Who are you modeling your actions and behaviors from? Who has already succeeded in what you’re trying to accomplish? How did they do this?
Try to tease out the similarities between multiple people who have achieved success in whatever field in which you are interested. What sets them apart from their peers? Is it their mindset? Their overall strategy? What specific tactics did they use to obtain the results you desire and are there any pitfalls by using those same tactics? Will they still work in today’s world or are the tactics outdated? For example, if that person did something in 1980, the specific tactics they performed may or may not work today. But can you figure out the concept behind what worked and apply that to fit in today’s market?
Success leaves clues. It is up to you to investigate and determine how others’ successes can help improve your situation.
Do you know the worst part about trying to be proactive?
You can’t quantify the results. How can you say that you saved “x” dollars or “y” lives for an event that didn’t happen because you took action to prevent it from happening? And how do you absolutely know that if you hadn’t acted the way you had, that an event would have played out the way you thought? There are no guarantees.
But you can’t look at it that way. You have to take the best action you believe possible with the information you have at hand. Because what’s more expensive? Going to the doctor AFTER you got sick? Or NOT having to go to the doctor because you took care of yourself?
You might as well pay a little more right now to use a gym membership, to pay for and eat healthy foods, and to sharpen your mind. At first, it’s more expensive than sitting on the couch, eating potato chips, but what are your future costs? Try to be proactive and make the best decisions not only for the now, but also for the future.
All anyone should ever expect of someone else is that they do the best they can based on the knowledge and experience they have. How can you fault someone (including yourself) for making a poor decision when they were only acting based on their past experiences and the information they had at hand? That’s like me judging my 10-year old self for doing something dumb. Should I hold a grudge against 10-year old me? (Hint: the answer is no.)
Hindsight is always 20-20. We have all said or done things that we wish we wouldn’t have said or done, whether it was a minor offense or a major transgression. But you can’t change the past, you can only change how you will act in the future. The best way to make sure you improve your future actions is to continually be evolving. Work on improving yourself everyday – improving your mindset, working towards having an attitude of gratitude, teaching yourself to be more forgiving.
We all make mistakes, but all we can do is continue to try our best. As we watch others or experience something ourselves, we should take note as to how certain actions affect others. How did that make them feel? Was that the best way to handle the situation or would it have been more productive to approach it another way? Lastly, don’t judge others for doing something that you yourself may have done just a few years ago. Everyone is journeying through life together. They may be a little further ahead or behind you on the path, but don’t be so harsh to criticize when that could have been you making the same poor decision.
“Love implies anger. The man who is angered by nothing cares about nothing.” – Edward Abbey
There are two things I would make note of when reading this quote…
First, I would expand the quote to say that love not only implies anger, but sadness as well. If you lose something you love, even if only temporarily, there are a range of emotions you could feel, including anger or sadness. Feeling passionately means you care deeply. The opposite of happiness is neither anger nor sadness – it’s apathy. It’s not feeling anything at all.
The second thing I think of when I see this quote is I hope people don’t use it as an excuse to be angry. I could see someone saying they’re only angry because they care – justifying their improper actions. While they may love you or care about you, they might just be getting angry because they are possessive, controlling, or mean-spirited. Or, they may care, but it’s caring less about another person and more about their reputation. They wouldn’t say it out loud, but deep down they’re getting angry because they care more about themselves than anyone else, and what you’re doing is hurting their status/ego.
One final note relating to this topic…
When you love someone or something deeply, you’re bound to get into disagreements or feel disappointment occasionally. How you express yourself when you feel that way will make a world of difference in how healthy your relationships are though. Don’t lash out at them. Don’t act like a child who doesn’t get his way. Treat them with the love and respect they deserve and try to talk through your feelings. It’s not healthy to erupt with anger, but it’s not healthy to bottle up your emotions either. Remember how lucky you are when you feel these negative emotions. Feeling strongly just means you’ve been fortunate enough to care deeply about something/someone. As Dr. Seuss said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Identify what the root of the issue is…is it a people issue, a process issue, or a tool issue? Does it boil down to having the wrong person on your team? Do you have the right people, but you haven’t trained them well enough or put enough processes in place to allow them to succeed? Or do you have the right people and processes, but they don’t have the tools to succeed?
Discuss potential solutions to your issues. At first, anything should be an option to solve your issue. After all options are on the table, then you can start eliminating those that are not as applicable. Be sure to always keep an open mind and don’t shut down opposing viewpoints.
Solve the key issue. Make sure that this is not a band-aid, but a long-term solution. You don’t want to “solve” something temporarily, only to have it crop back up again in a few months.
