Stay Open

When we meet people with differing viewpoints and opinions, we often assume there is something wrong with them; “How could they possibly see it that way?!” we say. 

But sometimes critics are people who can’t see the world the way you do. They don’t have the experiences and viewpoint you do. In fact, they have experiences you don’t. If you were twins, you’d likely have the same take on things, but you aren’t.

So next time someone has a belief or viewpoint you don’t, maybe it’s better to appreciate what someone else who has collected information and experiences in a different way than you has to say.

Pioneers of tomorrow

“We are the pioneers of the world, the advance guard sent on through the wilderness of untried things” – Herman Melville

Today we look back at the pioneers of yesterday and see how crude their methods, tools and lives were.  Think about the Model T, the milkman, adjusting the TV antennae for reception.  Think about Compact Discs all over your car, Flip phones, My Space, and Blockbuster Video.  What about your trade?

At the time, they were pioneers, doing things that were novel and cutting edge.  What can you do today to contribute to the progress?  So many people have created all kinds of inventions for you to use.  What idea or combination of ideas and tools can you contrive to make life easier, safer, more fun, or solve a problem?

Effort = Happiness?

Would you be happy if you didn’t work and stayed home?  If you didn’t have to take the garbage out or shop or cook or clean up?  If you didn’t have to do much at all and just sat around – would you be happy then?

When we complain about what we have to do, remember it could be worse. 

We could have nothing to do at all.

WLARRY

I am the program director of my own “Radio” station – W-L-A-R-R-Y.  I control what goes in my ears and in front of my eyes.  I decide and don’t let others decide for me, because I know what I am trying to become and what my plan is, and they don’t.

Do you control the program at W(YOUR NAME HERE)?

No pressure – no diamond

Many of us try to avoid effort and avoid suffering.  But the truth is that without them, the greatest things in life are not possible.

While we don’t choose suffering, choosing to avoid it is choosing a bland life of unrealized potential.

What's in the way?

Progress = Effort – Interference

What is interfering with your progress? What’s in the way and making it more difficult for you?

Instead of just working harder, can you remove the interference? 

Make life happen FOR you

The day you graduated from childhood to adulthood is the day you have to take complete responsibility for yourself.  

While everyone else is blaming someone or something else, you take responsibility and transform problems into opportunities.

Make life happen for you, not to you.

You ARE responsible

Yesterday we said we need to take full responsibility in order to change our lives.  The reality is you are responsible – 

1) By what you did

2) By what you didn’t do (you know…you could have, should have…)

3) By how you responded to what happened to you.  If you have bad luck, how are you responding?  You probably had a hand in it.

So here’s a test question.  Are you responsible for your life and how it has turned out so far?

Take full responsibility

Changing your life or your business is not possible until you take full responsibility for it all.

Have you taken full responsibility?

Feelings are not facts

Negative emotions like anger and frustration and hate can be made more intense by simply dwelling on them and running the scenario that sparked them over and over again.  Then we act on them and make a mistake by doing something stupid, embarrassing or that causes people to not want to deal with us.

But feelings are not facts.  Better not to act when we are emotional.  Instead, recognize the emotion, and question why it is there, if it is true, and if who you are being with it is helpful to you achieving your long-term goals.

If you can’t do that, go off by yourself and just wait.  A night’s sleep usually burns off the edge and brings back some perspective.