Wisdom From Experience

Tuesday August 11, 2015 #748

“Good judgment comes from experience, and experience – -well, that comes from poor judgment.”

~Cousin Woodman

It is usual that the vast majority of our accumulated wisdom comes from having reflected upon, and learned from, the many times we have failed.  Most of our failures, of course, come from simple naiveté or careless errors of judgment, vs. fundamental weaknesses.  The point is to make the best judgments and decisions you can, with the information you can glean at that time, and keep moving.  The more you experience, and the more failures and ultimately successes you collect along the way, the more your judgment and wisdom grows, reducing the number of errors and building a sense of confidence and excitement for the challenges still to come.

Grow Your Capacity to Give

Thursday August 13, 2015 #749

“The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.”

~Wallace Wattles

Giving of your time, wealth and resources to others is exceptionally rewarding and I believe a social and moral imperative.  However, you must never cease building your resources – physical, financial, emotional.  It is only through continuing to make the most of yourself that your resources, and therefore your capacity to give, continue to grow.  Never stop learning, never stop innovating, never stop finding new ways to solve old and new problems.  You are key to the success of those around you – keep pushing yourself and those you lead to create value and resources that can help ever more people succeed along with you.

Be the Student

Tuesday July 14, 2015 #740

“Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new.”

~Og Mandino

No matter where you are in life, there will always be more to learn which can add to your skills, prepare you for new circumstances, and provide joy in living.  When you think you’ve learned all you need to learn, that is when you have guaranteed the end of your personal growth and begin to become ineffective and irrelevant.  It is only when we realize that we are always the student, and that everyone we meet has something to teach us, that we can continue our lifelong journey of becoming the person we were meant to be.

Be Curious

Tuesday July 7, 2015 #738

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

~Walt Disney

Often times when you find yourself in a rut, the culprit is a loss of curiosity.  The same curiosity that drove us as children to explore new territory, to read and learn, to meet new people, and to try new things is what we need as adults to keep us inspired, interested, and moving forward.  I believe we need to actively engage our curiosity by reading and learning about new ideas and topics, traveling to new places near or far, meeting new people – especially those who challenge our thinking, and developing new skills.  These actions not only energize us, they create a habit of curiosity which helps us renew and inspire us throughout our lives.  Be curious.

Curiosity

Tuesday April 28, 2015 #720

“Oftentimes the thing that makes the difference between a good student and a poor one, a good learner or a bored human being, is just a little curiosity. If you have it, cultivate it, feed it. Never let it go. If you do not have it – get it. Wonder, watch, ask questions, be alive. It’s just that simple”

~Marjorie Pay Hinckley

The difference between sustainable, recurring success and a pattern of failure often comes down to a question of curiosity.  Spend a little time today in critical reflection of your own thought patterns, habits and behaviors.  Do you accept information and decisions at face value, or do you ask questions and clarify intent?  Do you hold on to your opinions and beliefs long after the basis of these have been refuted or challenged?  Or do you allow your beliefs to evolve through an ongoing habit of questioning, reading, listening, and learning?  It is your choice.  You can be stuck in a pattern of mediocrity and even ongoing failure, or you can take control of your destiny through critical thinking, intelligent inquiry, and flexibility to change and evolve.  Be curious!

Today is the Day to Live

Tuesday April 14, 2015 #716

“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.” 

~Dalai Lama

How often do you find yourself spending time either focused on the glories or painful memories of the past or fears or dreams of the future?  While there can be great value in positive memories or past learning, as well as in imagining the future we desire, for most people time spent in the past and future occupy far more of our attention than they deserve.  In this day, in this moment, lie your power to use the lessons of the past to take the actions necessary to achieve your future ambitions.  Focus most of your energy on taking action now, and fully experiencing the potential of today, and you will find you can truly live.

Risk Taking

Thursday April 9, 2015 #715

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

~Mark Zuckerberg

Most of us are taught at home, at school, and at work how to plan effectively to minimize and avoid risk.  This has been an ineffective way to prepare for today’s reality of exceptional speed and change, and frankly has never been a good strategy.  Change has always been a constant, and the difference today is the speed of that change.  What we must all develop is the capacity and courage to take frequent and appropriate risks.  The environment around us is changing so rapidly that we must move more quickly than may be comfortable and this requires taking risk.  We can and should prepare for our decisions regarding risk through developing intellectual curiosity, learning as much as possible and paying attention to what is happening around us.  The risks we take will be necessary and more likely to succeed.  Standing still and avoiding risk is not an option.  Prepare as best you can, but act, even if it is risky.

The Benefits of Failure

Tuesday March 3, 2015 #704

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”

~Dalai Lama

No matter your skills and capabilities, or your well-laid plans, you can never avoid all failures.  And that’s OK.  In fact, never having a serious failure is counter to reaching the levels of success you are capable of.  It is only through the growth you will experience while navigating challenges and learning from failures that you will reach your potential.  So don’t fret when you face hardships and even fail.  Just be sure to recognize and take advantage of their learning and growth potential.

Learning From Our Mistakes

Tuesday February 17, 2015 #701

 “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”

 ~James Joyce

 Rather than focusing on avoiding mistakes, which are inevitable for anyone trying to push themselves to achieve their dreams, to challenge their capabilities, and to explore possibilities, the real value-add activity is to use mistakes to learn.  When mistakes are a result of carelessness, the key learning is the need for intentional action.  But when mistakes are the result of intentionally pushing boundaries, the discoveries can be profound – but only if you take the time to carefully reflect, learn and apply the learning to your actions ahead.  Push yourself to discover the wisdom in your inevitable mistakes.

Learning Through 700 JAMs!

Thursday February 5, 2015 #700

“Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins.”

~Jim Rohn

As I reflect on the milestone of writing my 700^th JAM with Mike, I am most grateful for all I have learned from and about you, and about myself in the process.  I don’t always follow my own advice, but I try!  And, whether you have been with me since the beginning in 2008 (and thank you for that!), or have just recently joined, I hope you have learned something about your ability to help yourself and others achieve greatness and find joy in living.  I have learned from so many of you and I look forward to our mutual learning in the next 700 JAMs!