Last week I introduced you to the idea of “range”.

Having range protects you from life’s uncertainties. You can read that article here.

So how can you gain more range in life?

I thought about sharing a list of things to do.

But who am I to tell you what to do?

You are smart, you are unique and you have agency.

So instead, I am giving you another pair of Chinese expressions as guiding posts. You get to decide what to do next.

We don’t see the world the same way.

This is reflected by a pair of opposites:

• 见多识广 (jiàn duō shí guǎng) vs.
• 坐井观天 (zuò jǐng guān tiān)

见多识广 describes someone with extensive life experiences. They have a deep understanding of the world. They embody lived wisdom.

It implies that developing range requires you to experience more of life.

On the other hand, 坐井观天 paints the scene of someone sitting at the bottom of a well, looking up at the sky.

From their perspective, the sky is only a small circle defined by the shape of the well’s opening.

Figuratively, it describes seeing the world with short-sightedness or a closed mindset.

You can ask two people to comment on the same situation.

They would have vastly different opinions if one embodies 见多识广, and the other is limited to 坐井观天.

But doing more is not necessarily better.

Yes, range requires you to experience life more, but it does not mean scattered attention or activities overload.

Scattered attention feels chaotic and frantic.

You are doing more out of urgency.

You are grasping at every opportunity out of fear of missing out.

Developing range is a process of depth over speed.

It is integration over chaos.

Paradoxically, range is gained through focusing on one thing at a time.

It means going into every experience with curiosity and intention.

You feel into each experience fully. And you ask questions that matter :

“What is this teaching me?”

“What does this experience inspire me to do next?”

“How does this refine my direction?”

Each experience informs you of the next step, the next activity to explore, and the next skillset to adopt.

What I practice on a daily basis to expand my range:

1. I continue to develop my capacity for uncertainty.
2. I resist the temptation to simplify myself for the sake of other people’s comfort.
3. I have honest conversations with myself on a daily basis. I ask questions like: What am I drawn to naturally and why? What is this moment asking of me? What is the next step I am willing to take, despite fears and doubts?

I can write an entire article on each of the points.

And I probably will.

But I hope this is clear by now: building your range means taking radical responsibility for your life.

You are no longer satisfied with sitting at the bottom of the well and looking up at the portion of sky limited by your history, conditioning and experiences, aka. 坐井观天 (zuò jǐng guān tiān).

You are ready to become 见多识广 (jiàn duō shí guǎng) on the path to building a life you are proud of.

And that, my friend, is something worth considering.

P.S. If there is another Chinese expression that you feel curious about, let me know by subscribing to AND replying to my newsletters. I might write about it in the future. 😉

Until next time.

Love,

Crystal