A Word About “Wild Oats”

We were watching an old television show the other day, and the episode was about a man who was given the opportunity to go back to his past and “un-do” some of the rash and foolish mistakes he had made as a youth.  As the story goes, the man was then transported into the future to see what became of his life after removing some of his “loose threads.”  The result was . . . uninspiring.  It turns out that a careful youth led to a mundane adulthood.

We devote a whole chapter in the book to minimizing mistakes–to making sure that your own youthful indiscretions don’t end up ruining your life.  BUT WE NEVER TRY TO GET YOU TO NOT MAKE ANY MISTAKES!  Mistakes are crucial to your development into the person you are intended to be, and sometimes the great effort will bring about great failures. 

So do not try to spend your days trying to avoid mistakes–you will learn more from them than from months in a classroom.  We simply advise that you pursue what you want with full vigor; just use a little foresight and avoid the obvious and/or “stupid” mistakes.

The Gurus of Get It

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Weekend Challenge: The Open Window

One of our favorites bits of wisdom from our fathers is the old adage that “God never closes a door without opening a window.”  Usually this is offered in the face of a big disappointment, but we think it has serious applications to your Perfect Life.

If you handle your business the way you are supposed to–with integrity, with honesty, with passion and with respect for yourself and for others–you will make an impression on people.  So maybe after interviewing for your dream job you don’t get it; but maybe you handled yourself in just such a way that one of the people who interviewed you remembers your name the next time he has an opening in his division, and brings you on board.  Not the direct route you had planned, but still moving in the right direction.

So what’s the challenge in this idea?  Rethink yourself just a little bit.  As you move into the world with all your Passion and your great ideas, keep in mind that in many cases you will be selling yourself, not your ideas.  So make admirable traits your calling card, and work to cultivate relationships with those “window openers.”

The Gurus of Get It

Traits We Admire: Balance

Today is the Autumnal Equinox, one of two days during the year in which the night is equal in length to the day.  And if the weather forecasters are to be believed, it should be a near-perfect day in the Denver metropolitan area:  not too hot, not too cold, chance of rain but not too much.  In other words, with the world in a very good balance.

We advise you to try to live your life with a similar mindset.  If you can learn to take the punches from the world without getting too upset or angry, and likewise learn to enjoy your own successes and good fortune without getting too prideful or euphoric, we believe you will be better situated to continue making the sort of choices and decisions that realizing your Vision will require.  As humans, we have emotions and we react to things around us; but one trait that highly successful people share is the ability to stay on a relatively even keel–not too hot, not too cold.

That advice in no way negates the value of Passion.  On the contrary, it affirms the importance of not letting temporary satisfaction (like a good temper tantrum) interfere with the Big Picture!

The Gurus of Get It

The Mirror Test (modified)

We often talk about the mirror test.  In this exercise we ask you to look in the mirror to make sure that you can live with yourself and your decisions.  This is a great way to make sure that you can “sleep with yourself” regardless of what is going on around you.

Today we propose a modified version of that same test.  In this version we are asking you to look within when you start to get angry or upset with someone.  It is very easy to blame others for your problems or get angry at someone because of something that may have happened.  The question you need to ask yourself is “am I getting angry or upset at the right person?”  It may appear that someone caused you hurt or anguish, but in reality, could it have been caused by something you may have done?  What we are saying is that we need to sometimes take a better look at ourselves to recognize what we can control and put our happiness back in our own hands.

So, the next time you are feeling angry or upset about something that happens, be sure to look in that mirror to fix it from within instead of blaming others.

The Gurus of Get It!

Weekend Challenge: Dream Big!

We both have daughters who dance, and that has given us a glimpse into a strange and beautiful world.  Among other things, this has introduced us to the idea of an intensely competitive world comprised of young girls.  And amidst that competition, one of ours has decided that she wants to pursue a career in dance.  And almost as soon as she came to this conclusion, she started–at the advice of the “grownups” in her life–to come up with “backup plans.”

As fathers, we can appreciate that; as “Gurus,” we hate that.

The “backup plan” is sometimes an act of Foresight, but as often as not it is an admission that the Dream is not realistic.  And the worst part is when people spend as much as or more energy guaranteeing their backup plan than they do realizing their Vision. 

If you’re going to have a Dream, if you’re going to have a Vision that demands the best of your energies and abilities, then it might as well be something big.  Don’t let anybody convince you to play it safe or to “dummy down” that which you feel compelled to do. So your challenge for this week is simple: think through all your “provisionals,” then abandon them so you can . . .

Dream Big

The Gurus of Get It

Weekend Challenge: Square Your Shoulders

Have you ever watched an experienced sailor navigate really choppy seas?  Neither have we, but we’ve seen lots of movies about it, so we think that counts.

When the giant wave is about to come crashing into the boat, the pilot always turns the boat into the wave, so the bow (the front) absorbs the energy of the wave and enables the rest of the boat to ride it out.  Doing that also helps the boat remain balanced on its long axis, hopefully preventing capsizing.

Your life is the same way.  The more “squared up” you can make yourself to face the waves of life, the better you will be able to navigate them.   Hopefully, many of the “waves” life throws at you will be due to your own activity, and riding out those waves is just the natural consequence of and necessary precursor to building your Perfect Life.  But sometimes, as we all know, life throws a few of them at you completely unbidden–that doesn’t change your reaction ONE IOTA!  Face them!

Is there some chore you’ve been putting off, some home repair or difficult conversation you’ve been trying to dodge?  This weekend, take care of that.  Turn squarely into it, march forth and take care of business. 

The Gurus of Get It

Question for the Day!

This is a simple question with high impact.  We have asked it before, but you can never ponder it too much:

“What would you do if you knew that you could not fail?”

Since we “preach” (and believe) that you are capable of ANYTHING, you should answer that question and simply go for it.  This does not have to be only about career, it can be about a hobby, or just trying to be a better person.

Answer that question, on any level, and give it a go.  We promise you will not be sorry.

The Gurus Of Get It!

Stray Thought: How Do You Sleep?

So quoth some television character:

“What you did was GREAT!!  It was wrong, but it was great!  You should feel great about doing something great; you should feel like crap that it was wrong.  He–he thinks we do our jobs and let the chips fall as they may;  you and I think what we do here matters.  He sleeps better at night.  He shouldn’t.”

Did you try to do something great today?  This week?  This year?

Ever in your life?

To try to do what is great is hard, it is personally taxing, and it brings with it the prospect of great failure.  And doing something of significance can cause a few sleepless nights.

But to just “phone it in” day after day is not what you were put on this earth to do.  Humans are the only animals that have the capacity for greatness . . .

don’t waste it on sleep.

The Gurus of Get It!