If you are not "grateful", then you are nothing
but a great fool.
Look around people.
Find something that is worthwhile and think how lucky, how
improbable.
In a random and unforgiving universe, think how blessings
have found you.
if
right now was the best time of your life: self-control.
What if right now was the best time of your life?
What if this year was the best year of your life?
Would you know it?
Would you appreciate it,
or would you look back bitterly years from now at time
wasted?
Are you wasting time worrying about lack?
Are you obsessing over money?
I remind you that you are far more in control than you want
to believe.
You can claim the day for your own mindset and happiness.
NOT shame on you.
You torture yourself enough as it is.
Shame on anything that gets between you and The Love Of God.
Mercy for those who need forgiveness.
Hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Love that conquers all.
When individuals suffer, they often fall into a cycle of
self-blame and negativity. Pity and mercy on the sufferer that blames himself!
But as an outsider, you have the power to interrupt this pattern by sharing
love, support, and positivity, helping to break the cycle and reach the person
in a profound way.
As working professionals, we're constantly striving to build
legacies that last. But let's take a moment to reflect on the bigger picture. 'He
has put eternity into man's hand...' We may not be able to fully grasp the
beginning and end, but we can focus on creating value that transcends time.
Let's work to build careers that stand the test of time and make
a lasting impact on our teams, customers, and communities. Let's chase
excellence, innovation, and purpose, knowing that our efforts are a part of
something much larger than ourselves. And let's not forget to shepherd the next
generation of leaders, equipping them to carry the torch and continue our
legacy.
"I have seen the business that God has given to the
sons of men to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its
time; also He has put eternity into man's hand, yet so that man cannot discern
still the beginning and end."(Ecclesiastes 3)
Life
lessons in negative examples: the proverbial "falling-off the bike a time
or two."
Picture it:
September 2005.
A place colloquially known as “Dargan Street”.
A fat young man, say 25 in age, with a 50-cent deep-fried
apple pie in his pocket.
As a lion in his own heart and mind, he might tell himself
that people should heed each of his mistakes well, for he vows each miscue
would never be seen again. Processed in mind: yes. Parsed,
disassembled, examined, and re-assembled to easily be chucked into the dustbin
of eternity after the lesson of each is made clear in his mind.
Learned from.
That’s how one profits from nearly any non-fatal mistake.
However, there are accidents and mistakes that generate
tangible discoveries, such as maybe a new type of plastic, or something.
This is William D. “Damn” Kleinsorge, entry-level employee, lacking
ambition: in many ways, “playing dead” when confronted with opportunities to
weaken the positions of his superiors, and “dead in the water” when it came to
earning rank of his own merit.
He was looking at the bottom rung of the ladder, having not
yet grabbed-on. And in the bottom of the barrel with him, the threshold
corporate, there were various outcasts and failures who had been
discarded—outcasts, but nonetheless faceplanted at his exact altitude.
It could wound one’s optimism for his chances for future
career advancement, to be surrounded by marred examples, but indeed, of what
consequence, career allegories to Kleinsorge: to what art did Kleinsorge
aspire?
Some learn by being told what not to do, and at best, all of
that negativity and failure, moral duplicity, and avarice could’ve spoken
volumes to Kleinsorge, to either emulate or use those examples to mark
potential pitfalls ahead in his career path.
Like processing a photo on physical filmstock: working in
the negative sample, rather than learning or being in sympathy with the
best. So, an investor could learn from Warren Buffet, or he could parse a
litany of bankruptcies to learn the why of each.
Would you rather, say if you were on a path with obstacles
and traps, be told where to walk, or would you rather have a map with big red
X’s all over it, that shows you what to avoid?
I would say the one that learned in negative is not
following a set program, but has a sort of Tao dichromatic ability to progress
ahead crafting a path that seems to him fresh and new, while still avoiding the
perils.
Such is the case in history, that we are taught about
various evils of the past, not to emulate them, but to be the lessons in
mind. What could happen, if….
For as is said, he who does not learn the lessons of history
is damned to make those mistakes himself.
We learn in negative, such that “this can never happen
again.”
Thoughts,
week of July 1, 2024. "if I were a shoe, and you found another shoe in the
trash..."
If I could not bear a wrong, would it mean I were not
great in spirit? If I got bogged in the sauce while trying to get at the
meatballs, it would mean I were petty or even silly, so distracted, brought to
a love of the nonsensical, caught up in the game, the experience, and the
expectation. Or if I did indeed bear a wrong, would it mean I were so
great is spirit, or had I noticed?
To what raison d'entre do I owe time and attention, HDD, compute
and intention?
If I did not believe in God and/or did not trust God, it
would wound the profound idea that mankind can be redeemed by belief and
uplifted in a hope larger than himself.
And of that commonality among us:
If you found a shoe in the trashcan, and I was a shoe too,
you would assume that trash shoe was my brother, I expect.
An empty mind cleanses away much filth; the world clean, but
the conscience ruined for all time.
In the world of business, companies often grapple with the
temptation to diversify and innovate. While taking risks can lead to success,
it's equally important to remember the importance of focus and specialization.
The story of Sierra Mist, a product launched by PepsiCo, serves as a reminder
of the dangers of distraction and the value of maximizing proficiency in one's
core business.
Sierra Mist was a bold experiment, a departure from Pepsi's
core cola product. While it had its fans and unique qualities, it ultimately
failed to gain significant traction in the market. This "side quest"
could have potentially distracted Pepsi from its core business, a mistake that
could have had far-reaching consequences.
In contrast, companies like Starbucks have thrived by
capitalizing on their specialization in coffee. By focusing on their core
product and maximizing their proficiency in that area, they've built a loyal
customer base and established a strong brand identity.
The phrase "fortune favors the brave" may
encourage corporate leaders to take risks, but it's important to remember that
this bravery should be balanced with a deep understanding of the company's core
strengths and the contributions of its employees. By staying focused on their
core business and capitalizing on their specialization, companies can build a
strong foundation for success and avoid the pitfalls of over-diversification.
In the end, Sierra Mist serves as a reminder that maximizing
proficiency in one's core business is key to long-term success. By staying
focused and building on their strengths, companies can create a loyal customer
base, establish a strong brand identity, and drive growth and revenue.
Just as companies need to focus on their core business,
individuals can benefit from focusing on their core strengths and areas of
expertise. In the case of student-athletes, they have already demonstrated a
high level of specialization in their sport, which requires dedication, hard
work, and a strong support system.
By applying the same principles to their academic pursuits,
they can achieve similar success in their field of study. This might involve:
Identifying their academic strengths and
interests
Setting goals and prioritizing their time
and energy
Seeking out resources and support (e.g.,
tutors, mentors, study groups)
Continuously learning and improving their
skills and knowledge
Balancing their athletic and academic
responsibilities
By maximizing their proficiency in both their sport and
their academic field, student-athletes can achieve remarkable success in
multiple areas, setting themselves up for a bright future beyond their athletic
career.
This approach can be applied to anyone looking to boost
their personal productivity, whether in their career, hobbies, or personal
development. By focusing on their strengths, specializing in areas of interest,
and continuously improving their skills, individuals can achieve remarkable
success and build a strong foundation for long-term growth and fulfillment.
In addition to maximizing proficiency in their core
strengths, it's essential to allocate some resources to exploring new areas of
interest. This approach allows individuals to:
Stay curious and open to new opportunities
Develop new skills and knowledge
Enhance creativity and problem-solving
abilities
Expand their professional and personal
network
Potentially discover new passions and areas
of excellence
By dedicating a portion of their resources (10-25%) to
exploration and learning, individuals can strike a balance between maintaining
their current expertise and cultivating new growth opportunities. This approach
fosters a mindset of continuous learning, adaptability, and resilience, leading
to long-term success and personal fulfillment.
John Grisham was a work-a-day legal professional before
he became a well-known best-selling author. In the mornings, he took the
train to work, and scrawled his fiction story ideas onto paper by hand while
sitting on the long commute. This was his 20%.
Focus, specialization, and maximizing proficiency in one's
core strengths are essential for success, but also allocating some time and
resources to explore new areas of interest, learning, and creativity is crucial
for personal and professional growth.
This balance between focus and exploration allows
individuals to:
Build a strong foundation in their core
strengths
Stay adaptable and open to new opportunities
Develop new skills and knowledge
Enhance creativity and problem-solving
abilities
Achieve success and fulfillment in multiple
areas of life
This approach applies to businesses, individuals, and even
student-athletes, as we've seen in our examples. By striking a balance between
focus and exploration, anyone can set themselves up for long-term success and
personal fulfillment.
The concept of focus and exploration can be likened to the
80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle. This principle
suggests that approximately 80% of results come from 20% of efforts.
In the context of focus and exploration, we could apply a
similar framework:
80% of time and resources dedicated to
focusing on core strengths and maximizing proficiency
20% of time and resources allocated to
exploring new areas of interest, learning, and creativity
This 80/20 framework serves as a rough guideline,
emphasizing the importance of focus while still allowing for exploration and
growth. It's a balanced approach that acknowledges the need for specialization
and diversification, leading to sustainable success and personal fulfillment.
Feel free to adjust the ratio to suit your needs, but the
idea is to strike a balance between focus and exploration, ensuring you're
maximizing your strengths while still allowing for growth and innovation.
Rise above it all, at some point, but never soar so high
that you can't reach out a helping hand to a fellow bondservant
generate,
shed bad, maximize the beneficial and keep/maintain perspective
A good person and a bad person have one thing common:
they generate. We consume and process and then generate thoughts and
actions. We exercise the force of our personality on the face of
infinitude. We do this often without even being aware of what we're
doing, or without thinking of future consequences.
However, we can maximize the best and minimize the worst of
our thoughts and actions.
We generate(verb), but we are also regenerate(adjective) or
regenerated(noun), by the will of God Himself in the natural processes that he
imparted unto us. We have the capacity for good or evil as we choose, but
we also have a frontal cortex in our brain, which helps us. We have the
love of God in our hearts as the rudder of the ship of the soul.
We are an expression of His clay.
"What skill is shown then in the reappearance of the
original soul?" -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Remember, seeking validation outside yourself is like trying
to fill a void that only you can fill.
Outside validation is like junk food for the soul - it may
give you a temporary high, but it soon wears off, leaving you craving more.
True fulfillment comes from within. Let's work on building
self-love, self-worth, and self-acceptance.
You are enough, just as you are.
Write
your own story; make your story what you want it to be.
Do not simply feel your way through. Feelings can be
powerful, but you can also consciously decide what to think and believe.
Indeed, feelings can guide you, and intuition can be a powerful tool, but we
also have our intellect to help guide us.
We can be intentional.
And most importantly,
you write
your own story.
Try your darnedest and do not settle; make your story the one you want it to be.
Rise above
it all, at some point, but never soar so high that you can't reach out a
helping hand to a fellow bondservant.
I remind you
that you are far more in control than you want to believe. You can claim
the day for your own mindset and happiness.
One is either “grateful”
Or “great fool”.
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