Preventing Repetitive Mistakes
An Excerpt from Chapter 35 of “Honesty Works!”, by Steven Gaffney:
Albert Einstein reportedly said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” People tend to do exactly that. When they don’t like something, they fall back on the same old strategies that have not worked in the past, hoping things will be different this time. Of course, they usually get the same lackluster results and wonder why.
After years of working with people, I truly believe that many people are not honest with themselves about how habitual their problem-solving methods are. If they really stand back, self-observe, and become truly aware, they can think about how successful — or unsuccessful — those methods have been for them.
If you are having issues or challenges, honestly look at your methods for trying to resolve them. If they are not producing the results you want, try something different. You may not have all the answers, or you may not know the right answer. But by trying something different, at least you have a chance of breaking through and solving the issue you are wrestling with.
Consider this: there are currently more than six billion people in the world. Add to that the billions of people who have lived before us. With all of those individuals living their lives, the chances are great that someone has experienced exactly what we are experiencing and has found a solution. The trick is to find the answer.
It is arrogant and egotistical to say and believe that we have tried everything. The truth is that we may have tried everything we can think of, but we have certainly not tried everything there is to try. Someone out there has probably experienced our problem, has been in an identical or nearly identical situation, and has found the answer. Chances are great that someone out there has a co-worker, boss, husband, wife, child, or relative who has experienced a very similar problem and found a resolution.
This may be hard to see when you’re examining your own life, but think about how often you have watched friends or co-workers ignore an obvious solution. They live in the world called “nothing can help me.” No matter what you suggest, they reject everything. So, when you feel stuck and don’t see any answers, take a look at the bigger picture. If you believe there is an answer out there, you will most likely find one. Belief drives actions; actions don’t drive beliefs. People often say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” The problem is they can’t see it, if they don’t believe it.
What if you ran your life by the motto: failure is not an option. How determined would you be to find and implement the answer you’re looking for? What if there was a million dollars riding on it? How likely would you be to find the answer?
Here is an easy tip to help you find the answers for just about any situation — simply ask ten people for advice. If they don’t have the answer, they probably know someone who does. When you receive the advice, be open, receptive, and truly listen to what they have to say.
Sometimes people say that there may be answers out there but that they don’t have much control over the situation. That may be so, but you can concentrate on the part you can control and see what happens. You may only control 5 percent of the situation, but that can make all the difference. After all, even someone in a kayak with limited control can navigate water rapids successfully.
If you are committed to changing a situation, stop doing things that don’t work. When you’re tempted to think you have tried everything, remember you haven’t. Don’t allow failure to be an option — and don’t let yourself give up. The odds are someone in the world has gone through the same experience and figured out the answer. Go find it!
Copyright 2011, Steven Gaffney Company, All Rights Reserved. To duplicate this newsletter in any format please contact our office at 703-241-7796 or info@stevengaffney.com
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