Upside Down Secrets of Success
Can a man take fire into his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Proverbs 6:27 NASB
Fire – I suppose you imagine that this little investigation is going to be about moral purity. Or maybe you think that we’re going to investigate the relationship between ‘es (fire) and ‘ish (man). But no, I’m going to take the opportunity to move in a different direction. I want to write about doing business by thinking backwards.
We are probably familiar with the often-mentioned human resources axiom:
The performance you are getting right now is exactly what your current environment is motivating and rewarding.
We recognize this law of human performance when it comes to addressing questions of product promotion, compensation or market mix. But many times we fail to see that this truth applies to us.
The life you have right now is exactly what your current thinking is motivating and rewarding.
If you want to improve your life, something must change in the way you think. It is not sufficient to adopt a new behavior regimen because the new behaviors will still be based on the old motivators and rewards. Sooner rather than later, the behavior will return to the old patterns because the thought process didn’t change. If you want real behavior change, you must renew your mind and your heart.
We experience examples of this all the time. Want to lose weight? You will never succeed until you change the way you think, not just the way you eat. Most diet plans fail because the thinking about food never changed. All that changed was the disciplined behavior about eating. Want to stop smoking? Unless you change your thought patterns, you won’t last. Want to make more profits, gain greater market share? Business progresses at the speed of thought, not manufacturing or sales or advertising.
So, look at your life right now. Is this what you want? What completely satisfies you? If you can say, “Yes, this is as good as it gets”, then STOP right here. You don’t need to do anything more. Have a nice day.
But if you aren’t able to stand up and shout, “This is everything I ever wanted,” then I am suggesting that the next great step forward will be in your thoughts, not with your feet. So, let’s take a deeper look at the path ahead.
There are two competing paradigms in business today. The first is the effort-perfection model. The second is the vision-available model.
The first looks and feels like this:
- If it’s to be, it’s up to me
- If you want to do something right, you have to do it yourself
- I am the captain of my own fate
- The goal of life is accumulation
- Problem-solving skills are essential for success
- Knowledge is power
- Power is control
- Life is a zero-sum game
- What matters most is self-fulfillment
The second looks and feels like this:
- I am part of something bigger than me
- I am not alone
- I do not control my own destiny
- The goal of life is giving myself away
- My problem-solving skills will never be enough to solve all the problems
- Power is imprisoning
- Obedience is freedom
- Life is possibility unfolded
- What matters most is significant purpose
The behaviors fostered and rewarded by these two competing models differ dramatically. However, many of us have attempted to live with one foot in each camp. We have discovered the uncomfortable, frustrating struggle of trying to reconcile these models. Our usual compromise is compartmentalization. We break up our lives into watertight boxes, adopting the behaviors of accumulation, competition and individual self-fulfillment in work while we try to act in obedience at church and in cooperation at home. We are constantly re-drawing the lines and shoring up the bulkheads as the water from one set of behaviors threatens to flood another set of behaviors. We are fractured at the core.
Most of us recognize this inconsistent behavior but we seem to be powerless to do anything about it in the long term. Our lives are spent adjusting. In order to get off this treadmill, we need to do some seriously deep thinking. We need to answer the question:
Why am I having so much trouble living a balanced life?
What this question shows us is so obvious we have overlooked it. We have forgotten to think backwards. We have accepted the question as the legitimate goal of living. But this question already contains a paradigm. That paradigm is:
The great life is perfectly balanced.
Once we have accepted this standard, all the rest follows. We are ushered down the aisle of personal performance, individual responsibility, compartmentalization, accumulation and self-determination in an effort to capture that elusive trophy – the balanced life.
But thinking backwards jars my assumptions. Why do I think life is supposed to be balanced? Where did I get this idea? Why does it dominate my experience?
What if life is about the target, not the balance? Then other actions follow:
1. Listening is more important than speaking – Who you listen to determines your destiny
2. Waiting is more important than acting
3. Following is more important than leading
4. Interruptions are more important than plans
5. Wandering is better than hurrying
6. Without the end in sight, only God can get you there
7. Business is always about serving someone else
8. Life is not about problem solving. It’s about being available.
Topical Index: Proverbs 6:27, burned, fire, business, balance, target
We all think we are captains of our own ship, masters of our own destiny, when we are in reality mutineers against the Captain who still remains in the wheelhouse steering His ship to its final port of call. But the mutineers below the deck cannot see above or below their present location, and boast to one another about the “success” of their mutiny.
Meanwhile, the Captain reminds them that “For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.” (Prov. 11:7). Which is just one of many reminders to the mutineers that their revolt has not really achieved much at all.
Ian, I love your analogy.
“If you want to improve your life, something must change in the way you think. It is not sufficient to adopt a new behavior regimen because the new behaviors will still be based on the old motivators and rewards. Sooner rather than later, the behavior will return to the old patterns because the thought process didn’t change. If you want real behavior change, you must renew your mind and your heart”
Skip, after I read your post, I read the following article titled “Reverse Biology” and I think it goes very well with what you said. The article is about fasting on Yom Kippur and goes into detail about why we fast. I am sure most people fast as a religious duty not fully understanding why..in today’s world, the health industry promotes fasting under a new name called “detox” along with products and info…and still, people buy into this without understanding why or changing their lifestyle or mindset…and failing. Very good word Skip!
“Today, the physical world shows us only its most superficial face, in which the divine characteristics stamped in it are corrupted as a concealment, rather than a revelation, of G‑dliness. Today, when the physical object conveys to us “I am,” it bespeaks not the reality of G‑d but an independent, self-sufficient existence that challenges the divine truth. But in the World to Come, the product of the labor of a hundred generations to sanctify the material world, the true face of the physical will come to light.” http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/4562/jewish/Reverse-Biology.htm
“What if life is about the target…” What’s the target?
Thanks,
Mrs. P
This is an amazing thing to think on. Talk about becoming human!
I am not sure which of the first two lists most of my life was lived in. Oh how I can understand the fact that you must change the way you think to change the patterns in your life! Anyone can change the outside design but real lasting change comes from within and this word today just solidifies it in my mind. Whitewashing washes off.
Not easy but it is doable. Great strength comes from G-d above if you will humble yourself to ask.
It makes me cry to see how much of my life the third list is. I am pretty much dumbfounded actually at what I see here in myself-Praise G-d. I have much to be thankful for on Yom Kippur and have been forgiven much.
Thank you Skip for this teaching and the challenge. It is getting to the point that I look forward to growing pains!
Shalom
Here is a little story to go along with statement #8 on the second list. When I was a bachelor, I had my acreage, my job, my house, my garden, my everything to take care of by myself. One summer I was knee-deep in garden work–a big garden with big weeds. A neighbor stopped by to talk. I was civil and chatted awhile, but what I really wanted was to get back to the work with the crops. “Don’t bother me. I’m busy.” That was my attitude.
One day a small herd of young calves came down the road and charged through my garden. Just young stock, so they didn’t do much damage. I thought, “Boy, that was close!” I redoubled my efforts to tidy the plants. In the meantime, somebody else came along and “interrupted” my work.
Not too long after this, a large herd of full-grown Holstein cows headed down the road and straight for my garden. They did major damage stomping, browsing, and moving along ponderously like cattle do. My poor garden! It was then that I realized I needed a change of heart and outlook. Instead of “Don’t bother me. I’m busy,” I began to think, “Bother me. That’s my business.”
Good piece for Today’s Word, Skip.
Wisdom and revelation right there, Skip! Good on ya!
Hope and Change
The Biblical word for this is “repent.” (metanoia).
“When our LORD and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ Hewilled the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” (Martin Luther)
Repentance, (Yes, we must know this one- for it is the beginning and end and moments in between, affecting and altering our very being and all relationships, both near and far, in this world and in the next. In other words, -Is repentance crucial to our very existence? Most assuredly- “Yes.” Why?
It is because of the authority of His words: ~ unless you repent, you all will perish ~ (Luke 13.3)
Of all the grace-gifts of God, “repentance” has got to be near (if not, “the”) top of the list. Once again,
~ But if you don’t turn to God and change the way you think and act, then you, too, will all die ~
Now, here is something to make the Greek-thinkers and the Hebrew “doers” happy. We (as in “all of us sinners”) MUST change the way WE think AND act!
Repentance is change. Repentance is an “about face!” Repentance is a “turning from AND a turning toward.” It is a “from-to” word. From this TO that. Turn from darkness- turn toward Light. Turn from lies- turn towards truth.
To repent (or to “think different”) is to “refuse” AND to “choose!” Refuse this (refuse/garbage) AND choose this (choice morsel). Refusing and choosing. Are we able to DO this? Don’t just say “NO” to this, – say “YES” to that!
Repentance is choosing what is ‘best” over (and above) what is (merely) “good!” Repentance is exercising the God-given authority of choice or “free-will,” and I am/you are totally free in all of our choices!
HOWEVER!! (yes, this is the warning shout)- We (all of us) are NOT free from the consequences of our choices! (both “large” and “small!”). This then, should be our constant prayer: LORD, help me to make the right choices- at all times, amen!
We can easily see how prayer is now critical to our existence! I need help and I need it now! Ooh I could go on about our “needs!”- And this, ties in so beautifully to the very Word of God, ~ but my God “might?” supply all your needs?… NOO! Children, what do the scriptures say? (and I quote, lol!)
~ But (love those Bible buts!) my God WILL supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ~ For He that spared not His own Son (but!) delivered Him up FOR US ALL- how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? ~ May I?.. (Hallelujah!) Big.. big.. huge!!
Repentance will wonderfully turn your world “upside-down!” Total victory is (now) through absolute surrender. What was cloudy becomes clear. Life springs from death. What was (once seemingly) small becomes large. But Who are we surrendering to?
To our own dreams, ideals, pursuits or passions? Or? Are we now, -because of our new birth and growth *in Christ*, able to say and to choose, to pursue, to conform to
~ “not my will (not what “I” want), but Yours be done?” ~
The will of man is a stubborn thing. The wild horse, er.. heart has to be “meeked.” To be brought under control again, through voluntary surrender- (and isn’t this what love is?) to the LORDship of Jesus (who is the) Christ.
His mom was right. ~ Whatever He says unto you- do it. ~ (John 2.5) Now, how did Mary know this? She was with Him for how long? Day and night, she was privileged to see Him grow ~ in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man ~ (Luke 2.52)
And isn’t this what we also desire for our own children? ~ to grow in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man? ~
What blessing there would be! What happiness, what joy! “If only..” If only, we would learn to listen. “If only” we would hear AND obey. (yes, this is to “shema” the scriptures, to hear and to obey..
We have a TextBook and we have a Teacher. Where is the student? – and where is the classroom? Welcome to Life 101. Life is for learning. We must learn to live and we must love to learn and above all, we must learn to love! To love God and to love people..- all people, everywhere.
Our salvation and sanctification (both) are through and by “repentance.” Repentance and faith are the two sides of the one coin. Again, we turn “from” sin and we (continue) to turn towards God. We learn (learning is a process) sometimes through success, sometimes through failure, but at all times, we learn. And borrowing from these lovely lyrics, -“I’ve learned to depend upon His word..” The Word of God, (both) written and Living.
“If only..” – “If only I would have listened to the voice of my teachers..” (Regret?)
“if only”- if only I would have known my Father would be so full of joy when I came home to Him. ” I wonder if the repentant prodigal son, ever thought this..
But once again, ~ what do the scriptures say? ~ Today, if you will hear His voice… harden not your heart. ~
Pharaoh had a choice. He had multiple opportunities to repent and to change his royal mind.. but what was his choice? What was the “will of Pharaoh? “I will not..” Pharaoh once again ~ hardened his own heart ~
Is this possible? Are we able to do this? ~ My Ruach (Breath, Wind, Spirit) shall not always strive with man ~ (Genesis 6.3) Pharaoh had ten huge opportunities to repent, and yet..he (once again) hardened his heart.. until one day..
One of the saddest scriptures in all of our Bible,
~ But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and just as the LORD had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen ~ (Exodus 9.12)
There comes a time when God says, “if this is what you want, then I will give it to you.” By his own continual choices, (and by “both” his attitudes and actions), what was Pharaoh asking for? Give unto me a “hard heart!”
Regrets? or Repentance?- the choice is continually before us.. His Way or my way? His will or my will?
I’ve made my choice..- and you?
~ but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.. ~
And just to be crystal clear, and to remove all doubt and misunderstanding..
Jesus (who is the risen and reigning Christ) IS LORD!!
Skip,
If there was a short PhD course in applying our faith,
the 8 point list at the end of your comments today
could provide the entire curriculum!
wow….right to the heart … todah rabah Skip!
Loved it!!!
paradigms in business today
What if life is about the target, not the balance? Then other actions follow:
1. Listening is more important than speaking – Who you listen to determines your destiny
2. Waiting is more important than acting
3. Following is more important than leading
4. Interruptions are more important than plans
5. Wandering is better than hurrying
6. Without the end in slight, only God can get you there
7. Business is always about serving someone else
8. Life is not about problem solving. It’s about being available.
I think the first paradigm is about the business world
But the second one is more like being without a job 🙂
….or maybe the difference between being compromised and being a light in a dark place. 🙂 !!
Thanks again Skip.
Thanks Skip…this was an amazing teaching today. And John agrees. In fact, his comment after reading it was…
“Wow…Skip knocked it out of the ball park today.”
I totally agree!!
What a word! True to the core.
“If you want to improve your life, something must change in the way you think. It is not sufficient to adopt a new behavior regimen because the new behaviors will still be based on the old motivators and rewards.”
I have seen that with professionals and business folks. Success is not sufficient, they desire more and more, accumulation, greed and pride step in, they get deeper and deeper into a pit that they cannot get out, more commitments, more effort, more risks taken, and on and on…until they fall.
Some through YHWH’s chesed, will be stopped in their tracks, but not without disastrous means. This is my ‘personal’ experience, in what I went through in marriage and family life.
While it is not evil to be ambitious, to do well with what YHWH has given us, but, if it takes up all our time, and effort, it is vanity of vanities, not having time to spend with HIM.
“If you want real behavior change, you must renew your mind and your heart.” Amein!
It is first the circumcision of the heart that YHWH looks for that will show forth the much needed change in nature/character.
Life is about the target, not the balance!
It is so very difficult to find a balance- between work, family, kids and ministry.
These speaks most to me:
9. What matters most is significant purpose
6. Without the end in sight, only God can get you there.
7. Business is always about serving someone else
8. Life is not about problem solving. It’s about being available.