Month: May 2023 (Page 2 of 4)

I would have to say that Gordon Gecko from the movie “Wallstreet” is wrong. Greed is not good. In fact it would be one of the many reasons the world is so divisive today.

Greed is an illusion created by the ego which states, “What’s in it for me?” Often we can justify our actions by claiming it’s for our own survival or to provide for our family. When it’s only a way unnecessarily hoarding without taking into consideration others around us.

I’m not suggesting we give it all away, but when we can come to terms by developing a symbiotic relationship with our work, the world we live and the people around us striving for their hopes and dreams, the better we all will be.

There is a way to be financially successful in addition to helping others along the way without depleting the resources necessary for us to thrive.

Maybe it comes from changing the way things have been done for years. Maybe it comes from helping others be successful as well. Or maybe it’s from coming to understand that we’re all in the same boat, looking for many of the same things in a world we share with each other every day.

Sometimes I have a difficult time trying to change the things I can’t and changing the things I can.

When this happens I have to remind myself to let it be and accept the way things are and move on. It’s a waste of time focusing on changing events that have already occurred or we have no control over. It’s frivolous and can be extremely frustrating.

When identifying what’s clearly in our circle of influence, we now understand what we can change and the things we must accept – if we don’t want to drive ourselves crazy. It sounds simple, but when we allow our professional reputation to be at the mercy of one of our unreliable colleague’s, we quickly come to understand this is something we have the power to change.

When the market tanks in your sector of business, there’s nothing we can do to change it, but we can pivot to find out how the product we sell can thrive in the current market.

Let’s be clear with what we have the power to change and aspects of our day we don’t spend another minute thinking about so we can let it be.

Boy, I can be a real “ungrateful” person sometimes.

I have done it before and more than likely, I will find myself doing it again. I’m not proud of it, but it’s the truth. We’re human.

In addition, I have found myself becoming a bit cynical as well. Not a good combination. Most importantly however, is the fact that I’m able to recognize my short-comings and get back on tract being the person I intend to be and focusing on the aspects of my life that bring me back to a state of grace, bewilderment and gratitude.

We all will fall off the wagon eventually. Getting back up and moving forward is probably the most important choice I suppose.

Maybe one perspective to take as we approach our day is this: Expect nothing.

This way every breath you take is a miracle. Gravy. Golden. It can be a challenge to keep this view of the world as we all get caught up in the day to day tasks of our schedule, but maybe – just maybe, we will begin to appreciate the small and (otherwise defined as) mundane things that show up in our day.

Once again, it can be distilled down to a choice. Our choice. And how we choose to view the world we live in.

It’s such a simple concept and yet can be so very powerful.

Are we a victim today or are we grateful to have another moment on this earth.

We get to decide.

Aristotle said, “You are what you do repeatedly.”

That seems to simplify the question, “Who am I?” fairly quickly and simply.

I have often pondered that question and no doubt dove deeper into the existential layers as well, but this seems to cover a whole lot of ground.

Maybe we don’t like what we see. Maybe we do. Or in most cases, there’s a little of both.

The beauty of it is this: we can choose what we do in a day. Therefore, would it be too much to say, we have the choice of deciding who we are?