Jason Shick

Posted By Jason Shick on February 6, 2010

Courtesy of pseudology.org

Have you ever had a problem you wanted to fix and you wanted it fixed NOW!… Of course you have, we all have. The problem is that many times we try to fix the problem by focusing on the wrong things. If you focus on the wrong thing you never will fix the problem. It would be like spraying the fire alarm with the fire extinguisher instead of spraying the fire. It may stop the alarm from going off, but you still have a problem that is getting worse with time.

To illustrate the point I’m trying to make I want to use an example you’ve heard many times. The example of ripening and fruit. There is much talk about reaping what we sow. To have a bountiful harvest we must plant good seeds, nurture and water those seeds, and then harvest the crop. But take a minute right now to think about roots. There are shallow roots & deep roots, thick roots & think roots, great roots & bad roots. Don’t let your mind wander now because here comes the big idea, the “aha moment”, the important phrase to remember. If you remember only one thing from this post, remember this catch-phrase… the roots determine the fruits.  I’ll repeat it, “THE ROOTS DETERMINE THE FRUITS.”

If you have undesirable results, circumstances, or habits in your life, these are your fruits. If you don’t like your results, it won’t do you any good to focus on the problem or “fruit”. You can’t fix a banana once it’s bad. You can pump it full of chemicals and drugs… it won’t help (this is what doctors try to do when our unhealthy lifestyle choices come to fruition… and we usually encourage it.) The mistake these health care providers are making is that they are trying to treat the symptoms, which is another name for the fruit, not the cause(root). You can put a band-aid on your bad fruit, it still won’t help. The only way you can fix the fruit is to fix root.

Here’s the kicker… you’re the tree. The fruits are your results. If you want better results in your life, focus on your roots and while doing this keep in mind that fruit doesn’t grow overnight. Don’t expect to sprinkle some personal development miracle grow on your life and in 24 hours be the next Zig Ziglar or Tony Robbins. It takes time. Here are some interesting root facts and I trust you will be able to see the connections:

1) Roots seek out and soak up nutrients the plant needs in order to thrive. In fact, every root has tiny hairs on it that help soak up all the minerals and nutrients possible. Are you soaking up everything of value in your life? Are you seeking out opportunities to learn and grow?

2) In some plants, such as beetroots, the roots even store food for seasons in the future when nutrients and minerals may not be so readily available. Do you have enough positive stored up in you to offset those bad days and negative people you are going to inevitably run into?

3) The deepest root ever measured grew 68 meters, or 223 feet deep! That’s quite a journey for a food supply. How committed are you to feeding your spirit (roots) what it needs in order for you to become the person you were destined to be and have the potential to become?

4) In response to the concentration of nutrients, roots also create cytokinin which acts as a signal to how fast the plant can grow…. read that again!…

…seriously, go back and read it again right now.

If you didn’t read it again (or even if you did) let me unpack it a little more. The root creates a chemical (cytokinin), based on how many nutrients it comes into contact with. This chemical then communicates to the plant or gives in instruction/permission as to how fast it can grow! This is so perfectly parallel to life. If you want to grow and develop your character and skills quickly, you must soak your roots in nutrient rich soil- Are you reading good books, listening to good cd’s, and surrounding yourself with positive, intentional people?

I could go on and on. I’ve found some really interesting facts about roots, their purpose, and how they work. So much of the world correlates to our lives when we actively look for the connections. As my good friend Gregory Carr likes to say, “be encouraged” and focus on your roots… not on your fruits. The fruits will take care of themselves because the only way you can fix the fruit is to fix the root.

Category: Personal Development | No Comments »
Tags: anthony, crop, fruit, fruition, fruits, harvest, nutrients, personal development, plants, reaping, results, robbins, root, roots, sowing, tony, zig, ziglar

Posted By Jason Shick on January 30, 2010

Courtesy of "standupforamerica"

“It’s never too late to become the person you could have been.” -George Eliot

Reputation is how people perceive you. Integrity implies doing the right thing for the right reasons. Please don’t confuse integrity with reputation. As you develop yourself and become a person of character that is able to influence a following, it’s sometimes easy to get sucked into thinking that as long as your reputation is outstanding, then you’re fine. This fallacy is simply not true. Sometimes a leader has an outstanding reputation but there is little or nothing to their character.

Have you ever worked for somebody that everyone thought was the most wonderful person, but you knew differently? That’s a classic example of integrity and character verses reputation or popularity. With good marketing, reputation can be fabricated for the short term, but it always fails in the long run. People who are not honest to the core, have a hard time finding committed followers. They may have people who stick with them for many years but those people are typically following a paycheck, not a person. These people are not committed to the vision. In fact, down deep they may really dislike the job and their leader, which in turn may cause them to speak poorly of their organization, causing damage in the long run. This eventually destroys the false image of reputation.

The antithesis of this is when a person has tremendous integrity but their reputation has been run through the mud. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Perhaps unpopular choices or difficult situations have taken their toll on the leader’s organization. If you ever find yourself in this position, it is so important for you to act with integrity in all you do if you ever hope for things to change… and they will change. They will change because reputation is fickle; character is enduring. The tide changes with reputation quite frequently. It’s more volatile than the NY stock exchange on a bad day. This is an unfortunate and harsh reality- if this volatility is something you can’t handle, you may want to reconsider being in a leadership position.

But IF you’ve decided you can handle it and IF you realize it comes with the territory, then the best thing to do is try to ignore it. This is easier said than done sometimes, but you must decide who you are going to become and head boldly in that direction. Never waver from your core values when making decisions based on how it might affect your reputation or how people might view you. In the end, sincere integrity will rise above reputation every single time! Sometimes leaders simply have to choose the lesser of two evils when situations arise, which makes the leader an obvious target for criticism. Keep your motives pure. Genuinely love people. Stick to the vision and move forward with BOLDNESS remembering “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” - 2 Timothy 1:7.

Category: leadership | No Comments »
Tags: bold, boldness, character, criticism, direction, integrity, leader, leadership, motive, motives, perception, popularity, reputation, Vision, visionary

Posted By Jason Shick on December 24, 2009

Courtesy of blogitlikeyoumeanit.com

The new year is just around the corner. Christmas is almost here. I love this time of year. My thoughts are drawn to what is truly important… family,  friends, and my Savior. Not necessarily in that order either.  I’m leaving for vacation soon and thought I should put up a post for the month.  Before I get into the topic mentioned in the title of this article, I just want to encourage you to allow yourself the opportunity to remember what this season is about. It’s so easy and automatic to block out all the Christmas stuff because it’s so commercialized, but there really is a reason behind all the hoop-la. If you aren’t a fan of this little baby they call the Messiah… well, good luck with that. I figure, if I’m wrong… so what. If you’re wrong… sucks to be you. But in all seriousness, if you have questions or doubts, earnestly seek God and he will show up.  Have a wonderful Christmas and I hope you enjoy the rest of the post.

Moving on, I had a wonderful conversation today with a good friend of mine whom I have known for many years.  We started discussing purpose. Purpose is an interesting word. Many people claim that they believe everybody has a purpose, but when pressed for theirs, the majority of people can’t tell you with any reasonable certainty what they believe their specific purpose is.  It has different names. Purpose, destiny, calling, or an anointing, but they all basically point to the same thing.  At some point, everybody asks the question of all questions of themselves. What is my purpose or what is the meaning of (my) life. It’s the classic search for significance. Unfortunately, sometimes people go years and even their entire lives without finding an inner peace to this question.

There are a few commonalities that show up in a person’s intellectual search. The first time this question comes up, people typically find a quick (yet challenging) answer and pursue it. This is the first stage. The may decide it is money, helping people, family, faith, success, or a variety of other things. They will then pursue this activity for a period of time. But eventually the question comes up again because it was never really wrestled with to begin with- it was only answered on a superficial level…. BUT the person never really answered this question… “what is the purpose of MY life? What am I designed for?” This is the same question as ‘what is my purpose?’ but it’s also very different than ‘what is MY purpose?’ The emphasis on “my” makes all the difference.

By emphasizing a person’s specific bent it becomes easier to focus and define a particular person’s purpose. For example, I know my purpose is to help people. The obvious response to that though is “so what?… lot’s of people think their purpose is to help people.” The true question of significance cannot be identified until a person takes time to really look at what they are naturally suited for. Before reading too much more, you must understand that what I’m about to outline stems a lot from my faith. When I struggle with these questions I turn to my God and my Bible. So that being said, if you come from a similar belief system you should find this blog post a useful guide. If you don’t come to the table with the same beliefs, I encourage you to test it, think about it, use what you can, and discard what you wish.

Here are a few tips for identifying and understanding purpose.

#1) There is not a mystical pill for figuring out your purpose or destiny. There’s not a seven step plan or pattern. You could probably find one online, but that’s only because you can find anything online.  Identifying, understanding, and developing your purpose will take a lifetime and it will evolve as you do.

#2) Please understand that passion is the number one clue to your purpose. Yes you were created. But  the word created is used so flippantly. I like the word designed better. You were designed with a purpose in mind. Those deep seeded passions and desires you have within you that seem to draw you to them were placed there by God to help fulfill the purpose he has for you. If you are passionate about something- pray for guidance and  start moving in that direction. If you aren’t a believer I still encourage you to pray to God for guidance because if God doesn’t exist, he won’t move on you behalf… but if he does, maybe he’ll surprise you! Anyway, your inner desires are there by design, not by accident! God knew you would be drawn to whatever it is that draws you because he planted that desire in your heart before you were born- that is, when he designed you.

#3) God will give you a mountain to climb.   When you really tap into your purpose, your dream will probably be much bigger than what you could currently see yourself accomplishing. It will look like a mountain. You’ll feel challenged by the thought of scaling it, but at the same time you will have an insatiable desire to commit to climbing to the peak. In fact, you won’t be sure whether you can scale it or not- but the thought of trying will excite you! When you have that feeling within you, you have found your mountain. God has given you this mountain. Others may even think it’s a lofty or unreasonable thing for you to want to climb the mountain… forget them. It’s not their mountain. It’s your mountain. God has given you this mountain. Of course it’s big. It’s supposed to be. It will always be something you can’t accomplish on your own because your destiny is meant to do two things- cause growth and bring you closer to God. If your mountain wasn’t bigger than you, you would never challenge yourself and grow because you wouldn’t need to. You would also never be seeking God because you would have it under control. But it is when we feel inadequate that we seek God out first, so your purpose will naturally draw you closer to God as you try to accomplish it.

Pray for guidance. Keep these things in mind and begin to listen for what excites you. It’s never to late to begin something that should have started long ago. Find your mountain, resolve to finish what you start, take a big breath, and start climbing! Merry CHRIST-mas and a happy new year!

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Tags: ambition, anointing, calling, challenge, Christ, christmas, destiny, evolve, God, growth, mountain, purpose, savior, significance, Success, successful

Posted By Jason Shick on November 23, 2009

heartsandhome.com

“Discipline, not desire, determines a man’s destiny.” – Andy Stanley

This past week I spent some time watching Dave Ramsey (who has some great ideas by the way). His show recently highlighted people who have overcome tremendous obstacles in their lives. Their stories were unbelievably inspiring. One guy had overcome cerebral palsy and a speech impediment to become a motivational speaker. Another was born with a handicap and ultimately a business was born out of that handicap which has become quite successful. To be honest, I didn’t get to catch every show for the week, but I wish I had.

At the end of the week Ramsey made an observation that is worth mentioning. Ramsey provided commentary on what success looks like from the outside as compared to how it is perceived. Many times success can be perceived as being easy to the outside observer. Almost all wildly successful people seem to rise out of nowhere- suddenly and without expectation. The perception is that they immediately (and easily) conquered the mountain of success in whatever industry they appeared in. Then they move on to victoriously crown themselves the king or queen of the mountain and live happily ever after. But from the perspective of the person on top of the mountain- the person who has painfully labored for that success, the climb to the top is dramatically different than the accepted perception of it.

Ramsey made a comment that has stuck with me and I’ve thought about it often this weekend. I’m not sure I have the wording right, but here is the general idea… “Success is seen from the outside as a gleaming mountain, but successful people know the mountain is actually a pile of garbage, they just happen to be standing on top of it.” The idea is that success is really a series of bad experiences a person must go through in order to come out on top. It is these experiences and failures that actually enable a person to achieve success. Thomas Edison is known for saying “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” We must accept the fact that true success in any endeavor requires hard, sustained, focused WORK. Unfortunately, many people suffer from D.T.S.S. (Drive-Through-Success-Syndrome) which causes them to quit before they achieve the success they desire.

As you move forward in your success quest, remember that success in any endeavor is not analogous to fast food… it’s more comparable to a meal that slowly stews in a crock pot. As you work on yourself and your business, over a long period of time, the aroma begins to draw people to you. Running your life and business with this in mind takes more time, however, it produces higher quality results. If success is taking longer than you anticipated, be encouraged, hold fast to your vision, and continue to create with crock-pot certainty. Don’t ever allow failure to steer you away from creativity and innovation- sometimes the best crock-pot meals contain the most creative ingredients!

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Tags: crock-pot, dave, dave ramsey, innovation, perseverance, Success, successful, Vision

Posted By Jason Shick on October 31, 2009

The Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley

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The Principle of the Path is a book written by Andy Stanley. If you’ve ever felt like you are stuck somewhere in your life and can’t seem to get to the destination you want to get to, then this book is for you. Conversely, if you’ve ever ended up somewhere and wondered how in the world you ended up there and what to do now, this would also be a great read for you. The entire book can be summed up as a practical guide to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. The principle of the path can be stated like this “direction, NOT intention, determines destination.”

The weakness of the book is that the concept is so simple. The idea is that if you don’t get on the right path, it doesn’t matter how fast you go, you will never arrive at the right destination. There are a few times in the book where some readers may think to themselves….. ‘duh’. But interestingly enough, the weakness of the book is also it’s strength. This simple concept, which is blatantly obvious in the physical realm, is often overlooked when it comes to the different paths we choose in life. Andy constantly reminds us that for some reason there is a huge disconnect in our lives when it comes to this principle. The first chapter or so I thought to myself  ‘is that it? There’s got to be more to this principle, I mean… he wrote an entire book on it’. But as I got deeper into the book, I started to see how even in my own life (and some of those around me), this disconnect is alive and well.

Recommendation: If you’re looking for an “aha” concept and you haven’t had that “aha” moment reading this book review- then you probably won’t have it reading the book itself either. I am quite serious when I say that the principle of the path is simply “direction, not intention, determines destination.” However, if you think there might be a disconnect in your life AND you have an open mind, this book is a great resource for pinpointing some of the reasons why that may be occurring and also gives some practical advise as to what you can do about it.

Rating: 3.75 stars

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Category: Book Reviews | No Comments »
Tags: book review, destination, direction, goal, goal setting, goals, principle of the path, Success

Posted By Jason Shick on October 31, 2009

40)…”Most men leads lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”
39)… A person should develop & work in their areas of strength (don’t put a round peg in a square hole)
38)… I have a purpose
37)… Everyone has been designed to fulfill a purpose (you have a purpose)
36)… We are fearfully and wonderfully made (psalm 139:14)
35)… I have a Proverbs 31 wife!
34)… Faith, family, friendships, fitness, and fun are the fabrics of life - they are all woven together, overlapping, and intersecting - not compartmentalized. Anything that affects one, affects them all.
33)… Good things come to those who wait, but only what’s left by those who hustle. (Lincoln)
32)… In living fiercely (courage)
31)… Attitude = altitude
30)… There is more than one path to reach a destination.
29)… If you see a roadblock, it’s sometimes less damaging and quicker to take a detour than to barrel on through.
28)… If you see a roadblock, sometimes it’s quicker and less damaging to just barrel on through.
27)… Wisdom and good council help us know the when it’s time to barrel through and when it’s time to go around.
26)… The Principle of the Path (Andy Stanley)
25)… Life’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.
24)… Divorce should be discouraged.
23)… Success shows up when you make a commitment to the journey.
22)… Every boy needs a dad; every girl needs a mom; every child needs a parent
21)… Children need discipline.
20)… If you take care of others you take care of yourself.
19)… “Help enough people get what they want and you can have everything you want.”
18)… Laws are limiting, freedom is decreased with every new law.
17)… Results matter.
16)… Death is a transition - not an end.
15)… Everyone has secret.
14)… Sin Imprisons.
13)… Wants and needs are different.
12)… People need hope -without dreams, life loses it’s flavor.
11)… Wal-Mart sucks.
10) … Leadership is influence.
09) … Our nation has become a celebration of mediocrity.
08) … Change is optional (in most cases, the longer an organization, system, or person has been in existence, the harder it is to implement change).
07) … Potential is ignited by purpose.
06) … The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.
05) … Unchecked power and position leads to destruction.
04) … The coin of life can only be spent once, so make sure it’s spent wisely.
03) … Being courageous and being reckless are two different sides of the same coin.
02) … Just because you’re offended doesn’t make you a victim (and it doesn’t mean your freedom has somehow been infringed upon)
01) … Faith fuels…. (many things, you tell me. Leave a comment with your ideas to finish the statement “faith fuels…” )

Category: Success | No Comments »
Tags: belief, believe, change, choices, courage, courageous, freedom, influence, leadership, mediocrity, position, power

Posted By Jason Shick on October 2, 2009

“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything.  I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”  — John Wooden

Many of the great coaches of the world are also phenomenal leaders. They uplift, motivate, teach, and get their players to stretch their limits. They push them close enough to the edge for maximum growth, but not so close that the person’s spirit or resolve is broken in the process. These coaches inspire a group of people, acting as a team, to strive toward a common vision. Great coaches lead their teams to victory time and again, regardless of how the composition of the players changes from season to season.

As a leader in an organization, sometimes it’s easy to start thinking position rather than influence. The truth is, genuine leadership is always more about influence than position. This week, try to view yourself as a coach and your organization as your team. What are the common goals? How can you instill excitement in your team and influence them to begin moving toward the goal with a new fervor? Never confuse power (or position) with influence. If you dictate what needs done, using power in place of influence, you will never take your team to their highest level. You will never influence them to take initiative. People inherently shy away from bosses who tend to be, well.… bossy. Exceptional coaches and leaders strive to rarely substitute power for influence.

Many times when I sit down to write, I begin to ask myself some question about the concept I’m pondering. Often times, the answers spur many more ideas about the topic. But this topic is so broad, the list seems ends. There are so many parallels that can be drawn when looking at coaches vs. leaders, teams vs. organizations, and players vs. followers- and these subtopics just scratch the surface. There are also the intricacies of “the game” and how the weather (climate) affects the team (organization). Too many parallels to list. I could go on and on, but I’d rather open this particular topic open for discussion. So please post some of your thoughts, experiences, and insights about this topic. Two questions that may get you going are these:

1)    What’s the key difference between a leader and coach?

2)    What are some distinguishing characteristics and attributes of coaches that leaders should try to adopt and implement into their leadership style?

Category: leadership | No Comments »
Tags: characteristics, coach, coaches lead, john wooden, lead, leaders coach, leadership development, Success

Posted By Jason Shick on September 19, 2009

“Life is not a spectator sport. If you are going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion, you’re wasting your life.” –Jackie Robinson

Our world is crying out for quality leaders because we have created a world of spectators. People spend hours watching television, movies, you-tube videos, and sporting events. We cheer for our teams, we wear the logos, and get passionate about the game. Don’t get me wrong, none of these things are inherently bad or wrong in themselves. Looking at the entire picture though, it seems that we are producing (or already have) a generation of people who are afraid to take risks and are passionate about the wrong things. 

Powerful and real leadership requires that you steps up to the plate on important issues and take a swing.  The problem with being a spectator, other than the fact that you can’t influence anything, is that you learn to criticize and complain. This certainly carries over into other areas. How many times have you worked with somebody who seemed more interested in pointing out problems than working toward solutions? If you are aspiring to grow your capacity for leadership, you must spend less time in the stand and run onto the field.  Actively look for opportunities to challenge yourself, grow, and gain valuable leadership experience.

The best opportunities for getting some experience under your belt will be marked by two characteristics. First, they will require you to be uncomfortable. If you are comfortable, whether it’s in your job, home life, spiritual life, or financial life- it means that growth has come to a halt. This can even be seen in the sports arena. Athletes must push themselves every day. If they get comfortable running a mile or lifting a certain weight, they must increase the intensity if they wish to go to the next level. I might even argue that any time you are uncomfortable you are growing in some capacity, either physically, emotionally, spiritually, or mentally.

The second characteristic of a great opportunity for leadership growth is that it will require you to step onto the field, It will require you to actively engage the problem and stop being a spectator. It will require that you stop the criticism and start taking action. It will require that you stop watching and start doing. Doing what?… you ask. Just do something for crying out loud! Turn your passion toward something more than Sunday afternoon football.  In his book, Wild at Heart, John Eldridge speaks about a mans deep desire to be a hero. The problem is that a great leader, and subsequently, a great hero, must take risks and be willing to lose some games. Unfortunately, it’s become way too easy for men to identify with a hero on the field. So that becomes the closest thing to a hero they will ever be. They make choices based on fear rather than vision and never become the hero for their family they deeply desire to be.  My brother recently told me he was talking to a successful businessman who had this piece of advice to anybody who wants to be successful- “volunteer for everything, if somebody wants something done you should be the first to volunteer.” As the old saying goes “if you are willing to do the things others are not willing to do, someday you will be able to do the things other cannot do.”

John F. Kennedy said “The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust, sweat, and blood. Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best in the end knows the triumph of high achievement and if he fails, fails while daring greatly so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls that know neither victory nor defeat.” This is the great call to action by one of the most well respected leaders in the world. Find a way to get out of the grandstand and onto the playing field. Stop wasting time being a spectator. Be a hero… life is not a spectator sport!

Category: Success | 4 Comments »
Tags: drive, John F. Kennedy, leadership, passion, sports, Success, wild at heart

Posted By Jason Shick on September 14, 2009

“Success in almost any field depends more on energy and drive than it does on intelligence. This explains why we have so many stupid leaders.” – Sloan Wilson

Recently I found myself in a conversation with a man who blamed his lack of success on the fact that he refuses to play the “politics” game. It was the victim mentality in its purist form.  Perhaps you’ve had these conversations with people or heard some of the popular catch phrases that go with this idea such as “it’s all about who you know”, “I don’t play the politics game”, or my all time favorite “I couldn’t get (or keep) that job because I refuse to play the game”. I must admit, I’ve even fallen into this pattern myself a time or two in the past. 

The definition given by Merriam-Webster.com for politics is the “complex of relations between people living in society”.  However, this definition, as well as the word politics itself conjures up negative connotations in the mind of most people. As time goes on, I’ve come to understand that people are people. People will always interact and gravitate toward other people that they know, like, and get along with.  People connect with others who have the same mindset and/or values as them. The person referring negatively to this phenomenon is usually the one who feels as though they’ve been slighted in some way, be it a minor or major offense.  

Perhaps it would be more beneficial to refer to these interactions as peopletics and stop thinking about it as a game that successful people are playing. In truth, there are relatively few people who actually perceive it as a game to be played. My experience has shown me that the success of these few is usually limited because of their lack of sincerity. Real success in leadership, business, and careers does not hinge on the fact that somebody plays the game well, it hinges on the fact that the successful person genuinely does not see it as a game. They simply see people, they genuinely get along with people, and they sincerely care deeply for people. Success in any venture, especially in leadership roles, revolves around a persons ability to deal tactfully with people. People are the number one asset in any organization and a great leader must learn to authentically value and appreciate others. This is not something that can be faked nor is it a skill to be mastered. It is a matter of the heart.

Category: Success | 1 Comment »
Tags: careers, leadership, people, politics, Success, teams

Posted By Jason Shick on September 13, 2009

“The best things in life aren’t things.” – Art Buchwald

Recently, I picked up a book I read a few years ago entitled Tuesdays with Morrie. A phenomenal book by the way. Check out my book review on it for more information about the book itself. What I want to focus on in this article is a particular line. In fact, it’s had a profound effect on my thoughts all day long. Let me provide some context first. This book tells the story of the renewed relationship between a student (Mitch Albom) and his old professor (Morrie) who is now dying of ALS. Mitch is a driven workaholic who longs for the clarity of mind Morrie seems to have in his last days, so he visits him every Tuesday to discuss anything and everything under the sun.

Now that you have a little background, let me go back to the comment that has haunted my thoughts today. Morrie looks at Mitch and makes this comment “Everyone knows they are going to die, but nobody believes it.” He then explains to Mitch that nobody talks about or thinks about death until they are faced with it. In general, people run around chasing after things the world thinks is important, only to realize later that Art Buchwald was right when he said “the best things in life aren’t things.” He explains to Mitch that perhaps if he accepted this reality, some of his ambition may melt away. Maybe some of the things he strives for aren’t as important as he thinks they are. 

You may be wondering right now what this has to do with success. The fact is, it has everything to do with success depending on how you define success. I’m as ambitious and driven as the next person and feel I possess a hard work ethic. My guess is, if you’re reading the articles found on this site and others like them, you fall into the same category. There is nothing wrong with healthy drive and ambition- without driven people the world would be missing many of the luxuries we take for granted. Unfortunately, there are too many people who have too little ambition, … but I’ll save that for another time. There are also some people who have too much ambition. Did I just say that? Yes, it is possible to be too ambitious. There is a price to be paid for success in any endeavor. Sometimes that price will include your beliefs, values, or your family. If you are willing to pay a price that high- you are overly ambitious - you are willing to pay too much!

The point I want to make here is that you need to have balance. Make sure you understand your definition of success. If your definition of success doesn’t include relationships as one of the main components you may need to rethink your definition. I will suggest here that you be careful not to sacrifice those things that are of everlasting importance for the things that don’t have eternal significance. If you’re a high octane type of person, take some time to slow down and look at your life. Take the focus off of the goal for a minute… just for a second… and assess the other parts of your life. How is your marriage? How is your relationship with your children or grandchildren? How are your personal relationships? How are you doing emotionally? Spiritually? Physically?

I’ll leave you with some wisdom from the book of Proverbs 23:4 which states “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.” I am a firm believer in financial independence. I believe in success, but not at all costs. Some prices are too high and you must decide ahead of time how much you are willing to pay and how much you aren’t. The real value of success in any endeavor, I believe, is found in what it makes of the person who strives for it. It isn’t the achievement that is valuable; it is the development of the achiever. Examine your life and make sure you aren’t robbing the vault of eternal value to pay for temporary gains. I believe it was Socrates who said “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

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Tags: ambition, committment, drive, life, life lessons, living life, love, mitch albom, relationships, Success, tuesdays with morrie