Sunday, August 15, 2010

What's RIGHT with You?!?

What's WRONG RIGHT with You?!?

"Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours." - Swedish Proverb

I love that quote above because it has one of my all-time favorite words in it 5 times. That word is "more". I love that word because it's neverending. You can always have and be "more". More today than yesterday, and more tomorrow than today.

So, how does that play into "What's RIGHT with You" - the title of this newsletter. Well, in life, we seem to find more of what we look for. You can seek more joy and find it. Or you can choose the mindset of seeking more pain and find it as well.

What is your focus?

So many people have been trained most of their lives to look for risks (i.e. what can go wrong). Starting in elementary school, we're taught to solve problems. That's what homework is all about... read this and solve the problems.

When are we going to learn that the greatest success comes from seeking opportunities not finding and identifying problems and challenges? When are learning institutions going to give their students exercises on finding opportunities?

Opportunity vs. Risk

Our brains are trained from a young age to look at what's wrong. Our self-worth is sometimes defined by how many problems that we can fix or avoid. Many people think that the brain 'naturally' functions that way. I believe that it has been coached and trained to think that way. Sure, the brain has a natural instinct for recognizing errors, but the mind can choose what to focus on.

From entrepreneurs to project managers to sales people... you are taught to find the pain, the problem... to look for what's wrong and come up with a solution. It sounds logical and it is helpful (please don't misunderstand my point.)

Let's look at the people that have "made it", who are highly successful and wealthy. Since I have an Information Technology background, let's look at Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. These are two highly successful gentlemen. They have changed the lives of millions and millions of people. Did they do it by looking for problems? Or, did they do it by looking for opportunities?

Read more...