“Argue as if you are right and listen as if you are wrong.”

“Argue as if you are right and listen as if you are wrong.”

—Chip Conley, American hotelier, author, and speaker

Image from Unsplash by Maria Krisanova

We all desire autonomy. We all wish to be heard and to have what we say make an impact and influence our world. To do that, we must voice our thoughts and opinions, sometimes loudly.

After all, speaking about the future well beyond our current reality may never be noticed if we are silent or only whisper our views to avoid a ruckus.

We have two ears and one mouth. Our creator must have known that we would need to hear other’s voices that might be contrary to our own, and consider the possibility of our own views being incorrect.

EXERCISE:

To what degree do you currently speak up and argue for what you believe?

How carefully and completely do you currently listen to others, given the potential for being wrong?

In which of these areas and with whom would an extra effort make the biggest difference?

“Setting your intentions is like drawing an arrow…”

“Setting your intentions is like drawing an arrow from the quiver of your heart.”

—Bruce Black, American writer, teacher, and poetry judge

Image from Unsplash by Bianca Berg

The modern expression, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions” is a proverb first published in the mid 1800s in Henry G. Bohn’s Handbook of Proverbs. An alternative form is, “Hell is full of good meanings, but Heaven is full of good works.”

In 2004, Dr. Wayne Dyer published The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-Create Your World Your Way, which is one of my personal favorites.

EXERCISE:

What are your intentions for 2020?

How many heart-based efforts do you intend to realize, personally and professionally?

How may arrows will you let fly?

“You can’t expect to hit the jackpot if you don’t put a few nickels in the machine.”

“You can’t expect to hit the jackpot if you don’t put a few nickels in the machine.”

—Flip Wilson, 20th Century American comedian and actor

Image from Unsplash by DEAR

Are you a gambler? When was the last time you went to a casino hoping to hit it big, knowing in the back of your mind that the house always wins?

What if today’s quote were suggesting a different type of wager, in which we bet on our resources of time and effort?

EXERCISE:

In what areas of your life will you insert a few more nickels to guarantee hitting the jackpot?

Unlike money, you will never run out of the currency to bet on yourself.

“We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.”

“We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.”

Alan Turing, 20th Century English computer scientist

Image from Unsplash by The New York Public Library

The world recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of man’s landing on the moon.

It is interesting to note that many of the first pioneers into space pointed to the fragility of the earth and how vital it is for all of us to be better stewards of our precious planet.

We are so often enthralled by the big picture that we can fail to pay attention to what is right before us, as today’s quote implies.

Did you know that the human eye is so sensitive that if you were standing on a mountain top on a dark night, you could see a candle flame flickering up to 30 miles away? The height of the mountain would remove the impact of the earth’s curvature.

We can also sense the light from the Andromeda Galaxy, composed of about a trillion stars and located an amazing 2.6 million light-years from Earth.

Yet how often do we not see what is right in front of us?

EXERCISE:

Regardless of how far you can see, what are some of your top personal, professional, and even global priorities that need your best efforts?

Friday Review of Posts on Effort

FRIDAY REVIEW: EFFORT

Where do you put your strongest efforts in life? Here are a few effort-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the messages.

 

“The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.”

 

 

 

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”

 

 

 

“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.”

 

 

 

 

“Greatness comes by beginning something that doesn’t end with you.”

“Greatness comes by beginning something that doesn’t end with you.”

—Robin Sharma, Author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari series

Image of the Great Wall of China

Image from Unsplash by Hanson Lu

The other night a close friend of ours placed a video call to me from The Great Wall of China. She was overcome with delight as she shared this 4,000 mile long structure that took about a thousand years to build.

Some other great human achievements include:

  • The Great Pyramid at Giza
  • Machu Pichu
  • The Taj Mahal
  • The Empire State Building
  • The Panama Canal
  • Man’s Landing on the Moon

EXERCISE:

What other great human achievements can you think of? What efforts and achievements have you begun and contributed to so far in your life? What personal and professional projects are you planning or beginning that will leave a legacy well into the future?

There’s no ceiling on effort

“There’s no ceiling on effort.”

—Harvey C. Fruehauf, President of HCF Enterprises

Image from Canva

Are you at the absolute pinnacle of success in all areas of life? If you answered “no,” or “not really,” today’s quote may get you a bit closer to your goals.

I’ll share with you three key attributes to success I learned from a wise coach and mentor early in my life, when I worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a sales person.

It uses the acronym: A.S.K. to point to the elements that lie within us or that can be developed to reach higher levels of achievement in virtually any are we desire.

The “A” stands for activity. It points us to the fact that the level of effort we put forth on any particular task is up to us. I like the idea that there is no ceiling or limit placed on us, and that through persistence, tenacity, and grit, we can all achieve far more of what we most desire.

It is through such massive efforts we can progress on to the “S” and “K,” which stand for skills and knowledge.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what important personal or professional goal can and will you raise the ceiling on your current efforts to gain the skills and knowledge to reach new levels of success?

Anybody who is not pulling his weight

“Anybody who is not pulling his weight is probably pushing his luck.”

—Adi Da Samraj, 20th Century American spiritual teacher

Image of a man tugging a thick rope

Image from Unsplash by Stijn Swinnen

Consider the following three aspects of your life, and determine your level of effort, success, and satisfaction:

  • Career
  • Relationships
  • Health

Examine how often you put in the time, focus, and heavy lifting to achieve your goals in each area.

Consider those around you with sluggish careers, failing relationships, and poor or diminished health. What do you observe regarding their efforts?

EXERCISE:

Where would pulling more of your weight bring you greater luck and good fortune in these are other important aspects of your life?

What actions will you take today to put on some more muscle, to tone up your life?

All rising to great place is by a winding stair

“All rising to great place is by a winding stair.”

—Sir Francis Bacon, 16th Century Lord Chancellor of England

Image of a winding staircase

Image from MTM

When I was a young boy, my family took a trip to New York City to see some sights and take in a show at Radio City Music Hall. We also had a fancy meal that included chocolate mousse in an edible chocolate shell. This was a very big deal even though we lived nearby in Philadelphia.

A highlight of our visit was walking up the winding staircase to the crown of the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island, to view the harbor and the New York City skyline.

I distinctly remember the aching and burning in my legs as we climbed to this extraordinary vantage point.

EXERCISE:

What current or future staircases are you climbing – or will you climb – to reach the great places you intend to go? What will make the considerable effort worth the winding journey?

You know you’re getting old when

“You know you’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you can do while you’re down there.”

—George Burns, 20th Century comedian and actor

Image from New York Daily News

George Burns the actor, writer, singer, and perhaps most notably, comedian, was a bit of an expert on aging. He lived to be 100. His career spanned over 75 year in vaudeville, radio, and even film, where at the age of 79, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 1975 film, The Sunshine Boys.

Along with his comedic wit, George must have been an efficiency expert, looking to squeeze all the value out of his efforts, even along the short journey down to tie his shoes.

EXERCISE:

Where would a “work smarter, not harder” approach to your daily efforts make the biggest difference in the days, weeks, months, and years to come?