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Tag: matter of discipline

The Business of Life

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iStock_000012206403XSmallWork LifeIt’s human nature to separate our lives into parts for convenience sake, so there’s a difference between work and family, for example. But sometimes these distinctions disrupt what would otherwise be an integral unity. Treating employees like family can go a long way toward your bottom line through their loyal, caring and purposeful efforts.

Values and principles aren’t okay over here in our family lives or relationships, yet we can drop them over there in business. No, we’re either going to be what we intend to be throughout all facets of our lives, or we’re not.

If the same concepts apply, why separate the basic elements of business as if they were these pieces that fit into the puzzle of our lives when we could equally consider life as a business itself?

In the market, value is determined by the benefit of something minus its cost, yes? These same principles apply to any part of our lives, from what we put into our bodies to the peer groups we choose. It’s not cold to think of life in business terms. The human element is that values, benefits and costs are unique to each of us, and thereby unquantifiable. That’s what makes each life—and business—unique with its own unique value to give.

The three elements to business success are:

  1. You have to have the right vehicle.
  2. You have to have the right knowledge.
  3. And you’ve got to be the right, true YOU!

If you don’t have the right vehicle are you going to make it? If you don’t have the right knowledge of how to use that vehicle, are you going to make it? If you don’t know who you are—your habits, your traits, your own strength—are you going to make it?

We don’t literally live our lives in vehicles all the time, but are you located where you need to be? If someone wanted to pursue acting and become a big star, Wyoming wouldn’t be the best place to pursue work. Yes, or yes? Also, having the right knowledge and knowing who you are go hand in hand if we were to think of successful lives as we think of successful businesses.

Your livelihood is not solely measured in your bank statements. It’s living life without doubt. It’s doing and being who you are and taking in everything that comes at you—the good, the bad and the ugly— knowing that you’re going to keep moving forward and succeeding again no matter what.

Right livelihood is a Buddhist principle, probably among other spiritual disciplines too. It’s not about how much money you make. That’s a part of it, but that will be a result of finding the right livelihood. It’s about matching what you do with who you are.

Let’s have some fun with this concept. If you were to think of your life as a business, what would you call it? Why? Does your name tie into the core of who you are or what value you have to give? We’re looking forward to some fun, creative responses.  Post below!

The Secrets to Believe and Succeed

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iStock_000007655825XSmallSUCCESSSSometimes it’s easy to tell when someone isn’t certain of something or maybe harmlessly fibbing when you ask them a question and they give you an answer you don’t believe. Not that it’s always a big deal—like asking someone “Are you sure,” and they answer, “Yeah,” kind of like they’re asking a question, not stating a truth.

Try that in business or pitching yourself or your product or in fact whatever! For frick sake if you don’t believe in yourself, why should anybody else? This can become another one of those “Duh, Harv” moments. “Of course you have to believe in what you’re doing.” But is that what most people really live, do and sincerely … believe?

After all, believing means having confidence in the truth or absolute reliability of something without being able to absolutely prove that you’re right. There’s always that chance that you’re dead wrong. And that’s what holds so many people back, often without them realizing it. Fear of being wrong is insidious, undermining, and can become a success killer.

The most important thing about your business—your vehicle—is you have to freaking believe in it so much you would stand and shout it from the top of the roof to everybody, every minute of every day. If you can’t do that, you don’t believe in what you do enough.

When you find something that you really believe in and get it into your subconscious, there’s no problem in telling people what you do, or the value you’re offering. Preparation, education (which implies knowing that what you believe in can always be improved), execution—these are the sledgehammers that break through those inner obstacles, the roots that block us.

Sometimes, though, those roots can go very deep. This goes back to blueprint. Or a bad experience onhealthy.net/product/celebrex/ with belief, in one way or another, somehow internalized. If you can’t get past taking a shot in the dark without absolute certainty that you’re going to hit your target, what else do you think you can’t get past in life? Try everything! Anything! You stay in that comfort zone and even a little step outside becomes uncomfortable.

But guess what? Making a million dollars is not so comfortable! It’s like stretching muscles that you didn’t even know you had. It’s gonna feel tense at first, or maybe for a while, but the more you exercise your success muscles, the more successful you’ll be.

Belief and faith go hand-in-hand, and they are the foundation of success as much as energy is the basic unit of everything that ever existed. The idea of faith—as in “higher power”—is uncomfortable for some, but the same rules apply. Faith is simply doing and being from a place of not knowing what the outcome will be, but doing it anyway and accepting the result, whatever it may be.

But we won’t even get there without the basic unit of inner strength—belief in ourselves, in what we’re doing, in what we’re creating, in what we’re becoming. The science to get there is learnable. The spiritual aspect is something we have to continuously nurture.

We’ve been knee-deep in the nuts and bolts of business over these last few blogs. Now it’s time to open up the forum to your thoughts on belief, faith and success, and look for more spiritual lessons and thoughts next week.

But before we go there, it’s your turn to tell me what you think. What tips or strategies do you use to breakthrough your inner obstacles?  Others can learn from your methods, so share below!

Go Hard or Go Home

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iStock_000010769378XSmallgoHARD

I’ve seen that mantra in several different contexts, in particular to athletics or anything with a kind of “edge” to it. It comes off a little severe, like something those guys who pound each other in cages on Pay per View would say. Train hard, push hard, work hard, fight hard. Otherwise, what’s the point?

In general, people recognize the truth in the phrase ‘Go Hard or Go Home.’ If you’re going to do something, either be the absolute best you can be or don’t do it at all. Well, not everything. You can enjoy the heck out of playing golf, but you don’t have to be a PGA player to get something out of playing. You do it strictly because you want to, no reasons needed.

Consider, though, the difference between something you do for fun versus something you’re doing for your life, like working toward financial freedom, or living more healthy. Being an average golfer is fine, but there’s no such thing as an average millionaire. You’re either a millionaire or you’re not, and quite frankly there aren’t as many millionaires as there are wanna-be millionaires.

In other words, you can’t just “okay” yourself to riches. You’re either going to master wealth, or you’re not.

That’s where the warrior mentality is critical for the mind of the millionaire. The warrior always chooses to be a master. A warrior has to! There is no other option. For a real warrior, mastery can make the difference between life and death. Not that being anything less than rich equals being dead, but the same kind of must-mentality is … a must!

Mastery isn’t as much a skill as it is a matter of discipline, desire, and commitment to taking your life to another level. Most people are not living anywhere near their potential because they’re playing in the minor leagues. Major leaguers, no matter what job or industry, are making lots of money because they’re not afraid of themselves, the work, the responsibility, making the necessary changes, of playing big, and they believe they must play big in order to win big.

Does it take more work to play in the majors than in the minors? Not necessarily. It takes more practice for sure, but sometimes all it takes are minor adjustments to your thinking and how you apply your skills in order to make big changes.

If you want to master anything, you’ll have to do at least some things differently. Your standards must change, your thinking needs to change from “This is okay” to “I can do much better,” and you’ll need to find reasons why there’s room to get bigger rather than reasons why not.

Can you be a master at everything? No, nor does anybody need to be. You need, instead, to prioritize, choose and focus on those things you really want for yourself. Whatever you choose, know that you’re going to master it or not take it on. If you aren’t willing to see your potential and hold yourself to it, then you won’t master much.

You will always get what you’re willing to settle for. The hardest part isn’t actually becoming a master. It’s deciding that you’re going to be one in the first place, and not going backwards from that moment on.

Now it’s your turn!  Are you playing in the major leagues or still down at the minors?  If you are mastering your life, what was the turning point to get you to make the shift up?  If you are still in the minors, what will it take to get you to play bigger?  Share here—someone just might read what you write and be inspired to live a better life.