The Two Flashlights

On a late evening walk, I saw two hikers on the ridge. Same trail, same dark—but two different flashlights.

The first person carried a lamp with a very narrow, jittery focus. He spotted every root and loose stone and kept stopping to see what might go wrong. “Another hole. Another snag.” He moved on—but only after collecting a list of hazards.

The second person’s beam was wider. It showed the rocks and obstacles just the same—but also the path beyond them. This wasn’t recklessness; they simply kept the light where they wanted to go. I watched them step around the same obstacles almost without losing pace.

Same trail. Different search.

Most days, we carry one of these lamps inside us. When the mind searches for problems, it finds them—fast. When it searches for possibilities, it finds those too. The world doesn’t change instantly; the usable part of it does.

This isn’t about pretending the rocks aren’t there. They are. It’s about deciding where you aim your attention: collecting reasons to hesitate, or noticing the next workable steps.

If you’ve ever turned the question from “What’s wrong here?” to “What’s possible here?” you know the feeling: the ground stays the same, but your footing gets surer. Options surface. Conversations open. The same day gives you different answers because you asked different questions.

Over the next weeks, I’ll explore three simple shifts:

• Possibilities vs. Problems: What we light up grows.

• Abundance vs. Lack: Abundance isn’t excess; it’s access.

• Searching → Finding: Better questions train your brain to notice what helps.

No hype. Clear words, small steps, and practice you can apply right away.

For today, a one-minute exercise:

• Name one “rock” on your path.

• Ask: What would be a good next step if progress were possible?

• Take that step—tiny is fine.

Your flashlight follows your questions. Aim it where progress lives.

Series starts next week.