, for introducing a similar question). "What's The Matter With The Car I'm Driving?"
Copying someone else's success may not get you the same result.
Billy Joel sang a catchy tune where he compared Principles (of Rock'n Roll, as he saw them) with the methods and outward appearances of the changing times.
Moving from William Martin Joel to Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”
But success is simply a recipe, isn't it? The common sense side of us tells us, if George from across the street does A+B and ends up with ‘C’, then Roger can do A+B and get the same result.
This makes complete sense, right? It not only seems logical, this premise sells millions of books each year on the topic of ‘improving’ oneself.
However, it may not hold true. If George is doing A+B based upon a set of individualized beliefs or values, and Roger is doing A+B only to get what he sees as a desired outcome, the results can be drastically different.
What George values in both doing the task as well as in the results he achieves are likely different for George than for Roger. For example, making a million dollars can mean 100 different things to 100 different individuals because we all value what those dollars mean to us in our own unique ways.
George and Roger are almost always going to get different results because of their personal values and because of their own interpretation of utility and meaning. Outside appearances may even have the two individuals getting the exact same results - and yet over time we realize that George is creating life and value and happiness for himself and others while Roger may be destroying life and value and promoting misery and suffering for himself and others. Or, at the very least, he “is sure to have trouble.”
--Dave Charbonneau, C.E.R.
"It's the next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways
It's still rock & roll to me."
--Billy Joel
AP Magazine Editor
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Reader Comments (2)
One principle that I have learned is that in order for me to be prosperous, it is important for me to get my mind "right" first. If I am thinking in scarcity, worried about who is going to rip me off or getting offended by something someone said, it is hard for me to be in a state of mind where I can get inspiration, which is essential to any creative endeavor. As an artist, I need that inspiration to flow. Now that doesn't mean I don't work hard myself, but if the inspiration is not there, the art is likely going to go flat, which won't inspire anybody else.
As well, in my experiences I discuss in this blog, I've discovered myself as more of an artist than a scientist; and I express myself best in creating thru business concepts. Anyhow, I hear ya from an artist to an artist (love to hear more about your art. Look me up on Facebook).
Oh, and I wanted just to comment on something else you said: You had written about getting your mind right and how thoughts of being offended hamper this. I've GOTTA share this with you, perhaps you've experienced it, too. I read Wayne Dyer's book, The Power of Intention. While a bit strange in parts (the book could have been half the length or less and I would've been happy and his points would have been made more clearly); perhaps the greatest suggestion I took from that book was to not allow myself to take offense. I realized I was offended a LOT more often than I would have thought. However, because the peace that was found was so profound of a change, it was actually a fairly easy concept to, well, I won't say master, but at least remember. Now, I'm working on not allowing myself to feel overwhelmed (I get stressed just thinking about it) ;-)
--Dave Charbonneau, C.E.R.