All things are relative, including all the laws in this series. They relate, correspond, agree, and are in harmony with each other.
So, essentially, the law of relativity states that everything in life just IS. As in, it is what it is as you see, feel, or hear it. We tend to make it big or small, negative or positive, high or low by comparing it to something else.
A classic example will that be of a 6-month old infant who doesn’t judge or compare a bunch of toys when placed in front of her. She will pick one of them up, analyze it, and engage. That’s it! It doesn’t matter if the toy was big, medium, or small. But give her a few more months and you will notice she tends to pick the biggest (or the smallest) of the toys because she can now compare things.
Two things stand out from that example:
- Comparing things (or anything, for that matter) is totally normal
- We do have the capability to let things just be; if we stop thinking about our preferences in the first place
You may think, “oh, no, that’s not possible. I’ve got strong preferences on how to… this, that, and the other.” I get it. That’s okay. The point is to understand that our preferences are just like radio frequencies — they’re either high or low, but only in comparison with those above or below them. If you tune into a particularly frequency and bump into some real cool music, you can just let it be. If you compare it with some of the other frequencies, you can’t help but go back and forth.
If want, you can re-read that last line again. I’ll wait.
Done? Well, doesn’t that say something about our habits? Isn’t that we usually do on a daily basis? To ourselves. Jump from one frequency to another? And we do that not based on someone else’s input (thought that possibly can be the case) but mostly because we’re comparing it with something that we believe is better.
What we need to understand is that there’s always something that’s better than what we’re already doing. And possibly, what you’re doing is better than something someone else is doing! Just like there’s always someone better than you, and likewise, you’re better than someone else.
The challenge is that there’s a tendency to compare ourselves when we’re at a developing stage with someone who mastered the concepts we’ve learned. That’s a recipe for disaster because you’re using the law against yourself!
I remembered doing just that when I started doing Jiu-Jitsu again last year. I was comparing myself with folks who’ve either been practicing for about a couple of years or the blue-belts. It was idiotic of me to think that way until I realized what was happening. And the moment, I stopped comparing myself with others things got better. How? I started evaluating my performance against my previous session. Period. Nothing else mattered. It was magical to see my performance and grasp of knowledge improving when I let things just be.
I won’t be surprised if you’re still wondering, “well, Sunil, I get it but how do I use this law to my benefit?” This law, just like the others, is all about a mindset shift. The best way to leverage the law of relativity is to understand that there will always be someone better or worse than you at all times. The key is see yourself in your true light — someone with the infinite potential to be, do, and have whatever you want — and do what it takes to get to the next level.
The law of relativity also sheds light on the biggest deterrent in anyone’s progress — themselves and their unwillingness to try.