Tag Archives: effort

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

Posted on by

“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.”

Posted on by

“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

Posted on by

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.”

Posted on by

“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

Posted on by

“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

Posted on by

“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

Posted on by

“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

Posted on by

“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?

You Have Been Assigned This Mountain

Posted on by

“You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.”

—Author Unknown

Image of a man on a boulder

Image from Unsplash by Tommy Lisbin

Over the years, I’ve posted many times about climbing to the top of one’s personal and professional mountains, to reach the pinnacle of success.

Moving a mountain is a considerable twist on the subject. It implies that an immovable object or enormous barrier must be shifted, not simply climbed.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what mountainous project or endeavor is it time to dig in, one shovelful at a time, to pass freely to the other side?

How can and will your efforts demonstrate for others what may be possible for them if they were to dig into their own mountainous barriers?

Here is another post about moving mountains.

Friday Review Effort

Posted on by

FRIDAY REVIEW: EFFORT

How much effort do you put into your daily tasks? Here are a few effort-related posts you may have missed.

 

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

 

 

 

 

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.”

 

 

 

 

“You can either throw in the towel, or use it to wipe your sweat.”