The King's Court and The Peddler's Wagon

We live in a crazy new world with less than appealing new norms. The bad guys are the job creators, the wealthy, those who keep our pocketbooks filled, our shelves stocked, and our utilities running. I mean, the audacity! That these men would manage large corporations, prosperous businesses, and ensure we stay on payroll.

No in all reality, we want to stay on the streets as bums and, rather than ask what it takes to get a place to stay, we ask for fancier clothes. A crying shame. I believe thoroughly that we have become spoiled and, now, we ask for these great men (and women) to give to us more.

The way I see it is we have one of two options: Inquire of the Kings or buy the Peddler's snake oil of political, neo-social lies. I recently had the privilege of sitting with some of our area's finest businessmen for a breakfast and listen to the goings-on in our local community. During this meeting it was mentioned that the wealthy are often demonized, which I see happening and, therefore, concur. You see they want to see a legacy happen and see the community thrive, but the community is up in arms for them providing them opportunities and, in return, making money. But many just see these men as taking money.

Who Are The Kings and Peddlers

Lets take a step back. I present to you "The Kings." These are business giants who have carefully managed their people and there finances and built their enterprises, their kingdoms. They have age in their industry, have spent time in the trenches of the field, climbed ranks, and built their empires. Now looking forward a few generations, the kingdoms have seen war and violence, but through careful management, these kings have maintained peace in the land. We see this time of peace. People seem happy. They seem to be going about their business, doing their thing.

Into town rolls a peddler. The "Peddler" could be a politician or an idea represented. Amid the hustle and bustle of the town crowd, the peddler shouts, "COME SEE WONDERS PERFORMED!"

The Speech

A crowd gathers, citizens of the kingdom strain to see this peddler as he commences, "I have what you need. The time of old has passed. You believe you are healthy because the king says you are healthy. But the king is holding out on you. You are comfortable, or so the royalty says. Have you wondered why he lives in a palace while you merely live in huts?" (These are really comfortable dwellings but it's a hut compared to the kings palace) "Why does the king not build you larger dwellings? You see the size of his palace!" A hushed murmuring spreads through the crowd. "You're barely making ends meet. You can barely afford to replace the clothing on your back!"

A shriek from the back of the crowd (The media) cries out "MY WORD-- HE'S RIGHT!" A roar of consensus goes up. The crowd rushes toward the wagon, clamoring, reaching, demanding more of this peddler, the charlatan's snake oil. A young man from the back of the crowd, however, dis-joins and begins to walk toward the castle.

The Audience With The King

This young man walks towards the gate of the castle. He grasps the bronze knocker at the commoner's entrance and strikes at the door. The guard answers. "State your matter."

The young man replies, "I wish to learn how to build my own kingdom." The guard ushers the young man into the waiting area as he transfers the message to the king. 

The guard returns, "The king desires you to grace his presence." With that, the guard walks the young man into the kings court.

The King's Court

The young man comes through the door of the court and the king carefully watches the young man as he approaches. The king says, "Your business, if you will."

The Young man says, "Sire, your kingdom indeed is great and I wish to learn your ways that I too may become become a great ruler. Would you teach me?"

This request pleases the king. A successor? Maybe. "It will require much of you."

"May my heart be great enough to handle the tasks at hand"

The next few days, weeks, months, and years, the young man spent with the king, learning his ways, completing his tasks, growing his wealth and wisdom. This whole time, the rest of the town found the peddler to have wasted their time and money, and soon began to buy the elixir of a competing peddler. The first peddler left town, then the next, then the next. All the while, the young man became a knight, then a captain, then a scholar, then a lord. The people went on wasting their earnings, and failed to notice the goings in the castle until the death of the king was announced and the crown and scepter was passed to a once-young man who chose to ask the king. There he would reign, manage and grow the kingdom, endure hardship, keep peace, and wait for that next young man to ask what it takes to become a great ruler.

The moral of the story is learn to sit in the king's court and stop giving audience to the peddler. These titans are fading off the scene and it is time for the next generation to rise up and prepare to take the kingdom because God forbid a peddler sit in the throne of a giant and let the kingdom banners of enterprise become tattered relics of the past. Learn to ask and ask the right questions of the right people in what you wish to become and do and, as always, stay curious  

   

The Power of Belief

Greetings fellow discoverers. It has been some time since I last wrote a post and for that I am sorry. It was my lack of diligence to learning and sharing discovery in this wonderful field called life. That being said, I would like to bring to light something that has been given stage multiple times but, I feel, we as mere mortals don't fully grasp, and that is the power of belief.

Lets begin with giving belief definition. According to Webster's, belief is "a feeling of being sure that someone or something exists or that something is true." Webster's also gives a more concise definitions that I think give better credence to the word "belief." This definition states that belief  is "a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing" [Emphasis added].

What do you believe. No. Not say you believe, but truly believe. What is your habit of mind? 

Today in one of my classes I was asked a question that struck me because, when asked, I laughed. It was a laughter of discredit. Now I have said before that I want this in life or that in life, but when I was asked if I thought that such event would occur, I only laughed in disbelief. The fact is, while I said I wanted such events to take place in my life, at my core, I didn't believe such events were possible to unfold. When presented with the opportunity to answer honestly, I did answer honestly, and realized that my belief was setting me up for failure.

This, I believe, is the majority of society. We talk about the next greatest innovation, the next great trends, building projects and developments, gaining the big client, and more. We think of great goals in our head, but our habit of mind conflicts with such goals. This is why, as a whole society and as individuals, we must make clearly stated goals. By clearly stated, I mean written and rehearsed. If we aren't writing our goals, we aren't making declarations against old habits. If we aren't rehearsing goals, we are not allowing the goals to win in our mind.

Its like setting your goals in a boxing match. In one corner, you have human-tainted belief. He is lazy, selfish, and pitiful. He would rather win and have you do nothing because humans are naturally inert. In the other corner, you have goals, clear, concise, etc. His interest is winning and making your situations and others around you better. The bell sounds. This is where justification is important. Why should you act this way or that? Justification is your strategy and focus. It draws attention to the issue. It should counter and dominate the old beliefs. The third part to winning over these old beliefs is will. This is the "Make yourself." Will acts on your justifications, delivering blow after blow to your old beliefs.

It boils down to this: If you don't have goals, you have nothing to rival your old, failing belief systems. If you can't justify your goals, you have no focus on the opposing beliefs. If you don't implement your will, and make yourself, your goals only remain wishful thinking. Oppose your habit of mind, Justify success, and win. 

Don't remain in a wishy-washy state of "If only" and "I'd like to." Believe that there is more to be had in life, and believe it more than more is not for you. Set goals and set out to destroy those core beliefs that cause you to fail again and again. And realize, sometimes you will have to fight old beliefs for the full 15 rounds of your life and it will come down to a decision of whether you fought better, and other times it will be TKO for the old beliefs and you will be the undisputed victor. Fight. Win. Stay Curious.