Law #32

Position Yourself To Be Ethical

Ethics cannot be based upon our obligations toward people, but they are complete and natural only when we feel this Reverence for Life and the desire to have compassion for and to help all creatures insofar as it is in our power. I think that this ethic will become more and more recognized because of its great naturalness and because it is the foundation of a true humanism toward which we must strive if our culture is to become truly ethical. (Albert Schweitzer)

Some Definitions

Ethics – A system of moral principles. The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.. That branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

Base – A fundamental principle or groundwork; foundation; basis.

Obligations – The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie. A social, legal, or moral requirement, such as a duty, contract, or promise that compels one to follow or avoid a particular course of action. A course of action imposed by society, law, or conscience by which one is bound or restricted.

People – The entire body of persons who constitute a community, tribe, nation, or other group by virtue of a common culture, history, religion, or the like. Persons indefinitely or collectively; persons in general.

Complete – Having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full. Having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality.

Natural – Existing in or formed by nature (as opposed to artrifical). Based on the state of things in nature; constituted by nature.

Feel – To be or become conscious of. To experience the effects of.

Reverence – A feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration. A gesture indicative of deep respect.

Life – A corresponding state, existence, or principle of existence conceived of as belonging to the soul. The general or universal condition of human existence.

Desire – To wish or long for; crave; want. A longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment.

Compassion – A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Insofar As It Is In Our Power – To such extent as it is in our power.

Foundation – The basis or groundwork of anything.

True / Truly – Real; genuine; authentic. Being in accordance with the actual state or conditions; conforming to reality or fact.

Humanism – Any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity predominate.

Strive – To make strenuous efforts toward any goal.

Culture – A particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period.

Source: Dictionary.com

What Does The Quote Suggest (In Plain English)

I don’t know about you, but that was a pretty detailed quote and I had to think about it for a few minutes to pull it all together. Here’s what it means to me, in a nutshell:

Our morality cannot be based on duty or promises. That is an insufficient basis upon which to build our morality. Instead, the only way we can ever be completely and truly moral in all that we do is if we learn to respect life and all others around us. We have to develop a true caring about the misfortunes and situations of others and a genuine desire to help them as to the maximum extent we are able. If our society can learn to do that, we will have formed a true basis for our morality and our entire civilization would benefit from such action.

In other words, do what’s right because you care about others and it’s the right thing to do, not because you feel like you’re obligated to do it.

Caring versus Obligation

That’s the difference here in a nutshell.  As an example, it is my opinion that the general consensus is that some higher Enron executives did not act in an ethical manner.  They could potentially make some argument as to whom they were obligated, their shareholders or society.  Because their ethical standards appear to have been based upon obligation, they apparently acted in a manner that hurt many people (shareholders,investors, employees,families) dearly.

Had their ethical standards been based upon caring for others, they might have paused somewhere along the way and asked the following question.  Who might be hurt by our actions?  Had they asked that simple question (it is my opinion they probably did not), they might never have embarked upon the long road they followed that eventually led to their downfall and the hurting of many people.

It’s not just Enron, there are countless other corporate stories over the past 10 years that could just have easily been used as an example for my point.

What someone is obligated to do is open to interpretation.  Developing a sense of caring is not.  Either you care of you don’t.  It’s just that simple.

So Why Do We Need To Adopt A Caring Attitude?

Because if we care about others; if we care about their misfortunes and seek to help them out, we will be forming a strong, ethical foundation that will carry us through the remainder of our life and our business career.

If everyone in the world would adopt this same caring attitude, can you imagine how the world might be different?  I think the world would be vastly different.

What Are Some Of Your Stories?

Can you think of times where (or someone else you know) did the right thing, even though they may not have been obligated to do so?  Did that experience produce good results or bad ones?

I’d love to hear your stories, so please feel free to post them below in the Comments section.

Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time. (Jim Rohn)

This is Part 3 of a 3 part series on Prioritizing. The other parts can be read by clicking on these links:

Priorities – Part 1 – Putting First Things First

Priorities – Part 2 – Establishing Your Own Priorities

Some Definitions

Time – A prescribed or allotted period, as of one’s life, for payment of a debt, etc.. Duration regarded as belonging to the present life as distinct from the life to come or from eternity; finite duration. A limited period or interval, as between two successive events.

Valuable – Having qualities worthy of respect, admiration, or esteem. Having considerable monetary worth; costing or bringing a high price. Of considerable use, service, or importance.

Money – Any circulating medium of exchange, including coins, paper money, and demand deposits. Any article or substance used as a medium of exchange, measure of wealth, or means of payment, such as checks or cash.

More – In greater quantity, amount, measure, degree, or number. An additional quantity, amount, or number.

Source: Dictionary.com

The Process Of Sorting Our YOUR Priorities

If you have not already read yesterday’s post about Establishing Your Own Priorities, please do so now.

That post gives you a step by step process for coming up with your own list of priorities.

Assuming you’ve already read yesterday’s post and that you did the exercises in that post, then you’re ready to proceed.

Take out your worksheets and let’s begin.

Your Level 5 Priorities

These are the most important ones.  Analyze them.  Separate the short-term priorities from the long-term ones.  The short-term ones probably need to be done almost immediately.  The long-term ones are going to take time, but you probably need to devote some time and energy toward fulfilling that priority

Level 5 priorities are just that, the most important of them all.  You should probably do something every day in furtherance of your Level 5 priorities.

Your Level 4 Priorities

These are  just below Level 5.  You won’t necessarily work toward fulfilling them each and every day, but they are important.  You should devote time to them just about every day, BUT if your time or your energy is short and you’re trying to decide between a Level 5 priority and the Level 4 priority, you should almost always work on the Level 5 one first.

Working Your Way Down The List

As you work down to Levels 3, 2 and 1, the same principles apply.  If your time or your energy runs short, you should almost always work on the higher priority first.

Why Do I Say “Almost Always”?

I say that because life should not be too rigid.  We should not beat ourselves up if we handle a lower priority first.  The reality is that sometimes it’s so easy and convenient to fulfill a lower priority first that it becomes the right thing to do.

I don’t believe in rigid lists and I believe flexibility is usually best.

Summary

Over the past 3 days, we have talked about the need for priorities, how to determine your priorities and how to work toward sorting out and fulfilling your priorities.

I hope you have found this series to be of value.

Control your time. If you’re working off your in-box, you’re working off the priorities of others. (Donald Rumsfeld)

This is Part 2 of a 3 part series on Prioritizing. The other parts can be read by clicking on these links:

Priorities – Part 1 – Putting First Things First

Priorities – Part 3 – Sorting Out YOUR Priorities

Some Definitions

Control – To exercise restraint or direction over; dominate; command.

Time – A limited period or interval, as between two successive events. A prescribed or allotted period.

Work – Exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil. Something on which exertion or labor is expended; a task or undertaking. Productive or operative activity.

Inbox – A boxlike tray, basket, or the like, as on a desk, for holding incoming mail, messages, or work. A computer folder devoted to incoming e-mail.

Priority – The right to precede others in order, rank, privilege, etc.; precedence. Something given special attention.

Others – Different or distinct from the one mentioned or implied. Some person or thing else.

Source: Dictionary.com

Followup From Yesterday’s Posting

In case you missed it, yesterday’s posting (Priorities – Part 1) can be found by clicking on this link.

As we hinted yesterday, one of the major problems with prioritizing is when others force us to put off our most important activities in order to devote attention to theirs.

Does this happen to you often? Even if you work for yourself, you quite often will be at the mercy of other’s priorities.

For example, if you are employed and earning a salary, doesn’t your employer have the right to have you work on their priorities? If my clients are going to pay me money to do their work, don’t they have a right to have me work on their priorities? If you’re part of a family, don’t your other family members have the right to expect you to work on their priorities?

So If Others Have The Right, What Are You To Do?

You have to realize that if others have the right to have you devote time and energy to their priorities, then you have that same right.

You should come up with a list of your own priorities and make others around you aware of them. Sometimes your time and energy goes to their priorities and sometimes it goes to yours.

The task of deciding which is which is yet another example of prioritizing.

So, How Do You Prioritize?

Take out several sheets of paper (as many as you need) and divide each into 6 sections.

1. Your Goal
2. Long-Term or Short-Term
3. How Important (this is a number from 1 to 5)
4. Expected Benefit
5. Value Of The Benefit (this is a number from 1 to 5)
6. What will accomplishing this goal cost me? (this can be time, energy, relationships, anything)

At the top of each page, write down ONE goal that you have. It might be obtaining a college degree. It might be buying a new car. It might be buying a new house. It might be painting your house. It can be anything, as long as it is something that you want.

After you’ve done that, simply answer questions 2 through 6 that are listed above as they pertain to each goal.

Once completed, these are your worksheets. They are your tools to establishing your priorities.

What Do You Do With Your Worksheets Once They Are Completed?

You come back tomorrow and read Priorities – Part 3. We’ll talk about what you should do once your sheets are completed.

The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. (Stephen R. Covey)

This is Part 1 of a 3 part series on Prioritizing. The other parts can be read by clicking on these links:

Priorities – Part 2 – Establishing Your OWN Priorities

Priorities – Part 3 – Sorting Out YOUR Priorities

Some Definitions

Key – Something that affords a means of clarifying a problem. Chief; major; important; essential; fundamental; pivotal component.

Prioritize (verb) – To organize or deal with something according to its right to be given special attention.

Schedule (noun) – A timetable. A plan of procedure, usually written, for a proposed objective, esp. with reference to the sequence of and time allotted for each item or operation necessary to its completion.

Schedule (verb) – To plan or appoint for a certain time or date.

Priorities (noun) – Something deserving of being given special attention.

Source: Dictionary.com

What’s The Difference Between A Priority And Prioritizing?

The difference is simple.

A priority is something that is deserving of being given special attention. In other words, a priority is something that needs to be done AND that is worthy of your attention.

Prioritizing is the act of assigning a priority level to a given thing and then arranging several different things in order of their priorities.

Using The Above Upside-Down Pyramid As A An Example

If you notice, Level 1 on the pyramid is at the bottom. It only contains a small amount of the area within the pyramid. Level 1 is for lower level activities; ones that are deserving of smaller amounts of your time and attention.

Level 2 has a slightly larger area than Level 1, but less than Levels 3, 4 or 5. Activities assigned to Level 2 deserve more time and attention than Level 1, but not as much as Levels 3, 4 and 5.

Level 3 deserves more time and attention than Levels 1 and 2, but less than Levels 4 and 5.

Level 4 deserves more time and attention than Levels 1,2 and 3, but less than Level 5.

Level 5 deserves more time and attention than any of the other levels. Also, since it is at the top of the pyramid, and since it deserves more time and attention than others, activities assigned to that level should almost never be at the mercy of lower level activities.

It Seems Pretty Simple, So What’s The Problem?

The main problems are when:

1. We allow our higher level activities to be at the mercy of the lower ones; and
2. When others force us to put off our most important activities in order to devote attention to theirs.

What To Do When WE Are The Problem?

Quite often, we can be our own worst enemy. By their very nature, the tasks on Levels 4 and 5 are often more complex in nature and require a lot of time and energy. Very often, they are not as much fun to work on as the activities in the lower levels.

HOWEVER, if you want to be a high achiever (an AIQer) and if you want to be successful in all areas of your life, you must learn to devote the proper amount of time and energy to these higher level activities.

How do you do that? By simply becoming aware that you are NOT devoting enough time and energy to your higher level activities, you have taken the first step towards solving the problem. Awareness that the problem exists will allow you to come up with your own solutions as to how to allocate your time and energy properly.

What To Do When Others Are The Problem?

Sometimes, this problem cannot be avoided.

If your boss asks you to do something, you probably need to get it done (unless you want to quit your job).

If your client asks you to do something, you probably need to get it done (unless you want to lose the client).

If your significant other asks you to do something, you probably need to get it done (unless you want to end the relationship).

HOWEVER, this does not mean that you are powerless. Quite often, you have the ability to calmly and rationally explain to the other party that if you drop what you are doing and devote time and energy to their project, something else is going to fall through the cracks. You can then go on to tell them how if that falls through the cracks, it will cause them other problems that they may not have anticipated.

BUT, sometimes you do need to walk away from the situation. I can recall many occasions when I have had to turn away a potential client because I knew that taking them on would require me to make their problems into my problems and that they probably were going to have a “bottomless pit” full of problems, all of which they would want me to solve. While that might be good for business, it’s not always good for your sanity.

Establishing Your Own Priorities

Stay tuned and we’ll talk about that process in tomorrow’s blog posting.

The most valuable of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do when it has to be done, whether you like it or not. (Aldous Huxley)

Some Definitions

Procrastination – To defer action; delay.  To put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

Most – The greatest.

Valuable – Having qualities worthy of respect, admiration, or esteem. Of considerable use, service, or importance. Having considerable monetary worth; costing or bringing a high price.

Education – The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.

Ability – Competence in an activity or occupation because of one’s skill, training, or other qualification. Power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc..

Make Yourself – To force yourself. To compel yourself.

Do The Thing – The act of performing an action, deed, event, or performance.

Have To Do – Something that must be done. It is required, not optional.

When It Has To Be Done – At the proper time. Usually not before the proper time and definitely not after the proper time.

Whether You Like It Or Not – Whether it is pleasurable or not. Whether it is enjoyable or not.

Source: Dictionary.com

What Are The Major Causes Of Procrastination

• We don’t enjoy the task that needs to be done – After all, it’s a heck of a lot more pleasant doing something that’s fun as opposed to something that’s not.

• We enjoy something else so much that it keeps us from getting other things done – Sometimes, we enjoy doing something so much that it winds up taking of all of our time.  We then don’t have any time left to do everything else (even if those other things are more important or not).

Prioritization

Priority – Highest or higher in importance, rank, privilege, etc..

In my experience, people with procrastination problems often fail to prioritize.  Frequently, it’s not that they don’t have enough time or energy to do things, it’s that they do not prioritize properly.

If one fails to prioritize, things that need to get done often don’t get done, because something else, that was more fun, was given a higher priority.

So, How Does One Go About Prioritizing?

The best way is to follow a well-established set formula.

There are many systems out there for doing this and I’m going to share mine with you in tomorrow’s post.

I came to the conclusion that the optimist thought everything good except the pessimist, and that the pessimist thought everything bad, except himself. (G. K. Chesterton)

Some Definitions To Make Sure We’re All On The Same Page

Conclusion – A reasoned deduction or inference. A result, issue, or outcome; settlement or arrangement.

Optimist – A person who holds the belief or the doctrine of optimism. One who has a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.

Thought / Think – To have a conscious mind, to some extent of reasoning, remembering experiences, making rational decisions, etc.. To employ one’s mind rationally and objectively in evaluating or dealing with a given situation.

Everything – Every thing or particular of an aggregate or total; all.

Good – Morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious. Right; proper; fit. The opposite of bad.

Except – With the exclusion of; excluding; save; but.

Pessimist – A person who holds the belief or the doctrine of pessimism. A person who habitually sees or anticipates the worst or is disposed to be gloomy.

Bad – Not good in any manner or degree. Having a wicked or evil character; morally reprehensible. The opposite of good.

Source: Dictionary.com

Optimism vs. Pessimism – What’s The Major Difference?

The major difference between Optimism and Pessimism is the beliefs and thoughts of the person.

William Shakespeare said: There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.

In other words, Shakespeare was suggesting it is our thoughts that control our outlook. If we inherently believe things are good, we are more like to see good things. If we inherently believe things are bad, we are more likely to see bad things.

Our Thoughts Shape What Comes To Us

If we constantly tell the Universe (through our thoughts), that things are good, it will send good things to us. If we constantly tell the Universe (again, through our thoughts), that things are bad, it will send bad things to us.

No one knows why that is the case, but it seems to be true.

This idea is often referred to as the Law of Attraction.

What Do I Believe?

I believe the Law of Attraction, taken by itself, is too simplistic. There is much more to it than that.

Anyone who has followed my site for any length of time, or read my 2 previous books, has read about the concept of Achievement IQ® and the 100 Laws of Positioning®.

If you have read about them, I stress that there are 4 main characteristics that control how successful we are (in other words, how good things will turn out).

They are:

• VISION
• ATTRACTION
• READINESS
• ACTION

As you can see, the Law of Attraction is only one part of the process.

So, What Controls Our Thoughts?

VISION – If you look for good, we will find good. If you look for bad, we will find bad. Optimists look for good things. Pessimists will look for bad. Guess what? – They both tend to find what they’re looking for.

ATTRACTION – We discussed this above.

READINESS – If you are ready to deal with good things as they come our way (and believe me – they WILL come, whether you’re ready or not), you will be positioning ourselves to have good things happen. If you are not ready, OR if you are only ready to deal with bad things, then you’ll will probably wind up with bad outcomes.

ACTION – If you actually make the effort to act when good things come, you will produce good results. If you sit back and don’t act, OR if you only act in a bad manner, then you will produce bad results.

So, What’s The Conclusion?

Most of what happens to you is up to you. YOU control. YOU decide.

I will follow that method of treatment which according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patient and abstain from whatever is harmful or mischievous. (excerpt from a modern version of the Hippocratic Oath)

First Do No Harm

Depending on your experiences, it is quite probable that you have heard the phrase “first do no harm” at least once in your life. That phrase is a shorthand way of describing a maxim that most doctors strongly believe in. Their belief is that it is their job to help their patients, not to harm them. As a consequence, one of the first things they make sure they do is not do anything that will harm the patient.

In other words, in order to accomplish their mission (helping the patient), the first thing they do is make sure they don’t take any actions that are inconsistent with their mission.

Unfortunately It Doesn’t Always Work Out That Way

Unfortunately, it has been my experience, there are many times in our lives when we take actions that are inconsistent with our mission.

It could be something as simple as wanting to accomplish a task for your job, but instead you decide to take the day off and not get your work done.

It could be something as simple as wanting to lose weight, but then going out to dinner and eating a bunch of rich, fattening food.

It could be many things.

Conscious Actions Versus Unconscious Ones

In the 2 previous examples provided, the inconsistent actions would probably have to be classified as “conscious” decisions to be inconsistent. You know you need to get your work done, but you don’t do it anyway. You know you shouldn’t eat the fattening foods at the restaurant, but you do it anyway.

But, what about unconscious decisions? I experienced a perfect example of that yesterday.

I arrived at a doctor’s office at 1:00 PM, on a typical hot, June day here in Arizona. The temperature outside was 90 degrees. The door to the office was locked, at the employees were inside eating their lunch. Waiting outside with me was an elderly man and his wife. They both appeared to be in their 70s, if not 80s. The man was using a cane and he was obviously having trouble standing.

The other people had previously knocked on the door and no one would let them in. The door finally opened up at 1:05 PM (5 minutes late) and we were all allowed to enter the air conditioned office and take a seat.  Over the past month, this was actually the second time I’d observed such a situation.

Upon entering, I suggested to the staff that they should be conscious of people (especially elderly ones) who are standing outside waiting for them to open up the office (especially on hot days).  The staff gave me a look as if they thought I was crazy.  They had, in my opinion, absolutely no clue as to the problems of elderly patients standing outside on hot days.

The staff told me it was their lunch hour and they were entitled to lock the doors and take their lunch in private.  In fact, their office manager had apparently told them that was what they were supposed to do.

I Ask You A Few Questions

What is the mission of the doctor? My guess is that they would say it is to treat their patients and helping them to get healthier.  In keeping with the Hippocratic, they would also say they want to avoid doing anything that would harm the patients.

What is the mission of the staff? – My guess is that they would say it is to assist the doctor in treating their patients and helping them to get healthier.

Were their actions consistent with their mission? – Yes and no.  While it is my opinion that the doctors office apparently does a good job of treating their patient’s illnesses (mine included), I would argue that they were totally unconscious of a way they were potentially harming their patients (making elderly people wait outside in 90+ degree temperature with nowhere to sit down.

Becoming Conscious

By vocalizing my opinion about the situation to both the staff and to the doctor directly, I obviously made them conscious of the situation.  So now, no one can argue that they didn’t know.

What Do You Do When You Become Conscious?

You can do one of two things.

A) Now that your conscious of the problem, you can attempt to take corrective measures.

B) Now that your conscious of the problem, you can bury your head in the sand and act as if the problem doesn’t exist.

Empowering Your Staff

I honestly believe, in my opinion, one of the problems in the above example is that the employees are not empowered to take corrective action on their own.  They are instructed to follow a set of procedures and they are not taught, or encouraged, to adjust their actions based upon the current circumstances.

I have ALWAYS made it a habit of encouraging my staff to “think on their feet”.  In the situation discussed above, the obvious answer would be for the staff to open their doors a few minutes earlier and allow the patients to wait in an air conditioned room where they could sit down.  BUT, for some reason, no one had thought about that and when it was brought to their attention, the staff indicated they were apparently not empowered to deviate from the proscribed procedures.

Am I Trying To Complain Here?

No.  I am not saying these things to complain.  I’m saying these things because I believe they illustrate two points previously outlined in the Laws of Positioning.

Law #14 – Position Yourself To Be Conscious

Law #15 – Position Yourself To Be Considerate

Law #16 – Position Yourself To Be Consistent

Law #28 – Position Yourself To Be Empathic

In Closing

I ask you, as you go through each and every day, ask yourself:

Were my actions today consistent with my mission?

A conviction is that commendable quality in ourselves that we call bullheadedness in others. (Author Unknown)

Some Definitions

Conviction - A fixed or firm belief. The state of being convinced.

Commendable – The state of being mentionable or worthy of confidence, notice, kindness, etc.; recommendable.

Quality – An essential or distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute. Character or nature, as belonging to or distinguishing a thing. Character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence.

Ourselves – A reflexive form of we. Often used in place of we or us, esp. in compound subjects, objects, and complements.

Call – To announce authoritatively; proclaim. To direct or attract (attention). To name or address. To designate as something specified.

Bullheadedness – Obstinately opinionated, esp. in refusing to consider alternatives; stubborn. Foolishly or irrationally stubborn; headstrong.

Others - Different or distinct from the one mentioned or implied. Different in nature or kind. Those who are distinguished from ourselves.

Source: Dictionary.com

What Is This Quote Suggesting?

It suggests that things we often admire in ourselves are often the very same things we hate about others.

For example, take a typical political situations.  You may strongly believe in the “rightness” of one of the candidates.  You take great pains to “stick to your guns” and defend that candidate at all costs.  You find your actions commendable.  Meanwhile, someone else who believes in the “rightness” of another candidate is doing the same thing.  Your initial inclination is to attack that person and to attack them for being stubborn and unreasonable.

Does This Mean We Can’t Ever Disagree With Someone?

No, it does not.  It merely means that we need to examine our motives (our convictions), just as closely as we examine those of others.

After closer examination, we may discover that we still feel strongly about our convictions and we are more convinced than ever that our position is the correct one.  We may also discover that some of the very faults that we see in the opinions of others are also present in our opinions.

There is an old saying that I believe describes this quite well:

That which we hate most in others is that which we hate most in ourselves.

What Am I Suggesting?

I’m suggesting that we need to constantly and consistently rexamine ourselves and ask:  Do I like what I see?  Am I on the right path?  Do I believe in what it is I’m doing?

If You Answered Yes

If the answers to those questions are YES, then keep on going and do so in the knowledge that you believe in yourself more strongly than ever before.

If You Answered No

If the answers to those questions are NO, then you must ask yourself what needs to change?  What can I do to make things better?  In other words, you must admit to yourself that some things need to change, which will make you a lot more humble and a lot wiser.

If You Are Like Me

If you are like me, you will find that it’s not as “clear-cut” as I’ve made it out to be in the prevoius few paragraphs

You will find that you feel VERY STRONGLY about SOME of your beliefs.  Those are the ones you need to stick to.

You will also find that you are UNCERTAIN about SOME of your beliefs.  Those are the ones that you need to reevaluate and possibly change.

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams. (Ashley Smith)

Some Definitions

Life – The general or universal condition of human existence. The course of existence or sum of experiences and actions that constitute a person’s existence.

Full / Fullest – Completely filled; containing all that can be held; filled to utmost capacity. Complete; entire; maximum.

Beauty – The quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).

Notice – Observation, perception, attention, or heed. Interested or favorable attention. Critical attention, appraisal, or evaluation.

Smell – To perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of.

Rain – Water that is condensed from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops.

Feel – To perceive or examine by touch. To have a sensation of (something), other than by sight, hearing, taste, or smell.

Wind – Air in natural motion, as that moving horizontally at any velocity along the earth’s surface.

Live – To have life, as an organism; be alive; be capable of vital functions. To experience or enjoy life to the full.

Life – The animate existence or period of animate existence of an individual. A corresponding state, existence, or principle of existence conceived of as belonging to the soul. The course of existence or sum of experiences and actions that constitute a person’s existence.

Smiling – To assume a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement.

Potential – The extent to which one is capable of being or becoming.

Fight – To contend in any manner; strive vigorously for or against something. To contend with or against in any manner.

Dreams – A condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration.

Source: Dictionary.com

A Beautiful Day

I’m in the midst of a VERY good day and my wife suggested that I write on the subject of beauty.

After a few seconds of thought, I agreed. It’s now 8:30 AM and I’ve been up for over 4 hours.

Here in Arizona, we tend to get up early in the morning during the summer, as the sun begins coming up at 4:30 AM.

I’ve already gone to the office and gotten caught up quite a bit. I’ve been blogging for the past 2 hours, plus I’ve spent quite a bit of time outside. People are already running around in the neighborhood and everything seems great.

What Is Different About Today Than Other Days?

I’ve already told you today is a beautiful day. What separates it from others?

I’m thinking the only thing that separates today from other days is our PERCEPTION of the day.

If we perceive that today is beautiful, it quite probably will be. If we perceive it is NOT beautiful, then it probably won’t be.

If Perception Is Everything, How Do We Make Today Beautiful?

We make today beautiful by controlling our perceptions. We must consciously chose to recognize and embrace everything that is positive around us and to ignore everything that is negative.

By positive, I mean the simple things, the wonderful smells in the morning air. The chirping birds. The smell of the rain. The beautiful landscape around us. Those are the positive things we must recognize.

We Must Accentuate The Positive And Eliminate The Negative

Positive is almost always good. Negative is almost always bad. It’s just that simple.

Our Dreams

Our dreams are the things we long for. The things we hope to achieve. Those are almost always positive. Positive things are the things we should fight for. And fight we must. Good things are worth fighting for. If your dreams are good, you must be willing to fight for them.

How Do We Know Our Dreams Are Good Ones?

We know our dreams are good ones IF they are consistent with our goals; if they are consistent with our hopes; if they are consistent with societies goals; and societies hopes.

That is what we should all strive for.  That is what makes life worth living.

Look for the beauty in every day.

Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy. (Eagles, from the song, Take it Easy)

An Observation About Songwriters / Musicians

In my opinion, songwriters and musicians often are some of the most “contemplative” people in our society. They take the time to observe. They take the time to think. They take the time to write and sing about what they think.

To me, this makes many of them special. We should pay attention to what they write; to what they say. There just might be some wisdom in their words.

I know there is definitely some wisdom in the above quote, but first, some definitions before we dig into it in detail.

Some Definitions

Sound – The particular auditory effect produced by a given cause.

Wheels – A cycle, recurring action, or steady progression. A rotating instrument that Fortune is represented as turning in order to bring about changes or reverses in human affairs. A wheeling or circular movement.

Spin – To cause to turn around rapidly, as on an axis; twirl; whirl. To move, go, run, ride, or travel rapidly. To have a sensation of whirling; reel.

Drive – To force to work or act. To impel; constrain; urge; compel. To keep (machinery) going.

Crazy – Mentally deranged; demented; insane. Senseless; impractical; totally unsound.

Obsess – To dominate or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of (a person); beset, trouble, or haunt persistently or abnormally, to think about something unceasingly or persistently; dwell obsessively upon something.

Source: Dictionary.com

What Does This Quote Suggest?

It suggests something I have observed in almost all people, including those who are successful and those who are not.

ALL of us, and I do mean ALL have a habit of allowing thoughts to “spin back and forth in our minds”. We frequently doubting ourselves. We frequently wonder whether or not what we are doing is the right thing. In other words, the wheels in our mind keep spinning, spinning and spinning.

Successful people control this. Unsuccessful people do not. It’s that simple.

If we can control the sound of our own “internal noise”, we allow ourselves the time to “think things through”

That is the process of the mental wheels spinning in our own minds.

Reasonable Control Is The Solution

So many people suggest that we must be in control, 100% of the time. I’m not so sure of that. I believe there are “varying” degrees of control, all of which are necessary to success.

I think if we need to be in total control, only a fraction of the time. The rest of the time, we need to be “fairly” in control. In other words, we can still make mistakes; we don’t need to be perfect. We just need to make sure that we are in control enough so that we don’t “mess up”.

The Sound Of Your Own Wheels

If you are like most people, the “sound of your own wheels” is often negative. You think thoughts like:

I would have done this.

I would have done that.

I should have done this.

I should have done that.

I could have done this.

I could have done that.

Woulda,Shoulda,Coulda

There is an old saying. Woulda, shoulda, coulda. If we focus all of our time on the things we would have done; the things we should have done; the things we could have done, we will drive ourselves nuts.

No matter how successful we are, we can always do better.

The main focus we all should have is that the minute we realize we could have done something better, we STOP. We analyze. We learn from it. THEN we move on. We do NOT obsess on the fact that we could have done something better.

When We Obsess, That Is The Problem

When we obsess, we begin to torment ourselves.   When we begin to torment ourselves, we start to go crazy.  That’s the very thing the song quote suggested.

There is nothing wrong with analyzing our actions and the results we derived from that.  A problem only arises when we dwell on those actions, over and over and over and over.   If we constantly think the same negative thoughts, we do not allow ourselves the time to “shift” into positive mode and to start thinking positive thoughts, which are based upon the things we learned from our actions.

Conclusion

The next time you find yourself dwelling on negative thoughts for too long, ask yourself:  What positive experience can I take from my negative thoughts.

Accentuate the positive.  Eliminate the negative.