Many people may roll their eyes if you explain to them the concept of harmony.
Many people may write it off as some soft & unnecessary philosophy and conversation.
Many people may consider it senseless self-help mumbo jumbo.
But, even those people are trying to achieve it…
So many people shift into the mindset of,
“I already know that.”
“I already do that.”
Let me tell you a little secret, that you probably already know…
The people that “already know that”… probably do know it… but they SUCK at doing it!
The people that say “I already do that”… DON’T!!!
I see it over and over again.
Not just with HARMONY, but with any aspect /behavior of growth and success.
The people that I see failing the most in business, specially, when hearing a fundamental and absolute truth… tend to respond… I already do that.
That is EXACTLY why they are failing.
The moment we believe we are doing the right things, we STOP searching to do them better, or to find the next better thing.
And, it takes that relentless desire for better to simply maintain the right stuff.
What people don’t understand is that “having heard THE FORMULA” for success and happiness DOES NOT MEAN mastering the APPLICATION.
I love the fact that the greatest athletes never stop working hard. Michael Jordan was known to practice for long periods after winning a great game. He was focused on all the things in the game he did not do well, and needed to improve upon.
THE FORMULAS ARE EASY… Most of us have certainly heard them…
- Spend less than you make.
- Consume less calories than you burn.
- Listen carefully to those you love.
- Don’t take things personally.
- Have a strategy.
- Work on the important things first.
- Do onto others as you would like them do onto you.
- Buy low, sell high.
- Don’t invest in sunk costs.
- Care about people.
- Have purpose and meaning in your life.
- Do the important things first.
- Only focus on the things that matter.
If knowing the formulas was the key to success… I would be FREAKIN BILL GATES and MAHATMA GHANDI rolled into one big bald Peruvians.
KNOWLEDGE is WORTHLESS without APPLICATION.
And, truly its worthless without SUSTAINED application.
If I consume fewer calories than I burn for one meal or one day… how likely am I to reach my wellness and health objectives? How likely am I to live a healthy life?
HARMONY understands that KNOWING things is like having great books on your shelves… it makes for great conversations when people come over and tour your office… but what the hell does it mean to your life, to your understanding, to your happiness…
That is why I can only get marginally excited about academics… they enable success, but they far from guarantee it…
What predicts success, if not knowledge…?
Success is predictable by…
SUSTAINED CURIOSITY… by the person that is eager to better understand how the world works, how people work, how things came to be… CURIOSITY is like a nuclear reactor inside our minds that keeps energizing us to grow…
PURPOSE… by the person that has some destination to their actions… that keeps them moving in some direction… even if the direction changes.
INTELLIGENCE… this one is not critical, but it does help significantly… with intelligence we can remember, analyze and better select our path and our decisions based on the data presented to us.
DISCIPLINE… Somewhere along the line you will need DISCIPLINE. Life can be exhausting and there are so many avenues to pursue... SO many things to learn… so many people to meet… SO many things to consider. Without discipline we become random energy… learning all kinds of things but building on no synergy and maintaining no direction.
STAMINA… so, so, so very important… it’s not about playing a strong first quarter… its about playing all the way through… I was just telling my soccer team yesterday, its not necessarily the better team, but the stronger team that wins… it’s the team that can play a strong 4th quarter… that can pull away when the competition gets tired… that is when the magic can happen in head to head competition… you don’t HAVE to be better, you just have to have the wherewithal to last longer… STAMINA… so key.
KNOWLEDGE… IS A COMMODITY…
And, the person that things they “already know it”, “they already do it”… is SO very, deeply off the mark…
I see it all the time…
The parent that wants to read a parenting book is ALREADY a better parent than the one that says “I already know that”.
The executive that wants to, chooses to read a strategy book is ALREADY a better executive than the one that says, “I’ve read all the books”… I’ve got this.
The manager that wants to read a prioritization book is ALREADY a better manager than the one that says, “We are already doing that.”..
I use “reading books” as an example (it’s a good one), but you could be talking to friends about stuff, going to courses, looking up videos on you tube…
It’s the person that correlates the “I want to get better” with the concept that “I need to keep an open mind and continue to learn”… that is the person to look out for…
It’s the person that correlates the “I want to continue to apply the very best that I possibly I can – to every moment that I come across” that is the person to look out for…
The moment you think you KNOW you don’t.
The moment you think you DO you don’t.
How do you live like this and not drive yourself crazy?
You allow yourself to take credit ONE MOMENT AT A TIME…
I have set a great strategy for my company with the help of my executive team. I have!
And, I will challenge that strategy every day from here until the day I am no longer with this company… looking for a better one (or for how to evolve it or alter it for the better).
I have achieved a strong and healthy body. I have!
And, I will challenge myself to make it stronger still, to find better and more intelligent ways to build flexibility, strength, stamina and wellness into my routine.
I have achieved a happy and successful life. I have!
And, I will challenge myself to continue to make it happier and more successful, by making my purpose clearer and more meaningful, by better understanding how to help others along in my journey, by better defining what success and happiness really mean…
Just because I HAVE doesn’t mean I will continue to…. Internal and external factors are constantly in motion… for me to continue to find my harmony, I must continue to find the best next note for my piece… I must find the right next word for my song… I must find the best next moment to my life…
There is no “arriving” in the spirit of harmony…
There is no “finish line”, no “game over”, no “closing the books”, no “end”…
Until I die…
And, if I live in harmony,
Then we don’t really “die”. Sure our bodies stop functioning and get burned or buried under ground.
But, what we stand for… what we build… what we are able to convey and inspire… which is ultimately who we are…
LIVES ON… in the hearts of those we loved and touched…
Never believe that you already know… ‘cause that is exactly the moment that you stop knowing.
If we live a life of meaningful purpose and we stay curious… we get a chance to live forever…
But we must never stop growing,
Never stop learning,
Never stop trying,
Never stop applying,
Never stop enjoying,
Never stop questioning,
Never stop reaching…
Every moment we are born again… into the possibility of a life of harmony…
NEVER STOP!
Yours in harmony,
Nestor