Be careful with ideas,
for they will become desires.
Be careful with desires,
for they will become
resolve and determination.
Be careful with your determinations
for they will become actions.
Be careful with actions,
for they will become habits.
Be careful with your habits,
for they will become you.
A habit is something which you do
often and regularly,
sometimes without knowing
that you are doing it.
We 'are' what we repeatedly do.
Most of the time we are
unconsciously motivated to do the same things
the same way we always do them.
That is good news for 'good habits'
but bad news for 'bad habits'.
Either way we becomes slaves to our habits.
First we create our habits,
and then our habits,
good or bad,
create us.
Habits are like spider webs.
First they are flimsy notions,
but soon they become steel cables
that shackle
or strengthen you.
'Bad' habits
are very difficult to change.
Much like an addiction to drugs,
bad habits require 'action' (or no action),
and will produce high levels of anxiety
until they are satisfied.
The world is a vastly changing place.
The challenges and complexity we all face
in our relationships, families,
professional lives, and communities
are of an entirely new order of magnitude.
We are creatures of habit.
We eat three meals a day,
go to sleep,
wake up, go to work,
and spend most of our time,
in habitual routines,
because,
we,
and everyone else,
always do 'things' in 'that' way.
But the wold is changing,
and we must change,
with it.
Being effective as individuals and organisations,
is no longer merely an option --
survival in today's world 'requires' it.
In order to thrive, innovate,
excel, and lead,
in the,
what is known as,
the " New Knowledge Worker Age " ,
we must build on,
and move beyond,
effectiveness.
Those who develop and use,
knowledge,
in the workplace,
will establish,
a new type of leadership.
The call of this new era,
in human history,
is for 'greatness';
it's for fulfillment,
passionate execution,
and significant contribution.
Accessing the higher levels,
of human genius,
and motivation,
in today's new reality,
requires a sea of change,
in thinking:
a new mind-set,
a new skill-set,
a new tool-set --
in short,
a whole new habit.
One problem is,
that habits are,
'pleasure seeking',
and,
'pain avoiding'.
The Journal of the American Medical Association,
published some interesting statistics,
about why some Americans,
die every year:
Tobacco: 435,000 deaths
Inactivity and bad eating: 400,000 deaths
Alcohol consumption: 85,000 deaths
A million people die every year,
just because,
they smoke,
drink,
and eat,
too much.
That is a LOT of dead people,
every year,
and that is,
just for the USA alone.
This is important information,
when we generalize the concept,
and consider what we are doing,
in the pursuit of happiness.
Remember,
our number one goal in life is to be happy,
our number two goal is to have a good job,
and our number three goal is,
to have financial freedom.
But for most people,
immediate gratification is preferred,
over long term gain.
We want the smaller pleasure now,
over the greater pleasure later.
So we exercise our lethal logic,
and smoke, drink, bask in the sun,
and dine,
to our hearts content.
And we 'know',
that each step in that direction,
brings us closer,
to an earlier demise.
But that 'earlier demise',
for most of us,
is still a long way off.
When we feel comfortable with something,
we are reluctant,
to step out into something new.
So we stay where we are,
and resist change.
But the world keeps changing,
faster and faster,
than ever before.
If we stay,
with the same habits,
that brought us prosperity and safety,
we will soon be left behind.
We are 'one' in a sea,
of 6.5 billion people.
We are,
an insignificant pebble,
on a beach of sand.
The crucial challenge of our world today,
is to find ourselves,
and inspire others,
to do the same.
So many people feel frustrated,
discouraged,
unappreciated,
and undervalued --
with little or no sense
of identity,
or unique contribution.
What is the answer,
to the soul's yearning for greatness,
the organisation's imperative,
for significance and superior results,
and humanity's search for its 'self'?
This profound, compelling,
groundbreaking next-level thinking,
gives a clear way,
to finally tap,
the limitless value-creation promise,
of the "Knowledge Worker Age" .
The world is changing,
and we can not escape from that.
Although we want things to stay the same,
we also want them to get better.
People want peace of mind,
and good relationships,
but they also want to keep,
their lifestyle,
and habits.
Relationships are built on trust,
but most people think more,
in terms of 'me',
my wants,
my needs,
and my rights.
Management wants more for less;
employees want more of,
"what's in it for me",
for less time and effort.
Businesses are run,
by the economic rules of the marketplace;
organisations are run by
the cultural rules of the workplace.
Society operates by its dominant social values,
but must live with the consequences,
of the inviolable operation,
of natural laws and principles.
This IS the information era,
and the information technology years,
have already started.
Staying current in technology and development,
in whatever field you are in,
is mandatory.
In your area of expertise,
you must develop your skills,
to a maximum,
to reach any level of success.
If you are good,
but stay where you are,
you will be left behind in the dust.
Continuing education and attending seminars,
is critical,
if you want to keep up to date,
and not miss opportunities,
that will cross your path.
The clock is ticking.
Time is running out.
Remember,
this is not a 'dress rehearsal'.
This is 'real life',
and the only life you will ever have,
and the 'only' opportunity you will ever have'
to be,
all,
that you could ever,
want,
to be.
Try this.
Look into a mirror,
into your eyes
for five minutes
without blinking your eyes.
Do it.
You will begin to see
something you never saw before...
the real 'you'.
Happiness is to be dissolved,
into something complete and great.
You are already complete and great.
Right now.
In this very moment.
But you most likely don't realize,
your completeness and greatness,
because your constant mind chatter,
and thinking about the past and the future,
are blocking the real you.
So bust through the block.
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath.
Hold for a few seconds.
Exhale slowly.
Repeat until you've slowed down,
decreased your thinking,
and deepened your awareness.
There it is.
You.
Total,
complete,
and great.
Amazing.
Imagination is more important than knowledge,
for while knowledge points to all there is,
imagination points to all there will be.
created and written by Paul Grenkow
