Posted by Ray Cronise on October 21, 2008 at 4:30am
All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, and/or, desire according to Aristotle. One is pressed to argue with this even 2300 years later. There are those in life that do not reflect and just walk around existing, not living. Like shadows, they can be found attached to any exciting event, but something inside just doesn't allow them to actually live and experience the world in a first hand way.I don't live this way.In true Aristotelian fashion, I like to experience life first hand. I love ideas and I like great minds. When one strives to surround themselves with interesting and intelligent people, life generally has so much more meaning. The problem is that not unlike the formula for a really cheesy soap opera, the script most people audition for almost guarantees a boring and predictable story.Consider a wedding photographer: is he there to capture a wedding or is he there to create photos of a wedding that never really happened? The people were there and one shouldn't suggest this is some sort of Steven Spielberg conspiracy, but we all know that basically the bride and groom are lead by the nose from one posed photo to the other. Ok, perhaps he gets a few spontaneous shots, but for the most part, all wedding albums are basically the same pictures, different people; no one really wants to look at them either. Can't the same be said about man people's lives?Perhaps the key to avoiding this in your pool business, should you desire avoiding it, is to follow what the Muses in your head tell you to do. What can you do this week to change something about your business, customer experience, or sales message that you have been thinking about for years, but just haven't found the time, erh, uhm, nerve, to do? Why not try something you've thought about for years? Watch carefully this week and try to notice and WRITE DOWN opportunities that are right in front of you, but somehow you always find a good reason not to go after them. If you have questions, send a message to someone on pool genius network and see what they think. They are outside of your situation and worldview and will probably offer a fresh and exciting perspective.Living on the edge is not about cheating death, it is about taking life to the limit. If one is to experience everything life has to offer, then he must take those chance opportunities and make something of them. People with crazy ideas and thoughts just like these are everywhere, and even in a crowd of 1000 people, I always find them or they find me. What we make of these chance meetings is always a matter of Aristotle's call to action: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.Have a crazy idea? GO FOR IT! Live on the edge and taste the sweet victory of success.
Thanks for the article Ray. Studies have shown that two of the greatest regrets people have when they are at the end of their lives is knowing the should have taken more risks and taken more time to reflect when they had the chance. I believe this coincides with your thoughts and the need we have as people, especially within our businesses, to reflect upon and follow those promptings we so often recieve but quickly dismiss due to a variety of factors. With the economy struggling the way it is right now, as well as so many being adversely affected within our industry, I find your advice here to be quite sagacious and timely. Thanks again for your remarks!
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