Self Factor

Just thinking aloud - "Why do we (myself inclusive) inevitably support the underdogs in a sporting event, those that are perceived as really having no chance at all of getting the prize but somehow made it to the finals?"

Because we can see ourselves. The big stars of the game are far removed from our reality and we can’t compete at their level, but bring in the underdog, and we instantly see something there that could be us. And because we see ourselves it makes it real and achievable to us with our “if they can do it, so can I” attitude.

It doesn’t stop there though; there are more instances we look for ourselves subconsciously.

Take the true story about a CEO whose company had some pretty tough staffing issues. He took himself and the majority of his team through a behavioral profiling process and found that each one of the team was an identical profile type to his own, he had employed 20 people that were all like him! Can you imagine how their business was running internally, the frustrations involved with no mix of behavioral styles?

Take a group photograph with you included in it. Who do you look for first? You. Try it if you don’t believe me, its really hard not to seek yourself out first.

We are not being selfish when we do this, but somewhere in our subconscious, it registers. There is something inside us, the way we are wired maybe, that makes us think about ourselves but not selfishly so. Call it an interest, call it human nature, call it hog wash, I don’t know I can’t explain it, but its there.

What Make Life Worthwhile

Over the years as I’ve sought out ideas, principles and strategies to life’s challenges, I’ve come across four simple words that can make living worthwhile. These words are Learn, Try, Stay and Care.

First, life is worthwhile if you LEARN. What you don’t know will hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences—negative or positive.We learn by what we see, so pay attention. We learn by what we hear, so be a good listener. Now I do suggest that you should be a selective listener. Don’t just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read, so learn from every source: from lectures, from songs, from sermons, and from conversations with people who care. Always keep learning.

Second, life is worthwhile if you TRY. You can’t just learn; now you have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. It doesn’t mean you can do everything, but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?

Third, life is worthwhile if you STAY. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the project, see it through. Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that’s the end, but just don’t end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.

And lastly, life is worthwhile if you CARE. If you care at all, you will get some results. If you care enough, you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.

Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make in your life today by putting these words to work?