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The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
There's an elusive connection between the low-level wheeler/dealer and the REAL WORLD "big-time" world.
It's something no one likes to talk about -- or even mention. It's been BUGGING me for about a year now. I'm forcing myself to abandon all DELUSIONS I might have. Is that the same thing a self-inflicted DREAM-KILLING? That's the probelm, I'm not sure. There are upstart, mosquito-like dreamer-types -- very creative, very knowledgable, very ambitious. Low-level entrepreneurs who have ***BIG PLANS***. Will they work? The plans are certainly grandious. They should work. It makes sense that they WILL work. Then there's the 'real' world -- just chugging along -- paying NO ATTENTION to Mr./Ms. Dreamer's BIG PLANS. THAT'S the missed 'connection.' The real world will chug along just fine with or WITHOUT the Dreamer's BIG PLANS. What should the Dreamer DO (if anything) about the 'real' world's INDIFFERENCE to his/her BIG PLANS? Is there REALLY a way to break through? Does it MATTER if he/she breaks through at all, any way?!?!! From the real world residents, the Dreamer is just a crazy mosquito buzzing around acting all crazy -- a weird (+ UN-NEEDED) lunatic with weird ideas that will (if successful) DERAIL the 'normal' chugging along of the 'real' world. There's also the problem of scale. One of the major DELUSIONS of the Big Dreamer type is the belief that their ideas are of MAJOR importance. The Dreamer does not have any 'proper' perspective. For years now, I've wanted to (just one of my BIG PLANS) get something on QVC (ME BE *ON* QVC, selling a product of mine). The other day, after talking to them briefly, I've decided to SCRAP the idea altogether. The real world won. Is that such a bad thing? We'll never know. THAT'S the elusive CONNECTION between Dreams, Delusions, and the Real World. Which is which? As someone with TWO STORAGE UNITS filled with boxes + boxes of ideas -- BIG IDEAS, I can tell you, that BATTLE of deciding which fits into which category (dream, delusion, real world), is enough to drive one over the edge! The FACT there's not enough time to implement even 10% of what I'd LIKE to do FORCES me to decide carefully where to spend/DEVOTE my time. Here an anecdote to illustrate what I mean about small time vs. BIG TIME... I'm (also) in the Magic Business (hi, Millard!). Someone I know (named Chuck) told me this story... He was having dinner in Vegas with Harry Anderson (magician + star of the TV show, Night Court), Sigfried + Roy stopped by the table to say hi -- they also mentioned their VERY HIGH-PRICED, MULTI-YEAR contract they just signed with the hotel. At that moment, my friend Chuck noticed Harry Anderson making a strange face. The expression on Anderson's face 'said' this: You bozo's think that's a lot of money?!?! You guy's are delusional. that's not real money! Now, what I earn on Night Court, now TAHT'S real money!!!! Bottom line, what I'm TRYING to say in this -- Low-level entrepreneurs need to SWALOW HARD, TAKE A LONG LOOK IN THE MORROR, and ***SEE*** the difference between low-level s**t, and how the 'real world of BIG TIME stuff REALLY operates. Don't be like Sigfried + Roy, THINKING you're in the BIG TIME, when you're really not. THAT'S what's been bugging me recently. The 'BIG' plans I have in my head AREN'T really 'big' at all -- OR -- it would be almost impossible to INTERJECT my ideas into the already-chugging-along 'real' world. THAT'S the 800-pound gorilla no one's talking about on forums like this. It's generally a bunch of low-level people TALKING big games, feeding into each other's delusions, but never really breaking through to the 'real' world. Here's an example... Gary Halbert is one of 'our' Gods, right? He's a LEGEND, yes? Here's the delusion-killer --- Statistically speaking, NO ONE HAS EVER EVEN HEARD OF GARY HALBERT! That's just an example of the MINDSET I'm talking about here. We're chasing after pennies, while the REAL big-time is chomping on cigars, churning out 100-dollar bills, while LAUGHING at us if they catch a glimpse of us. Here's the good news... Here are 3 'chinks in the armor' I've identified (ways for the low-level person to break through into the 'real' world)... 1) QVC 2) Radio interviews 3) Fox News These are LINKS into the real world BIG-TIME. These are ways to ACCESS the real world, even if you're a low-level DREAMER-DELUSIONAL type (like me!). If you have the right product/message, these are three (RARE) places that will actually let you into the real world BIG TIME. The important thing is to... 1) REALIZE there IS a difference between what you might THINK is the 'big-time' and what really IS the BIG-TIME! ... and the difference between those two worlds may be VAAAAST! 2) Look for ways to break into the REAL big-time. Otherwise you'll spend your time chaing after pennies, THINKING (deluding yourself) you're in the big time, when you're really not. I know all of this burst some bubbles out there. But that's the point! The truth will set you free -- but it will piss you off first! -- TW |
I got lost in the rant, but I still have some questions.
TW,
It is your epiphany, as long as you get it, great. But why try to wake us up to see your vision? Anyhow, good luck. |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
Hi Gordon...
You probably didn't get my rant because it's not entirely clear in my head either. It's just a gut feeling I get as I look around me with somewhat newly opened eyes. I'll try to clarify it more, but I fear it'll only make things cloudier. Two well known phrases come to mind -- "Be careful what you wish for (it may come true)" and "Begin with the end in mind." What's the point of being (or dreaming of becoming) a low-level entrepreneur? After all is said + done, is that what many of us are 'wishing' for -- ACTUALLY? Is that the 'end' we have in mind at the beginning -- REALLY? In looking around me, I think it IS! I think many of my 'peeps' (colleagues) are just that, people who are dreaming of 'skyrocketing' straight to what they THINK is the 'top,' but which is (in reality), actually the middle. Maybe even LOW-middle. Here's a profile of people who are my colleagues (and this is just my impression -- I could be waaay off base)... Unemployable (and proud of it) Pioneer spirit Full of excellent ideas Full of real-world, down-n-dirty marketing knowledge Wanting to figure out how to 'beat the system' (meaning unemployable + pioneer spirit = not be a 'sucker' and go the 'normal' route -- ie: college, 'regular' job/career, 'normal' hours, 'normal' lifestyle, etc.). All that is commendable + wonderful. But is that really the way to success? And what IS success, any way??? I see so many of my 'colleagues' thinking it is (or would be) a 'triumph' to reach the point of SCRAPING BY FINANCIALLY -- but on 'their terms.' When you see too many biz-opps types flailing away for years + years, it's like seeing so many "I'm really gonna fix it someday, you'll see!" old cars up on blocks in the front yard with t he tall grass growing around them where the lawn mower couldn't reach -- you suddenly wake up one day in a moment of clarity -- seeing how PATHETIC it all is -- while the rest of the world is merrily chugging along with REAL people making REAL money -- paying NO ATTENTION to the 'insider secrets' we all know + love. We haven't beaten the system aat all -- we have fallen VICTIM to the system -- but we don't even know it. It's like people in radio (I used to be in that biz) -- they are legends in thier own minds! They do their shows, they are 'BIG STARS' in their markets, then they go outside to the radio station parking lot, and drive off in their 17 YEAR OLD BOKEN DOWN P.O.S. CAR! I'm waking up to the truth -- and I don't like it. I don't care about waking any one else up, really. I'm just trying to report on what I'm seeing through my own eyes. My eyes may be distorting reality too, who knows. A real-life example -- I recently saw some guy's self-produced online TV show. Can't remember his name -- he's from the UK, now living in the US. He's doing something I could see myself doing. He advises small biz's about marketing tactics, etc. While watching the show, I got a little pang of jeolousy (sp?) -- like, "Hey, I wish that was me doing that," and "Wow! he really has gotten his act together." etc. But then I thought -- "Hey wait a minute -- who in the real world is gonna take that guy seriously?" The REAL answer (the 800-pound gorilla answer) is ***NO ONE***. He's a legend in his own mind. To the real world, he's like a UFO freak with a silver colander on his head. THAT'S what I'm getting at. There's low-level crap -- biz-opp type crap -- IM crap -- Marketing tactic crap. Then there's the REAL WORLD, where the REAL success + REAL money are. ----- AND NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET. Everyone on this forum, and all forums like it, are involved in a sub-sub-sub-sub-sub culture -- and none of the participants seem to realize that! We are legends in our own minds (only). We are all like UFO freaks with silver colanders on our heads. There's nothing wrong with that -- AS LONG AS YOU PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, AND ***REALIZE*** THE REAL SITUATION. Am I making any sense? The answer/solution is... 1) Realize the real situation. 2) Figure out ways to LINK -- no, a better way to put it is, FIND PORTALS that LINK the low-level world with the REAL world. This is what those scam artists with "The Secret" managed to do (by getting on Oprah). This is what the Blair Witch people managed to do. There ARE ways to do it. PORTALS do exist -- or can be created. But the first step must be to realize that one is LOW-LEVEL to begin with -- and the second step is to STOP GLORIFYING LOW-LEVEL CRAP. The next step is to face the fact that, under normal circumstances, there's low-level, and the real world, and they normally NEVER MEET. And the last step is to SEEK PORTALS or WORM HOLES where they DO -- or can be made to -- meet. Hope that helps (whew!) -- TW |
Re: "Low-Level Land" -- Further clarification (?)...
Also, Gordon, you asked how I define "Big Time."
I know that's a vague term that can mean zillions of things, depending on whom you ask. I guess I'd define it as having credibility among one's peers in the real world. Being taken seriously. Having power or 'weight,' in a way. Then you could ask how I define 'the real world.' It's like the dinner theater actor vs. Jack Nicholson. Yes, there will always be someone 'better' than you are in any given field. And there's NOTHING wrong with being a perfectly CONTENT 50-year old dinner theater actor -- AS LONG AS YOU PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE + ***REALIZE*** THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING! The point is to realize the difference and not get delusional about it. You asked what I meant by radio interviews + Fox News + QVC. I see these as three 'chinks in the armor' between "Low-Level Land" and the big-time real-world. There's a shield betwen the two worlds, and those are three (basically free) ways I've identified where one can BREAK THROUGH the shield. They are three mainstream 'giants' who (sometimes!) ALLOW card-carrying Low-Level citizens to enter Real-World Big-Time Land. Watch Fox + Friends in the morning, and you'll see what I mean. It's a socio-economic time warp (sometimes!). If you can't find a way to break through the shield, you'll always remain like a UFO freak with a colander on your head. -- And I don't mean YOU, I mean me, you, and all of our dream-ridden (-ladden?) colleagues. Another example: The average person walking down the street does not even know what an ebook is. And, of the ones that DO know what one is, 90% of THEM would never be caught DEAD actually BUYING one! Peddling ebooks (which, ya gotta admit is a big part of many low-level entrepreneur's playbook -- and that's just one example) is a way to GUARANTEE that you will REMAIN solidly in Low-Level Land. The real world is merrily chugging along, paying no attention to our antics. All the stuff I see discussed is LOW-LEVEL. It's stuff that, even when it 'works' it yields basement apartments + 12 year old P.O.S. cars. THAT'S why the real world IGNORES it all. What I'm saying is, we should (at least) AIM to bring ourselves (+ our entrpreneurship) into the real-world, and find ways to break OUT of the sub-sub-sub-sub-sub culture we're involved in. -- TW |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
TW, you're beginning to make sense and that's kinda scarey because, y'know what? I see what has been viewed from a younger perspective and how it influences the present for those of us 'over the hill' folks.
It's kinda frightening when one has swallowed the whole enchilada and then discovers that it was dog meat after all. That's a different take on what you seem to be expressing...or at least my take on what you stated. Know this, however, all is not lost and it is not hopeless. Even from a sub-sub-sub position, one with brains, guts and determination can emerge triumphant, albeit at a slightly different level than previously imagined or hoped for. Dreams don't die...they mature and evolve over time. That's a good thing and nothing to be upset about. Look at it this way: if we kept the same perspective on things as adults that we did as children, we probably would not survive very long in the real world. That is not to say your ideas were childish, it's just a way of illustrating my point. We all grow, change, and evolve. That's the natural way of things. Those who stay lost and in limbo are the ones to really feel sorry for because they'll never know the joys of discovery or even come to know the good, and the not so good sometimes, that they've missed. You're on your way. I wish you well. Sandi Bowman |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- Thanks Sandi...
I think the most improtant part of what I said was this...
For years now, I've wanted to (just one of my BIG PLANS) get something on QVC (ME BE *ON* QVC, selling a product of mine). The other day, after talking to them briefly, I've decided to SCRAP the idea altogether. The real world won. ***** Is that such a bad thing? ****** We'll never know. THAT'S the elusive CONNECTION between Dreams, Delusions, and the Real World. Which is which? __________________________ I think the REAL awaening is not that MY personal viewpoint has changed -- MY view of my dreams + plans + ideas. I'm not really sure MY view of all that has changed. I think what I've woken up to (finally) is how THE (REAL) WORLD views MY dreams + plans + ideas. THAT'S the epiphany -- realizing where my dreams + ideas stand from THEIR point of view. What level am *I* at, FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE. It isn't what I thought at all. Now I must figure out how to get the two worlds to MEET. My dream-filled ideas and the 'real' world's VIEW of those dreams/ideas. How to make Low-Level Land MEET (colide with) the REAL WORLD! At least I now SEE that THAT is what must be accomplished! Cheers! -- TW |
The 800-pound gorilla can eat my shorts...
TW,
Thanks for waking up. Here's something else to sleep on... Everything that determines your ultimate success is dependent on other people. Therefore, whether you succeed or not and make the Big Time, is a crap shoot. Take Music, for example. You have people who can Really play instruments well, can really sing and sound great and can write a song that conveys exactly what they wanted to convey - will lift you up, or make you shed a tear, or give you tingles all over when you hear it (like Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma). But the general public Never hears of them. Instead, we Hear about people who cannot really sing, can't play an instrument to save themselves, cannot write melodies or lyrics and who can't even Entertain all that well. And such Talentless dweebs are held aloft as points of aspirations. To true Talent... they could feel somewhat Miffed, ripped off, stiffed and Unfairly done by. And you might agree. But here is the Solution... They should Never create music for anyone other than themselves and the Joy They get out of creating it. If they are picked up, good. If not, it won't change their world or the sheer enjoyment they get from doing and creating their music. There are better authors than Stephen King. Better singers than Timberlake, Robbie Williams, Brooks and Dunn. Better actors than Deniro and Paccino and Hackman. Better guitarists than Vie or Angus from ACDC. But, we will never hear of them UNLESS they happen to win the Big Success Lottery. You have heard of the Overnight Success in only 25 years. What you don't hear about is the person who has also plugged away for 25 or more years - but - whom the Big Success Light never shines on. And there are Plenty of those types of people. Not just Delusional dreamers who are lying to themselves. But people of genuine skill and talent whom the world passes by because... they didn't win the Big Success lottery. Let me let you in on something else too... You see all those businesses for sale. Make $500 - $1,500 a week. They are for Office People who are pissed off with their $25k - $40k a year Job. People who don't work in an office and who make $100k a year, find those business Laughable. For them to be Enticed into a business, it would need to be generating at least Their income - $100k+, right? Head out into the general public, take a seat somewhere and Tune In to the conversations around you... Uni Students discussing Important stuff and thinking they are important too. Yuppies in soon-to-be-closed Starbucks outlets sipping Chai Tea Lattes and solving all the world's problems, as if their thoughts will make a difference. The world doesn't give a Rats about any of it. They could all disappear in a puff of smoke and the world would chug along like normal. People write to their Govt as if it matters. It doesn't. If you can write and Know it matters not an iota, then you're merely getting something off your chest so you can get one with your life. But most people aren't like that. They think what they think in written form, will make a difference. It won't. Trump could go bust tomorrow and life will go on. Just like cars whizzing by an Accident on the side of the road. Those directly involved have Issues to deal with. But everyone else continues on their merry way. If you like inventing, then do it because you like it and no other reason. If you try to market it, then market with the fore-knowledge you will sell nothing. Then you cannot be disappointed. Don't care about Breaking Through and your illusioned problems will vanish - poof. Gone. Screw the Big Time. In actuality, aiming for the Big Time is Limited Thinking. Do you know why? Michael Ross |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
Thanks TW.
I think what you're saying has more to do with fame and less to do with success. Taking one more step above from where you are right now: Warren Buffet. Successful by anyone's standard. But yet - I would say 90% of the world hasn't heard about him. Who knows the name of the President of France? of India? Of China? People staying in those countries will know the names. But people out of those countries won't. But these people have reached the highest position of success in their fields that is possible. I would say that 80% of the world doesn't know who Allen Iverson is. Or who Tom Brady is. 60-70% of the world won't know who Sachin Tendulkar is. Really - there are very very few people who the entire world knows about. Even historically speaking. Besides Newton and Einstein - the lay person won't know any other scientists name. Besides Da Vinci and Picasso - the lay person won't know any painters name. Anyways, here is a good forwarded email... Quote:
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Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
There was a cartoon that I saw many years ago. There were 4 hobos (former entrepreneurs) sitting against a dumpster, sharing a bottle of whiskey. One suggests to the others, "Maybe we should all just get jobs"...
Then there was silence. Finally another hobo responded, "What -- and ADMIT that we are failures?"... I also remember an interview given by Micheal J Fox, who recalled his early days of sharing a 1 room apartment with 12 other wannabe actors, eating only macaroni and cheese for over 2 years before finally getting a long-term paying gig, enabling him to finally get his own apartment. Or the story of Edison, who supposedly "failed" at making at light bulb 10,000 times before finally getting it right... Knowing when to persist and when to give up or change direction is part of the crap shoot that I think Ross spoke of. Like the treasure hunter who single handedly digs for 3 weeks straight, a 90 foot deep hole. He almost gave up at the 10 foot mark... but kept going to 20. Then 30. Then 70... but gives up at 90... and walks away. An onlooker picks up a shovel, climbs into the same hole, and hits the treasure at the 91 foot mark... It's part of the game -- the persistence, but doing what you can with the resources you have and making decisions based on the information and experience you have at the time. And while you are striving, you are keeping your yes on the prize, ducking when you need to duck, picking up speed, slowing down, hiring experts for what you can't do yet on your own, researching, going new directions, making u-turns, backing up, regrouping, changing lanes... but always being driven from a place of wanting to improve, considering and knowing that every step is a success because of the gift of the lesson, the clue, the progress, or the change in perception that comes with it. I don't know where you are at... Maybe you are in a 1 room apartment eating macaroni and cheese. Or maybe you are at the 90 foot mark in your self-dug hole, searching for your treasure. Sometimes the success is that you strived, without being concerned of how Harry Anderson thinks of you. He may have a nice bank account, but do you know if Harry is truly happy? As Ross kinda said, you have to do it for you. No one else but you. Remember Richard Cory? ***************** Richard Cory By Edwin Arlington Robinson Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentleman from sole to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim. And he was always quietly arrayed, And he was always human when he talked; But still he fluttered pulses when he said, “Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked. And he was rich - yes, richer than a king - And admirably schooled in every grace; In fine we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place. So on we worked, and waited for the light, And went without the meat, and cursed the bread; And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head. ********************************** Is Harry a success because he made it in the "real world"? I remember reading that Elvis Presley, as a child, didn't know he was "poor" until he was in the 5th grade, when he met another kid with his own room, and his own radio. And that bumblebees, due to the engineering of their wings and disproportionate body structure, aren't supposed to be able to fly. But they can and do, probably cause no ones ever told them otherwise. I think someone is a "success" when they truly believe that they are... and at that point, the success will grow and it will spill into other areas of your life and as your focus and thoughts change, your words will change, your outlook and dimeanor will change, and eventually others will notice and percieve these changes, and maybe even percieve that you are successful -- and you won't seek validation. But for what it's worth, I think you are a success. You've observed and experienced and learned something that you have shared with us, generating others to think and to share their perceptions and views and thoughts as well... |
OK TW.
Good luck,
Gordon Alexander |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
I guess I didn't express it very well -- Again, maybe because it's still foggy in my own head.
It's nothing to do with regrets -- I don't have any, thankfully. It's nothing to do with being depressed about how the real wolrd works. Although it does have to do with how the real world works (but not being depressed about it). It's nothing to do with the difference between fame + success. It has to do with my own definition of success -- AND WHAT WILL *REALLY* GET ME THERE -- and what will NOT. The realization that doing low-level stuff DOES NOT LEAD TO HIGH LEVEL STUFF. The low-level world, and the high level world ARE NOT CONNECTED! Therefore, it's important to recognize the DIFFERENCE between the two worlds -- and to stay away from Low-Level Land! It's not a stepping stone -- it's a dead end job -- in disguise. If you MUST hang around in Low-Level Land... at SEE IT CLEARLY FOR WHAT IT IS -- AND DON'T GLORIFY IT. Give it the DISrespect it deserves. THAT'S my 'epihpany.' Nothing more, nothing less. Luckily, I'm not a regretful type of person. Rather than get bummed out about it + cry over spilled milk, I'm GLAD that I have these new eyes, and will make the most of them moving forward. -- TW |
Then I guess this will be your last post at all the forums TW?
Quote:
All the forums you regularly post to are in Low-Level Land...are you making the disconnect? Please come back and update us once you've landed in the Big times. OR, can you hang out in low-level land, give it the disrespect it deserves at the same time you are preparing to escape it? I don't know, just asking. I'll guess time will tell us what choice you've made. Good luck TW, gjabiz PS. No response required. |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- Gordon -- option #2...
I'm going with option #2...
Hang out in low-level land, give it the disrespect it deserves at the same time you are preparing to escape it. As I keep saying, there's NOTHING wrong with Low-Level Land, or being IN it -- so long as I realize that's what it is, and put in its proper perspective. It's the eyes open, not shut, that counts. Cheers! -- TW |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- PS: This is what America is all about...
America is one of the few places on earth where a person CAN change their socio-economic status within their lifetime.
And they can do it, basically, under their own control. They can decide to do it, and then do it! But... part of that equation is: They must (first?) develop the ability to clearly see what WILL propel them upwards, and what will NOT. My point was that it's NOT really a spectrum. There's an EMPTY SPACE between Low-Level Land and REAL SUCCESS (read: majorly big bucks). Doing low-level stuff does not lead to the big time. Doing LOTS of low-level stuff probably won't even TOTAL big time level success. The two worlds are NOT connected, naturally/organicly/normally. The key, I feel (to take advantage of the American opportunity), is to find 'worm holes' that can/do CONNECT the two worlds. Such bridges do exist, or can be engineered. THAT'S the real stepping stone to real (major) success. The goal is not to toil in Low-Level Land (as a way of 'paying one's dues') -- the main goal should be to seek out EXIT DOORS + ESCAPE Low-Level Land as soon as possible. That's why I listed 3 such exit doors. Think 'The Matrix' and illusion is reality and vice versa -- and the rining telephone that enables one to EXIT The Matrix (which seems like reality, but which is FALSE). I hope this is making sense. It's making sense to me at least. Cheers! -- TW |
Maybe we could set up a separate SOWPUB forum category...
Called, "Blueprints for escaping Low-Level Land."
People could post their adventures in trying to escape -- and (hopefully) their successes in doing so. It'd be a forum for people with that SPECIFIC goal in mind, as "Job 1." -- TW |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
Has any one seen this 2 and a half minute video: Music & Life by Alan Watts?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERbvKrH-GC4 |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
Yes, Ankesh, I do understand life is a journey -- and one must enjoy it ALONG THE WAY.
In fact, I recently wrote, in another forum, this (two posts)... The Happiness Trail... A series of events and reflective thoughts have led me to this idea... "The Happiness Trail" (if there is one) is not a 'trail' one tries to put oneself ON. Let me clarify that -- during my previous 48 years, I had assumed that, if I took a left here, and a right there, I could strive to get myself ON "The Happiness Trail." Like some yellow brick road. In fact, it is impossible to put oneself 'on' the happiness trail, because the happiness trail doesn't even exist as a trail that is *in front of* oneself. No. The real "Happiness Trail" is a trail one leaves *behind* oneself. That is, it is a trail one *creates* and leaves behind, just as a boat leaves a 'wake.' It is created in the form of one's legacy -- even if one's 'legacy' is minute, or unremarkable. It is the 'trail' of happiness one leaves behind, that is created via the living of one's life. Minute by minute, day by day, year by year. You can do it by accident, or you can do it on purpose -- doesn't matter. The point remains -- the goal is not to ATTAIN happiness (as in 'reaching' for it). The best goal, as one travels through time, is to CREATE happiness -- for the purposes of increasing the happiness RATIO of *the 'trail' one leaves behind* -- one's 'wake.' I came upon this idea on my own -- but I'm sure it must have connections to already-existing philosophies out there. I think being a father has a lot to do with it. But there are other things that have happened to me recently (plus I'm getting older) that have turned this light on in my mind. In any case, this light becomes brighter every day for me -- and I'm glad about it! Can anyone else in the group relate? ______________________________________ Basically I was saying my eureka (which is a 180 degree 'phase shift' to what I used to think)... Happiness should not be looked for in the 'incoming' box. It can be found in the 'outgoing' box. It is not something that is *in front* of you (to be reached), it is something that is *behind* you -- something that is *produced* by you, to be left for you and others to realize. It is not something you 'ingest' or 'absorb' (from without) -- it is something that emanates *from* you. It is thinking about death + mortality (among other things) that has led me to this 'new' philosophy. How much 'happiness' will each of *produce* during the 30 or so years we have left? When you realize happiness is something we each can PRODUCE (as seen in this philosophy), then we must ask ourselves how much + when will we produce, in the time we have left (and none of us knows how much time that will really be). We must also realize, the answer to the question of how much happiness we will PRODUCE (each day or even hour), is entirely up to us! ______________________________________ However, that "Life's a Journey" idea doesn't EXCUSE us if we become WANDERING GENERALITIES, either. We still must have GOALS -- and the means by which to measure those goals -- benchmarks. "Life's a Journey" is NOT the same as "Que Sera Sera!!!" Great video clip though -- thanks! -- TW |
How a working class kid ended up owning multiple homes...
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What you wrote made me think of what's been called the "Up Series" of documentary movies... This is a remarkable series - I highly recommend it! The first program was called "7 Up". They took a bunch of British school kids, who were age 7 in 1964, and interviewed them. The kids were chosen to be from a wide range of socio-economic classes - from the very poor (e.g. kids in an orphanage) to the very rich. One of the guys behind this program was a young Michael Apted (who has gone on to direct films like "Gorillas in the Mist", and the James Bond film, "The World is Not Enough"). What's remarkable is, 7 years later, when the kids were age 14, they went and did a followup program. Then another, and another... when the "kids" were aged 21, 28, 35, 42, and the latest installment is these individuals at age 49 ! You get the see the "life trajectory" of these individuals! That in itself is remarkable... But... Given what we're usually interested in on this forum, there's one guy I think who's worth pondering over who is "followed" in this series of documentaries... That's Tony. Tony was a poor kid from the East End of London - a poor area with a high crime rate. But, since he was a kid, he had a bit of a "go getter" attitude about him... He dreamed of being a jockey. Tony did become a jockey for a short time. By age 21, he was working as a runner for a bookie. The director, Michael Apted, apparently later confessed (to Roger Ebert) that he thought Tony would end up becoming a criminal. However, it turned out that by age 28 Tony had become a taxi driver, owning his own taxi. By age 49, he now owns 3 homes, including a holiday home in Spain. While that may not be fabulously wealthy, that is quite comfortable! Anyway, it's a good series of movies... More info here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_series You'll be amazed when you see the trajectory of these people's lives (both good and bad)... Best wishes, Dien |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
I saw a documentary in the UK about the "Millionaire Mind."
They made the point that the millionaire mind is almost identical to the criminal mind, in many ways. I believe that is true. Cheers! -- TW |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
cant pass this up ...since I have ben through the same DISfunction ....and being age 48 may have something to do with it ..sinc eyou can see .or imagine, the ENd is in sight...and yu wonde rIF you have used your talents that were given you to the fullest...
and I can tell you without even knowing you , that NO you havent....I know of no one who can tell you that honestly ....I am thinking that you are rating YOURself according to some one else's staNDARDS....and you wont be happy or content with yourself until you judge them by your standards or in my case , my faith's standards. and then you can see what you really are and have been and could have been and all those things....and maybe stay up late at night worrying about the failures ..or whatevers...or you can set your sights onto a more GIVING goal...towards the world, your neighbors, and yourself...I have found myself most satified when I have given ...and not been GRADED per se...if that makes any sense to you ... I agree with Ankeesh's response about the really important people in your life...and , believe it or not, YOU are on some one's list as that person ...even if you do not know it.... how many people go back and thank their theird grade teacher for ________( fill int he blank) very few, I tried , but she had died. so you are some ONE"S hero ..today ....now ....and that should make you feel pretty good. having experienced a semblense of wealth , and poverty ...I can tell you that the only difference, other than the obvious, is the PEOPLE....the folks who have helped me and the folks I have attempted to help so , I would recommend you be grateful for today ...enjoy yourself responsibly , and finally , find someone you can help or mentor ...or go to the local stewpot and serve others... so much for my ranting.... thanks |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
Wonderfully said Bob...
As I posted in... 'Last lecture' professor dies of cancer... Definitely inspirational... http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?p=21903 Live Life to the Fullest and Treat each day like it's your last... ;) http://www.wikihow.com/Live-Life-to-the-Fullest Phil |
The Millionaire Mind vs. the Criminal Mind
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Wow, that's a very interesting thought...! I don't know if it's true, but if it is, maybe this is why...? It seems to me that something in common is many entrepreneurs, as well as many criminals, look for "loopholes"... A criminal might be looking for "loopholes" in security, for example. Such as any "loophole" in bank security, store security, credit card transaction security, etc. Many entrepreneurs look for "loopholes" too... Of course, it could be a "hole" in the market that isn't yet being fulfilled. However, it could also be "loopholes" in the law, or "loopholes" in a contract. Bill Gates made practically all his wealth from a "loophole" he created in his contract with IBM, allowing Microsoft to sell their operating system independently to third parties. That single "loophole" brought down IBM from being the "superpower" of computers, and helped Microsoft to take over! Of course, many of the wealthy actively look for "loopholes" in tax law, to allow them to pay less tax. (Or they have people on payroll, looking for these loopholes for them.) It's a fact that many of the very wealthy pay a lower percentage of their income in tax than the middle-class do. That's because every law has loopholes, and people can find the loopholes in the law and exploit them. I recently read about a business which provides low-cost treatment for recovering alcoholics (called simply, "The Retreat", located in Wayzata, Minnesota). Many alcohol and drug addiction treatment facilities are very expensive, because of the medical teams they legally need to have on hand. This business doesn't have those medical teams, so they cut their costs, and can charge much less. It means that a treatment facility is available to those who can't afford the usual exhorbitant fees. The "loophole" this business uses to do this is that, they are not legally registered as a treatment facility. Instead, they are only registered to provide "board and lodging". You can read the article about them here - http://www.startribune.com/business/26187774.html I don't know if that's the kind of thing the program you saw was referring to, but that's what came to my mind. It'd be interesting to find out more about this British documentary you saw... Cheers, Dien |
BBC show link...
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Millionaires and Criminals...
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Thanks for the link! I found an article which might shed some light on how millionaires can be like criminals, according to that show you referred to, "Mind of a Millionaire"... The article is "Moneyed words" - http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/fe...160323,00.html To quote from the article... Quote:
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Dien |
Criminal mind...
Risk taking, paying no attention to the 'rules,' super confidence, the ability to persuade others, charm, pushing the envelope, creativity, taking advantage on untapped resources (!), competitiveness, pioneer spirit, occasional genius, seeing the whole picture, zigging when others are zagging, lone wolf syndrome, unemployable, etc.
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Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
In my mind, there is a difference between a lifestyle business and a scalable business that not many entrepreneurs truly get right off the bat, especially if they're exposed to IM first.
In looking for investors for a current project, I'm looking for people or groups that can put in a bare minimum of $1-2m. I had a realization about true building block wealth when comparing people supposedly at the top of the IM game who would be stretched to have a liquid $1m to sanely invest (taking diversification into account and the fact they should have a lot of their investments and assets in other less high risk activities) to those who have built companies/empires/mastered 'systems' and capitalized on it in a big way. I appreciate your post, TW. I think it can be eye opening if looked at in the right light... Success, Erik P.S. I would urge you not to think of there only being 3 channels/wormholes for 'escaping' what you see as the 'low' ranks... there are thousands of paths, only limited by your imagination. Hint: all you need to do is get one eccentric game changer on your side who wants to make your success 'their' success and you'll be off to the races! Hint #2: never admit to the real world that you aren't already well versed in their 'level' and what it takes to make it a success (but also acknowledge you know the plan will have to be rewritten daily as you redirect based on its reception in the 'market') |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
I find this discussion to be one of the most interesting, insightful and inspiring that I've read in a long time..Thanks TM for kicking it off..I for one appreciate it..
all the best, Doc |
Here is the Wormhole. The elevator from low level to upper level.
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Doc, I find it interesting too in that it is thought provoking. But as TW continues his quest for the "wormhole" that will take him to the upper level, I keep wondering what it is. His premise is (as I understand it) "there is a lower level and an upper level and never the twain shall meet". They are separated, not connected and what works in the lower level does not work in the higher one. There are different "processes" perhaps occuring in both levels? I think that is the premise. You can't get the answers from the lower level on how to get to the upper level...you have to get the answers from the upper level. I think I can shed some light. Most of us have heard of Napoleon Hill and Think And Grow Rich. He spent 20 years interviewing the success of his day. Here is ONE important point that doesn't get discussed. Not ONE. Not a single name listed in the book. NOT ONE, used the 13 principles in TAGR...they either signed off on some of them, or agreed, or confirmed AFTER THE FACT of their success...but NONE of them used the Napoleon Hill information. They were at the TOP LEVEL when he interviewed them (otherwise, why bother?). They took a look and said something like "Oh sure, that's what I did." or "Yes, I agree with your research and premises." The HUNDREDS of people that Napoleon Hill talked to all had different methods, different approaches, different personalities, and yet he tried his best to SUMMARIZE the common elements. And he came up with the 13 in the book...without a single one of the people he interviewed saying they followed those exact steps. Think And Grow Rich was a compilation of success. Now, I'm going to sum it all up for you in 7 words. What follows is not only the "wormhole" that TW (and many of us) are seeking...it is also the other side of the sword that explains WHY we aren't at the top level and why TW is right in the premise; you can't take some secret stairway up. Before you have a knee jerk reaction, give it a few moments to sink in. At least contemplate what you are about to read. Every single one of the successes that Napoleon Hill interviewed would agree (by the fact they reached the top level) and everyone that is at the top level (assuming you don't count inherited wealth {Paris Hilton}) today, will confirm the truth of this. Here it is. The ELEVATOR to the top level is: Mindset. Mindset that makes focused activity automatic. In just 7 words you have the answer, the solution and the "wormhole" and every book ever written like Think And Grow Rich and how to get to the top level is in someway, somehow, someONE's methodology of mindset. But it isn't universal or transferrable, you can't use Trump's, you can't borrow Harvey's, you can't instill it or upload it. You either have it or you don't. And when you have it, you don't need anything else. Your every waking moment works automatically and you DO the things you MUST do to realize the dream... and the people at the top level may concur, but they can't pass it down to the lower level, because they are indeed separated...at the top, the people have the mindset that put them there...at the bottom level lives the mindset that keeps them there. It is, indeed, an interesting concept. And those at the lower level may never get it and those at the top don't need to. The upper level mindset can be worked on, caused by tragedy, history, experience, come on you in a flash, burn slowly within you for decades or never be discovered. Mindset. Mindset that makes focused activity automatic. And at the lower level, we aren't in the AUTOMATIC MODE, we're still in the stick shift and clutch "changing gears" mode. Gordon Jay Alexander PS. It is like the difference between using GPS to reach your destination or a 25 year old map that wasn't all that accurate to begin with. |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- New acronym for the right mindset...
Thanks Gordon -- Yes, the right mindset can be part of the answer.
Part of that 'correct' mindset must be the ability to immediately DECIDE/DETERMINE whether an 'opportunity' is from Low-Level Land, or the REAL WORLD "big-time." Part of that element is the ability to immediately give any Low-Level Land opportunities the DISrespect it deserves. So, here's the new acronym I came up with... O-F-D-S Which stands for "Oh 'F' Dat S**t" I think adopting that attitude when encountering Low-Level Land 'opportunities' will go a long way at protecting oneself from the TRAP(S) that Low-Level Land 'opportunities' really are. Analogy: Predatory lenders who are SEEMINGLY trying to help you. For one's financial health, one should RUN, not walk, away from them. In the long run, they are EVIL! They are WOLVES in sheep's clothing. Same goes for Low-Level Land opportunities. When they try to entice you, just say NO! -- or "OFDS!!" ...and continue the quest for opportunities that are (or will/could TRULY LEAD TO) the real world BI TIME. Cheers! -- TW |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- New acronym for the right mindset...
TW and Gordon,
TW, thanks for starting the thread! Your last post sums up everything nicely! Gordon, You elevator to the top with the mindset of focused action being automatic and gearshift analogy hit home with me. For me it has been realizing what I am truly good at and sticking with that. HOWEVER, I might have a sticky wicket to through into the mix. Imagine, if you will, that you were created for a specific purpose... something that your talents and abilities fit right into... something that everything you are fit into precisely.... Then, it's a matter of FINDING what you were made for and doing that. Cheers, Millard |
Re: The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...
When you're faced with a difficulty, focus on the solution rather than on the problem.
Solutions are positive, problems are negative. Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. |
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