Mindset Matters

We have been educated to end up “stuck.” From kindergarten until graduating high school or even college, we’ve learned that doing average or even below average work, doing “just enough,” will get you constantly and consistently promoted. In fact, promotions to the next grade are expected and anticipated. We’ve been conditioned to believe that mediocrity moves you forward in life. It’s no wonder young adults feel overwhelmed when they try to begin their careers and realize the bare minimum isn’t sufficient anymore. By the time that individual has graduated college, he or she has spent the last sixteen to eighteen years of life being trained for mediocrity. After all, “C’s get degrees,” right? Now, all of a sudden it seems, the life they want to live requires them to stretch and get out from under the protection of the bell curve. It’s brand new territory and many never venture out. Tempted by the appearance of “safety in numbers,” most hang out in the crowd and choose a life o...

Before a sailor becomes a Navy SEAL, he must complete a grueling six-month training and selection process called Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL or “BUDS.” It is a torturous endeavor designed to push even the toughest sailors to their physical and mental limits. Inside the BUDS training compound hangs a bell. If you want to quit, just ring the bell. If you ring the bell, there’s no more long runs in wet fatigues, no more early morning swims in the cold ocean, no more brutal sessions of excruciating calisthenics, no more sleepless nights. All the pain, all the frustration, all the exhaustion can stop. Ring the bell and you can have a nice warm shower, a hot meal and crawl into a warm bed. Ring the bell and you can have comfort again, at least for a while. But you if ring the bell, you also can never become a SEAL. You will never be elite. You will never accomplish “what could have been.” If you pay attention to how people around you talk and watch how they live their live...

Do you remember the Staples’ commercials with the “Easy Button”? There’s always a problem or some obstacle that seems insurmountable or at least complicated and overwhelming, then someone hits the “Easy Button” and the issue is instantly resolved and everything magically gets better. They are funny commercials, but hardly a realistic picture of how things work. We all know there are no “Easy Buttons” in life, but still that’s what so many are seeking. The quick fix, the fad diet, the magic pill, the shortcut, all gain with no pain. Although few would state it so boldly, they are essentially asking, “How can I get an optimal solution with minimal effort?” Not only is this a losing mindset, it also clouds our vision moving forward. Easy can distract us from necessary. We can get so consumed with the easiest solution that we may miss the right solution.

How popular would the movie “Braveheart” have been if the King of England sat down with William Wallace at the beginning of the film, apologized for being unreasonable, and then granted the Scots their freedom while everyone lived happily ever after? Who would have watched Apollo 13 if the mission had gone off without a hitch and the astronauts simply landed on the moon and returned home? Would anyone have sat through three hours of Titanic if Rose had immediately broken off her engagement and she and Jack had sailed smoothly into New York Harbor, completely avoiding judgmental mothers, angry fiances and pesky icebergs? Without conflict, all of these award-winning blockbusters lose their appeal. Whether it’s a story, a movie or your own life, conflict is what flavors all narratives. Without struggle and obstacles, life is fairly empty and hollow. Without something to overcome, your days will become stale. Salt, in and of itself, isn’t very enjoyable or rewarding. But as it’...

It seems to me the extent of success is nearly always preceded by an equal or greater measure of sacrifice. Whether it is a nation, a company, an individual or even a particular area of a person’s life, the achievements are realized after being built on a foundation of sacrifice. And, in those rare instances where seemingly great accomplishments follow only a modest or meager investment, they are often short lived. The foundation simply isn’t strong enough to support the advancement. Success, not supported by sacrifice, will often crush the recipient. We should never wish for success beyond the limits of the sacrifice we can endure to achieve it.

There was once a man imprisoned in a dark and depressing dungeon. It was filthy, oppressive and devoid of hope. The screams of other prisoners and appalling odors constantly buffeted his senses – the sounds and smells of despair. The man had fellow prisoners on either side of his cell, but they rarely spoke. He was alone and dejected. His spirit died a little bit with each passing day, each one as empty and cruel as the day before. But this morning was different. The guards, after bringing in just enough nearly-inedible swill to keep the prisoners from starving, neglected to properly lock a few of the cell doors. Our prisoner didn’t notice it at first, but soon watched as the young prisoner in the cell to his left started to play with the lock and slowly jimmied it open. With cautious, even anxious, anticipation, the young man slowly pushed opened the cell door. His eyes started to dance as he tentatively stepped out of the cell for the first time in years. As he passed our p...