The Power of Perspective
The Power of Perspective
'Todo Pasa' ➜ The Mindset That Can Help You Navigate Life’s Challenges with Grace and Resilience
I'm Manuel Saez, I write to help founders master emotional intelligence to make decisions with clarity and confidence 🌻 EQ coach, 2X-founder & award-winning designer ➜ I love fixing old motorcycles 🛵 🏍
Reading time: 7 min.
Contents:
1. The Impermanence of Life: Embracing the "Todo Pasa" Mindset
2. When Ego Meets Reality: Staying Grounded During Success
3. The Dual Nature of Expectations: How They Shape Our Reality
4. Navigating the Lows: Building Resilience Through Acceptance and Gratitude
5. The Profound Realizations of Psychedelics: A Journey into Oneness and the Present Moment
6. Practical Tips to Cultivate a Balanced Mindset
Years ago, I decided to get a tattoo that simply reads "Todo Pasa."
In English, this translates to "everything shall pass."
I got it as a constant reminder to keep perspective on everything that happens in life.
Whether I'm riding the highs of success or struggling through the lows of failure, this simple phrase keeps me grounded.
I'm sharing this because I believe it's a mindset that could help you as much as it has helped me.
The Impermanence of Life: Embracing the "Todo Pasa" Mindset
Life is a continuous cycle of ups and downs; nothing stays the same forever. We often forget this reality, especially when we're caught up in a particularly intense moment.
The "Todo Pasa" mindset is my way of reminding myself that whatever I'm going through is temporary.
It helps me stay humble when I win, be grateful when I lose, and avoid getting too attached to the moment, whether it's a moment of despair or one of exhilaration.
I remember a time when I was fundraising. My startup was approaching the end of its runway, and every day felt like a battle. I was stressed and overwhelmed, and honestly, I started to lose faith.
But seeing that tattoo was a soft reminder from a wiser version of me that would say, "This, too, would pass. Nothing is forever. Hold on, and keep going and focus on what is under your control."
That simple mindset shift gave me the strength to keep going, to push through the tough times, knowing that they wouldn't last forever.
Eventually, things did turn around, but the perspective I gained during those tough days stayed with me.
On the flip side, I've also found "todo pasa" invaluable when things are going well. It's easy to get swept up in success and feel invincible. Celebrating the wins is important, but don't believe the ego.
Those are the times when perspective is most important. Success, like failure, is temporary. Remembering this keeps me humble and grateful so I can focus on what truly matters.
When Ego Meets Reality: Staying Grounded During Success
There's a funny thing that happens when you start to succeed—your ego kicks in on overdrive.
It whispers in your ear that you're special, that you have everything figured out, and that nothing can go wrong.
It's a dangerous mindset that can lead to overconfidence and poor decisions.
I've fallen into this trap more than once. After winning major design awards or signing up big clients, I felt on top of the world.
My ego convinced me that I could do no wrong. I started talking with an arrogant tone, making decisions without consulting my team, assuming that my instincts were infallible.
But reality has a way of humbling us. When you're in that ego-driven high, you don't see things clearly.
Some decisions I made in that state came back to haunt me, and some things I said hurt people who didn't deserve it. It was a harsh reminder that success is temporary and that my ego had led me astray.
The "Todo Pasa" mindset reminds me to keep my ego in check and stay humble even when I win. Success is fleeting, just like failure.
After reflecting on this, my takeaway is that in life, it's important to learn how to win with humility and how to lose with gratitude.
Perspective is everything. You are not the person winning or losing; you are the sum of all your actions.
The Dual Nature of Expectations: How They Shape Our Reality
Expectations can help you win or bury you in self-doubt and guilt.
They have the power to shape our reality, but they can also set us up for disappointment.
I've learned this the hard way. There were times when I expected things to go a certain way, and when they didn't, I was crushed.
The problem wasn't the outcome itself; it was my expectation of what the outcome should be.
Take, for example, when I launched my second startup. I went in with high expectations, thinking that everything I learned from my first experience would make this one smooth sailing.
I expected rapid growth, enthusiastic customers, and minimal setbacks. But reality had other plans.
Growth was slower than anticipated, customer feedback was mixed, and setbacks were frequent.
The business not performing as I had hoped was tough enough, but I made it worse by piling on the pressure because we didn't meet my own expectations.
During this time, I really started to understand the power of managing expectations. I realized that while expectations can be a great source of motivation, they can also lead to unnecessary suffering.
When I adjusted my mindset and focused more on the process than the outcome, I could navigate the challenges more effectively and with less emotional turmoil.
Navigating the Lows: Building Resilience Through Acceptance and Gratitude
We all face tough times. Whether it's a personal loss, a professional setback, or just the challenges of everyday life, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.
In these moments, it's tempting to give in to despair, to believe that things will never get better, and to question, "What's the point of all this?"
But that's where "Todo Pasa" comes in. It's a reminder that no matter how bad things seem, they won't last forever.
One of the hardest times in my life was having to close down one of my businesses. It felt like a personal failure, and I was devastated.
But I kept reminding myself that this moment would pass. I accepted the reality of the situation, learned what I could from it, and focused on moving forward.
Over time, the pain lessened, and I was able to rebuild. That experience taught me that resilience isn't about avoiding failure; it's about accepting it, learning from it, and moving on.
Acceptance doesn't mean resignation. It means acknowledging reality for what it is and using that understanding to grow.
But there's another piece to this puzzle: gratitude. Amid adversity, finding even the smallest things to be grateful for can shift your perspective and lighten the emotional load.
By accepting the temporary nature of all things and cultivating gratitude for the lessons learned and support, we can navigate life's challenges with more grace and less suffering.
Gratitude and acceptance create a powerful mindset that helps us stay grounded and resilient, no matter what life throws our way.
If you're interested in exploring more about the power of acceptance or how gratitude can transform your mindset, check out my essays:
“The Power of Gratitude” and “The Power of Acceptance”
The Profound Realizations of Psychedelics: A Journey into Oneness and the Present Moment
I had the opportunity to explore psychedelics in a ceremonial setting. It was an experience that profoundly shifted my understanding of life and my place within it.
During these journeys, I encountered what many describe as a dissolution of the ego—where the boundaries of self seemed to fade away, and I felt an overwhelming sense of unity with everything around me.
This sensation of oneness is a common experience among those who have explored psychedelics. It's as if the barriers that normally separate us from one another and the world dissolve, revealing a deeper connection to the universe and to each other.
For me, this realization was both humbling and liberating. It reinforced the idea that our individual worries and achievements, while significant, are small pieces of a much larger, interconnected whole.
One of the most impactful insights from these experiences was the realization that nothing really matters as much as we often think it does—not in a nihilistic way, but rather in a way that frees us from the constant pressures of everyday life.
The most important thing is the present moment.
This experience of being deeply present also ties back to the "Todo Pasa" mindset. It's about understanding that life's highs and lows are temporary, but the present moment is where true peace and contentment reside.
Psychedelics, in a way, helped me internalize this truth on a much deeper level. They made me realize that by staying present and letting go of my ego-driven concerns, I could navigate life with greater ease and joy.
Practical Tips to Cultivate a Balanced Mindset
If you're looking to integrate the "Todo Pasa" mindset into your life, here are a few things that have worked for me:
Mindfulness Practice: Taking a few minutes each day to meditate or simply sit quietly can help you stay present and maintain perspective. When you're mindful, you're less likely to get swept up in the highs and lows of life.
Journaling: Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a powerful way to process your experiences and remind yourself that everything is temporary. I often journal when I'm feeling overwhelmed, and it helps me gain clarity.
Regular Reflection: Take time regularly to reflect on your life, your goals, and your mindset. Are you getting too attached to a particular outcome? Are you letting your ego take over? Reflection helps you stay grounded.
Reminders: Whether it's a tattoo, a sticky note on your mirror, or a daily affirmation, find a way to remind yourself that "todo pasa." These small reminders can make a big difference in how you navigate your day-to-day life.
Gratitude Practice: Focusing on what you're grateful for can shift your perspective even in tough times. It's a way of acknowledging the good in your life, no matter how small, and it helps balance out the challenges.
In the end, life is a series of moments, each one passing into the next. We cannot do anything about the past, and the future is not here yet, so why worry about that?
All we have is the present moment.
By embracing the "Todo Pasa" mindset, we can navigate these moments with greater ease, knowing that nothing is permanent.
Whether riding a wave of success or weathering a storm of challenges, remember that this, too, shall pass. And when it does, you'll be stronger, wiser, and ready for whatever comes next.
Thanks for reading. Please bookmark this article and share it with friends who may benefit from it.
Sending you good vibes 🌻
Manuel Saez