisperss1 December 13th, 2023

@FrenchToast@FrenchToast

✒️ Watch the following video and identify 3 things in your circle of concern, 3 things in your circle of influence, and 1 thing you can do to remind yourself to focus on your circle of influence.

Circle of Concern: Global climate change and environmental degradation; social inequality and injustice; and mental awareness and support.

Circle of Influence: Adopting sustainable practices in my life and encouraging others to do the sameengaging in volunteer work and supporting organizations that promote equality and social justice; and advocating for mental health through education, validation, and supporting individuals in my community. 

Reminder to Focus on Circle of Influence: I can create a personal mantra or affirmation that emphasizes the importance of focusing on the things I can control and influence. For example, "I am empowered to make a difference in my immediate sphere of influence." I can write it down and place it somewhere visible, like a sticky note on my mirror or as a screensaver on my phone, to remind myself regularly to concentrate my efforts where they have the greatest impact. 😊🌹


✒️ Next, watch the following video and highlight what stands out to you about this executive? What did they do that would be considered proactive as opposed to reactive? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SMxQ18ojs4

Reactive: Instead of criticizing their superiors' weaknesses, the executive in the video demonstrates a proactive approach by acknowledging their own weaknesses.

Proactive: The executive takes a proactive stance by accepting their own shortcomings rather than focusing on judging others for their weaknesses. 


I absolutely enjoy delving into Ryan Holiday's perspectives. It all started when I read Robert Greene's book Laws of Human Nature, and he mentioned Robert Greene as his student in the acknowledgements section. Feeling intrigued, I decided to buy his book Ego Is the Enemy. When I read it, I felt as though it was explaining Robert Greene's points more concisely while still including historical figures and events. I am sure that I will be able to utilize these book recommendations to learn more about stoicism and feel more inspired! Thank you so much. 💗✨


✒️ Please reply to at least 1 of your peers in this thread with encouraging or supportive words!

Done! 😁

~ Xaverie

1 reply
Rosey16 December 19th, 2023

@crypticwhisperss1great job keep going

1 reply
crypticwhisperss1 December 28th, 2023

@Rosey16

Thank you, Rosey! You're so sweet. 😊💗 

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Rosey16 December 19th, 2023

 things in my circle of concern: What they tell other people about me. How they speak to me. Mood of the team environment

3 things in my circle of influence: How much effort I put into my team. Whether I forgive others or not. My tone and words I use to others.

1 thing I can do to remind myself to focus on the circle of influence is remembering that the circle of influence will always get larger, thus the circle of concern will decrease. Remembering to ensure the team is valued, respected and you always listen will ensure things are more positive for everyone.

✒️ Next, watch the following video and highlight what stands out to you about this executive? What did they do that would be considered proactive as opposed to reactive?

From this video, I learnt that I need to be proactive and focus on the circle of influence. Working on things I can change to create positivie relationships. Proactive is working in your strengths, complementing each others strengths to build a stronger team!

1 reply
Soul576 December 19th, 2023

@Rosey16

I really love how you think about the team as well as yourself, it shows your great leadership skills!

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Soul576 December 19th, 2023

@FrenchToast

✒️ Watch the following video and identify 3 things in your circle of concern, 3 things in your circle of influence, and 1 thing you can do to remind yourself to focus on your circle of influence.

My circle of concern:

1.       -- War

2.      -- Politics

3.      -- How people view me

My circle of influence:

1.       --How I react to bad news

2.       --How much time I dedicate to my activities

3.       --My Boundaries


One thing I can do to remind myself to focus on my circle of influence is practising yoga, it allows me to focus on my mind and meditate. I can practise mindfulness and learn to focus on my circle of influence

✒️ Next, watch the following video and highlight what stands out to you about this executive? What did they do that would be considered proactive as opposed to reactive?

Reactive: Spending time and money on things that they can't do anything about.

Proactive: Focused on the inner circle of influence where their efforts can make a change.

1 reply
CaringSub December 27th, 2023

@Soul576

I really like you use yoga to help stay focused on your circle of influence! Self care is always important!

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