How to Lose There are a lot of reasons people don’t meet their goals or accomplish their dreams. If you are willing to lose in life, here is a set of rules that will help. 1) Don’t take risks. 2) Be satisfied, complacent. 3) Before you act, consider, “What will people think of me.” Let this be your dominant concern. 4) Avoid change. In fact, hold to the status quo. Make “This is the way we’ve always done it” your credo. 5) Maintain rigid attitudes; be opinionated. 6) Rely on the authority of others to make decisions. (That way you can blame them when things turns out badly.) 7) Make comfort your top priority. 8) Do not concern yourself with customer satisfaction or service. 9) Let your competitor lead the way. (Remember, innovation might fail.) 10) Do not put yourself out for anyone. (This works well in losing in relationships too.) 11) Be “good enough”. (Don’t stretch too far; better safe than sorry.) 12) Rationalize and be defensive. (Then people won’t bother you with problems.) 13) Make excuses and blame others 14) Shirk responsibility; don’t do anything extra. If your greatest objective is to tailor “other people’s opinions” versus a willingness to be unique, make your own decisions, and be your own advocate, this list probably reflects your personal style. Otherwise, you might check it against your personal philosophy and work habits, and it is possible you will discover your blocks to success. If so, pick one or two items each week to concentrate on changing. In this way, you have the potential to reflect a more positive, self possessed person, who not only takes himself seriously, but is willing to pay his dues to be who he wants to be, and live the life he wants to live.

Finding the Pearl Oysters live inside hard shells and have soft, sensitive bodies. When a grain of sand pushes into the shell, the oyster experiences great agony. If the oyster is unable to remove the painful irritant, it tries another approach and coats the sand with layers of soft iridescent mother of pearl. Thus what was initially an annoyance is transformed, over time, into a beautiful object of great value. The same thing happens to each of us when faced with life’s irritations. We have the choice to react in pain and agony or find a way to use the problem/challenge to create something of value. The merchandiser, J. C. Penney, was challenged as the seventh of twelve children in a very poor family. He decided to use his capacity for enterprise to get what he wanted. Consequently Penney raised and sold pigs to buy his school clothes. The undertaking that created a practical solution for purchasing school clothes, eventually expanded into a lucrative business, J.C. Penney department stores. Joe was Chief Engineer at a company that was downsizing. When he lost his job, he was momentarily sad until he realized that finally he had the time and opportunity to start his own business. Had Joe’s job not been eliminated, he would never have pursued entrepreneurship. Joe ultimately developed a successful business, created greater personal freedom and fulfilled his dreams. All this evolved from a situation that was initially an irritant. There are pearls hidden in every situation. They are the seeds of a new way (career, relationship, business, hobby, process). The choice is to be a victim of circumstances or an opportunist. Recognizing opportunity requires vision, willingness, courage, effort, determination, and action. Do you have what it takes? Are you willing to find the pearls?