April 19th, 2017

April 19th, 2017


Affirmation: I am capable of letting go of all the negativity that is standing in the way of me feeling good about myself.


Word of the Day: sententious (adj):

1. abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims: a sententious book.

2. given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous.

3. given to or using pithy sayings or maxims: a sententious poet.

The Buddhist Sufi

Last night my soul asked a question of existence.

Why are you upside-down with flames in your belly?

Happy, unhappy, indigo-orange like the sky?

Why are you an off-balance wobbling millstone,

like the Buddhist Sufi, Ibrahim Balkhi,

who was king, beggar, Buddha, and dervish?

Existence answers, All this was made

by the one who hides inside you.

You are like a beautiful new bride,

quick to anger, stubborn,

hot, naked, but still veiled.

_____


Initiation 

I read an old Indian story today that I would like to share with you:

Once upon a time, there was a farmer who had grown old and was ready to pass his farm down to one of his two sons. He called his two sons to his bedside one night to speak to them about the matter. When the sons arrived, the old man announced that the farm would be given to the younger son.

The older son was shocked, indignant, and furious. “How could you do this? Are you out of your mind? Have your gone crazy? I am the elder son, thus the farm is rightfully mine!”

His father patiently waited until he was done fuming and then said, “Okay. I need you to do something for me in order to prove that I made the wrong decision. We need more cattle. Will you go over to the neighbor’s farm and see whether he has any cows for sale?”

The request seemed simple and straightforward enough, so the older son went to the neighbor’s farm and shortly returned and reported, “Father, the neighbor has five cows for sale.”

The farmer graciously thanked his older son. He then called his younger son back into his room and told him the same words: “We need more cattle. Will you go over to the neighbor’s farm and see whether he has any cows for sale?”

The younger son similarly left, went to the neighbor’s farm, and came back a short while later. He then reported, “Father, the neighbor has five cows for sale. Four of the will cost 5,000 rupees each. The fifth cow that is older and does not give as much milk is being sold at 3,000 rupees. The neighbor says that he would be willing to decrease the price by 300 rupees per cow if we are interested in buying more than five cows. He also said that he is getting special jersey cows next week so if we aren’t in a hurry, it may be good to wait. However, if we need the cows urgently, the neighbor said that he could deliver the cows tomorrow.”

The farmer graciously thanked the younger son for his work. He then turned to his older son and said, “That is why your younger brother is getting the farm.”

This short story illustrates a key principle:

Successful People Initiate

Most people only do what they are asked and complete only the minimum requirement. These individuals also require specific instructions to complete most things and stop when they have finished the basics. This is a fine way to go about certain task – like cleaning the bathroom or fueling a car – but it is not the best way to approach the things that are most meaningful and important to us: things that give us purpose and that we which to excel at.

On the other hand, people who become successful are actively engaged in a good cause. They are focused, driven, and self-starting. They do not need to be managed in all things and at all times. They don’t just “get the job done”; they do it right and completely and well, often infusing creativity into their tasks. They also influence the direction for how certain ideas and projects go.

Most importantly, successful people initiate. They take initiative by reaching out to people, asking questions, making recommendations, offering to help, and pitching their ideas. They are proactive participants rather than passive observers and take steps to shape their lives rather than allowing circumstances to shape their destinies for them.

Most organizations have a select few employees who would be very difficult to replace. Broadly speaking, most people are like the older son in the story. In the words of Benjamin Hardy, “Most people could be easily replaced. Most people are passive and reactive. They require specific instructions. They need to be governed and managed in all things.”

Initiation is not always easy. It may not come naturally to you at first. Initiation always entails some degree of risk. You are putting yourself out there and there is a chance you could fail.

On the other hand, continuing to only do what you are told entails no risk and carries no responsibility. It’s playing safe. It’s also playing small.

Today, I invite to initiate one thing.

Then, you can reflect on these questions:

- Think of some examples on times when you initiated something that felt difficult. What made it difficult? How did your initiation turn out?

- What is one thing you would like to initiate that you are having a hard time initiating? What is making it difficult? What are the costs of continuing to not initiate?

- Think of one person who is good at initiating things. What makes him or her able to do so?