How To Get More Out Of Everything – Part 1
May 1st, 2019 // 5:47 am @ Scott Manning
The other day, I heard from one of my doctors about an experience they had recently. The doctor said, “I didn’t feel I got a lot out of it.” I had to take a step back to challenge the very notion.
It was surprising to me coming from someone who is very smart. It’s a very unfortunate outcome when someone isn’t able to find value in something; no matter what it is because value is a reflection of the person looking at it, not the person providing it.
I’ve never encountered any situation or person that I have not taken something away from. Not a homeless man’s story or even a not-worth-watching moving. There is always something hidden somewhere (if not blatantly out in plain sight), that can speak to you at any given moment.
One of my great mentors taught “keep your antennas up” because you never know when inspiration will strike or opportunity will be discovered or mistakes will be avoided or breakthroughs will be had.
People – especially business people and entrepreneurs – who feel they are “too smart for the room” or “already know everything” are the ones who have more opportunities to develop and learn. Sadly, they are too much in their own way to realize or too ego-centric to accept that they are the most in need of help.
Here are the characteristics of people who fail at extracting value from situations and therefore remain trapped in a confined box, all of their own makings…
(Hopefully you don’t’ fall victim to these and if you do, you can be self aware enough and have the discipline to rectify it.)
1st– Closed minded with a belief that their problems are unique; instead of looking for insights and applications from all experiences. Remember, the way you see the problem is most often the problem.
2nd– Afraid to make commitments and decisions to do anything of substance. If you aren’t prepared to learn, to change, to do something more, better, differently then of course you will never see the opportunities around you because you aren’t willing to act upon them anyways.
3rd– Allowing their ego to grow beyond its merit. The bible warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” All throughout history, the mighty fall when they believe they have nothing left to conquer and no one left capable of challenging them.
Real winners and the ultra successful never lose their edge and retain a healthy paranoia of always thinking someone is doing better, knows more, and has something that can be of benefit to you. The best are on a quest to make every encounter and every experience give them an advantage for their next moves in life and business.
One of the best compliments I have been given came from a multi-multi-millionaire who does more business now after decades of not needing to and is more aggressive today than ever before. He said, “I just love the way you are always asking so many questions Scott.”
How else are you going to learn anything of relevance to you if you don’t? I have a very simple belief when it comes to discovery. If you are in search of something, you will often find it in the most unobvious and strangest places. That is, as long as you are always aware, alert and focused on what your mission is.
If you find nothing, it’s because of your failure to search, not because there was nothing there to be found. You own the responsibility to make every situation, circumstance, opportunity, experience in your life count.
You have either already decided that or you are still just floundering around dreaming of greener grass and blaming all the outside variables. The only constant in your life is you.
And I assure you, we all have work to do, room to grow, and ways to develop. Whether you get out of bed everyday to make something happen or you just get by, a lot of it depends on how much you value life, time, others, opportunity, success and yourself.
Value, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. And everything else is just a reflection of your own self-worth.
Next week, I’ll help you on your journey of discovery and give you some insights on how to increase your self-worth. You’ll be ready next time, when there is value abundantly around you ripe for the taking… as it always is.
Category : Blog
