do you believe

[layinback]

that a positive outlook, determination and hard work = ANYTHING?
do you think that anything is possible with this combo? can a person
overcome seemingly impossible odds and accomplish great things
with the right mind set and elbow grease? if not.....tell me why and
what it takes. if so, please share your personal experience. more than
anything, i love to hear peoples world views. i believe that the
way in which we view our world, actually shapes it. it conforms to
our inner images. there is nothing mystical about this and i believe it is
a function of consciousness. henry ford said, " you think you can or
you think you can't, either way, you're right.

 

[calveless wonder]

some people have a negative outlook that drives them....

i.e. they want to escape poverty or fear something that they're running from. that is rare but not everyone has that mentality.

also some people don't neccessarily work VERY hard, they may work smart.

but i would say 95% of the time the ingredients you described are required for success.

i wish i had this positive mentality all the time. i dont know why i am the way i am

 

[myway]

People are what they want to be. The end.

 

[dirty~d~]

that a positive outlook, determination and hard work = ANYTHING?

Absolutely! I'm almost positive that I wouldn't be a live now if I had given in, somewhere along the way, to the pain and anger of 15 years ago. It's been a hard road to get where I am today, but being able to look back and see what I've accomplished on my own makes maintaining my outlook so much easier. I don't know any other way to live at this point. My friends call me stubborn; my mother calls me driven. Whatever works, I guess.

 

[layinback]

some people have a negative outlook that drives them....

i.e. they want to escape poverty or fear something that they're running from. that is rare but not everyone has that mentality.

also some people don't neccessarily work VERY hard, they may work smart.

but i would say 95% of the time the ingredients you described are required for success.

i wish i had this positive mentality all the time. i dont know why i am the way i am

good points!!!

pain is the great motivator. nobody gettin in their rolls royce, countin hundred dollars bills, with a blonde, brunette and a red head fighting
over who's gonna give them the next blow job, says, " hey, i need to
change"

some people get sick and tired of being sick and tired......and they're willing
to do what it takes to get out of the "pit"

and yes, some work smart not hard. usually you gotta work hard in the begining.......grunt work, you know. pay some dues then you wise up and
let others do it lol.

i keep a positive outlook 95% of the time and when i'm negative, i keep my
ass away from my family and business.

 

[calveless wonder]

good points!!!

pain is the great motivator. nobody gettin in their rolls royce, countin hundred dollars bills, with a blonde, brunette and a red head fighting
over who's gonna give them the next blow job, says, " hey, i need to
change"

some people get sick and tired of being sick and tired......and they're willing
to do what it takes to get out of the "pit"

and yes, some work smart not hard. usually you gotta work hard in the begining.......grunt work, you know. pay some dues then you wise up and
let others do it lol.

i keep a positive outlook 95% of the time and when i'm negative, i keep my
ass away from my family and business.

another problem of mine.

i think too much like a CEO

 

[layinback]

another problem of mine.

i think too much like a CEO

that's ok!!! the delegating manager is light years ahead of the ocd
( control freak ) manager.

bro i worked 80-90 hrs a week for 10 years and then i worked 50 - 60
for 5 years. i don't feel guilty for working 10 hours a week now, but i'd
be willing to go back to 90 if i needed to.

 

[FriendlyCanadian]

You know I'm 100% on board with you and your views. Mostly because I share them.

I still got some shit to tell you that's for sure.

 

[jerseyrugger76]

Those attributes are important, but i believe we live what game theorists call a "noisy system." You don't control all of the variables that affect your life. At birth, race, class, and gender coalesce to establish a matrix of social domination (i.e. they determine the set of opportunities available to you). Clearly, you can expand this opportunity set by dint of hard work, provided that you have family & friends who will be emotionally, and in some cases financially, supportive of your desires to build a better life for yourself.

There are still other variables beyond our control. For example, you could get hit by a bus today. Variables like these are in God's hands. Other may choose to chalk them up to chance. Whatever you call them, a positive outlook, hard work, and determination are powerless against them, yet they are none the less important.

 

[Bikini Mod]

good points!!!

pain is the great motivator. nobody gettin in their rolls royce, countin hundred dollars bills, with a blonde, brunette and a red head fighting
over who's gonna give them the next blow job, says, " hey, i need to
change"

My Old Grump lived that life for 20+ years... only they were all big-tittied blondes. LOL

He made and lost and made and lost and made fortunes several times over... yet he claims that he didn't find true love and happiness until every fucking asset he had was stolen and his integrity questioned in the most disgusting way and even still my family and I stuck by him.

So I don't know WHAT to say about that.

As for your original sentiments - yes, I do believe that the power of positive thinking and hard work (NEVER giving up) = any dream becoming a reality. Were that not the case both my Old Grump and I would have been dead a long ass time ago.

2 years ago I was at pretty much the lowest point in my life. No one would hire me in my profession (personal trainer) because of my litigious ex. My kids were taken AGAIN - this time with NO HOPE of me getting them back. My family and friends had it *up to here* with my litigious ex (and I couldn't blame them - I mean it had been 5 years of hell at that point). I was sick and utterly alone struggling for a reason to keep waking up.... yet I found them, didn't I? If you could have seen a SMALL FRACTION of the hatred regularly spewed at me on elite and the entire freaking web you would probably shake your head and ask yourself, "Damn, why doesn't she just STOP posting?" ....I had no shortage of dewds who wanted to fuck me, that's for sure. But NO ONE cared about ME as a human being... And then I met the Old Grump just as his world began to unravel.

Yup there we were, the two of us at the base of an insurmountable mountain of shit, holding hands. You know what? You know who let go of the other one's hand time and time again? IT WAS ME... and yet he stayed and said that his shoulders were broad enough to carry his burdens as well as mine - he said that Atlas was a puny geek in comparison.

He ain't perfect. Neither am I. And we BOTH needed to go through a whole lotta changes... but the bottom line is even when I lost faith (which is THE WORST thing you can do to a man) he didn't... or if he did, he didn't verbalize it to me or exhibit it in his behavior.

Positive mental attitude and perserverance = THE ONLY WAY to succeed.

 

[stosstruppe]

that a positive outlook, determination and hard work = ANYTHING?

Certainly not.

People don't always tell you what they are thinking, they just see to it that you don't...advance in life

 

[drsketch]

Yes I am a firm believe of this. If you could see where I came from and where I am at now it would make anyone believe. I might write a book when I am in my later thirties for inspiration.

As far as a positive outlook, it is great to be positive but please be realistically positive.

Also a wonderful thing about the USA is anyone can come from anywhere and become anything.

that a positive outlook, determination and hard work = ANYTHING?
do you think that anything is possible with this combo? can a person
overcome seemingly impossible odds and accomplish great things
with the right mind set and elbow grease? if not.....tell me why and
what it takes. if so, please share your personal experience. more than
anything, i love to hear peoples world views. i believe that the
way in which we view our world, actually shapes it. it conforms to
our inner images. there is nothing mystical about this and i believe it is
a function of consciousness. henry ford said, " you think you can or
you think you can't, either way, you're right.

 

[blueta2]

BM, please take this the right way because I do think you're a strong amazing soul, but it seems to me by your post that you based your strength on meeting a man?!
Would you not be anything w/out a man or had you not met D?

Being down and out and then coming back up is not based on what others perceive of you or how they believe in you. The real strength comes from how you believe in yourself.

What others at EF or in the real world thought of you or how they treated you is how you thought of yourself or you would not have subjected yourself to that abuse.

Being dependent on others to make you happy or bring you to a better place in life is a set up for future failure.
If you and D break up, will you hit rock bottom or take your strength with you and stay strong w/out needing a man?

 

[blackhat]

that a positive outlook, determination and hard work = ANYTHING?

No, not anything. The reason why is because no matter how hard some people try their efforts are not good enough to achieve that which they are seeking. There are examples of foreign citizens who, for a variety of reasons, are stuck in poverty despite the fact that they work very hard and are determined to rise above a poverty level. A great book to read is "Forgotton Families" by Heymann

This book helps explain the things that some families go through despite their determination and will to push forward. The "American Dream" is not 100% true. You have to have several things going in your favor before you can achieve "anything". Just my 2 c's from all my sociology and racial studies.

 

[drsketch]

Well if those families would get an education which i would definitely consider to be hard work then they would get out of that rut/

 

[blackhat]

Well if those families would get an education which i would definitely consider to be hard work then they would get out of that rut/

How can you get an education when you cant afford it? Loans? Cant get them.

All I am saying is, is that in some instances, it is not a possibility. I know that is hard to believe because this is America, but trust me on this; its true.

This is typically true of foreigners, but also occurs in those who are mentally or physically disabled and although they do their best, it often is not good enough.

 

[the_alcatraz]

Fate (destiny) + choice = where you are right now

 

[drsketch]

How can you get an education when you cant afford it? Loans? Cant get them.

All I am saying is, is that in some instances, it is not a possibility. I know that is hard to believe because this is America, but trust me on this; its true.

This is typically true of foreigners, but also occurs in those who are mentally or physically disabled and although they do their best, it often is not good enough.

I got loans for school with no bank account and ruined credit at that time. It is possible,

 

[blackhat]

I got loans for school with no bank account and ruined credit at that time. It is possible,

What if you had absolutely no credit history prior? How about with no social security number? How about in a country that is completely new to you with only little working knowledge of the language? You are pretty unlikely to get a loan when the bank that is loaning the money has no proof you even exist other than the fact that you are standing in front of them at the time of the request.

There are people that move here believing in the American Dream only to realize that is is not attainable to them. It happens, and lightning also strikes the same place twice every now and again. Again bro, that's all I am saying. If you dont see the possibility that it's not always possible then I highly encourage you to read "forgotten families", and you will understand from that book alone what some people go through. There is nothing more motivating than your family and these people give it their all yet come up short.

 

[ponyfitness]

I think the dream is achievable to anyone, you just have to be willing to go through all of the hard work and dealing with negative crap to get there. In sales we deal with this a lot, there are the guys who work 20 hours a week and do okay and have lots of free time, or there are the guys who work 40 hours a week and do everything they are supposed to do and make three times as much money. It comes down to a choice.

Personally I think that having negative thoughts can cause those things to actually happen because your brain at that point expects it and finds a way to make it reality. Positive thoughts yield the same result. I have experienced this time and time again personally and it has yet to sink in.

There's an interesting exercise: try to have nothing but positive thoughts for an entire day. This can be as simple as if you get cut off in line and you usually think what an asshole that person is, think instead that you are so happy and grateful for the fact you treat people with respect and kindness. It can really change your daily outlook but it's really damned hard.

 

[drsketch]

Bro no credit history is actually better than jacked credit. If you dont know the language you have no business living here. If you are legally here you get an SS #, even imigrants have them, my ex was from Ukraine and had one and she is not a citizen.

Like I said, it is possible. I have walked around in the depths of hell and chaos to come out on top with 0 help except loans that I got myself and am now repaying myself.

What if you had absolutely no credit history prior? How about with no social security number? How about in a country that is completely new to you with only little working knowledge of the language? You are pretty unlikely to get a loan when the bank that is loaning the money has no proof you even exist other than the fact that you are standing in front of them at the time of the request.

There are people that move here believing in the American Dream only to realize that is is not attainable to them. It happens, and lightning also strikes the same place twice every now and again. Again bro, that's all I am saying. If you dont see the possibility that it's not always possible then I highly encourage you to read "forgotten families", and you will understand from that book alone what some people go through. There is nothing more motivating than your family and these people give it their all yet come up short.

 

[jerseyrugger76]

Well if those families would get an education which i would definitely consider to be hard work then they would get out of that rut/

Edu-ma-cation, I think, is sometimes overrated. And this is coming from someone with 2 degrees who went to one of the proverbial "good schools."

 

[blackhat]

Bro no credit history is actually better than jacked credit. If you dont know the language you have no business living here. If you are legally here you get an SS #, even imigrants have them, my ex was from Ukraine and had one and she is not a citizen.

Like I said, it is possible. I have walked around in the depths of hell and chaos to come out on top with 0 help except loans that I got myself and am now repaying myself.

Now we can get into unstable territory with words like "no business living here". Granted Illegals are illegal, they are still people with human rights. Some may not know the language, but according to the "American Dream" why should that matter if that which brings you out on top is perseverance? Surely they can learn the language and be the next President... well... no they couldn't because they wouldn't be considered "a natural born citizen of the US". I guess that is one example of an unattainable goal for non US born citizens or illegals.

However, you may have indeed survived with no help (to your credit), but where you have succeeded many others have failed despite their best efforts. There is no denying that. Unless most poor people with families are sociopaths, I think they may want to achieve a better life for themselves and their families.

I used to believe that the American Dream was real until I read the accounts of those who never achieved it despite their best efforts.

 

[chazk]

I clicked on the first page to read laybacks question, then clicked on the last page and see the conversation has nothing to even do with the question.

 

[digimon7068]

can a person
overcome seemingly impossible odds and accomplish great things
with the right mind set and elbow grease?

absolutely! i've seen it happen too many times to not be a "believer". . .but, it doesn't always happen. . .that's where a well developed "coping mechanism" can be real handy. . .maybe even a lifesaver. . .

 

[layinback]

What if you had absolutely no credit history prior? How about with no social security number? How about in a country that is completely new to you with only little working knowledge of the language? You are pretty unlikely to get a loan when the bank that is loaning the money has no proof you even exist other than the fact that you are standing in front of them at the time of the request.

There are people that move here believing in the American Dream only to realize that is is not attainable to them. It happens, and lightning also strikes the same place twice every now and again. Again bro, that's all I am saying. If you dont see the possibility that it's not always possible then I highly encourage you to read "forgotten families", and you will understand from that book alone what some people go through. There is nothing more motivating than your family and these people give it their all yet come up short.

i was a homeless junkie. i have friends with similar stories. circumstances, race, the weather, color of the sky, education, family support or lack of are
all irrelevant.

 

[drsketch]

I think blackhat is talking about illegal immigrants that do not even speak our language. Which is also irrelevant. There are proper ways and procedures of getting into this country.. Also if you are truly in danger in your home country than you can go to immigration and start the naturalization process.

 

[layinback]

Edu-ma-cation, I think, is sometimes overrated. And this is coming from someone with 2 degrees who went to one of the proverbial "good schools."

bro, we do not always agree, but i respect your views and i consider you
one of the sharpest cats around.

btw i am ashamed to say that i have a 9th grade edumacation, but it has
not slowed me down in the least.

 

[drsketch]

Education - some may feel is overrated, mainly entrepreneur's that have a good hustle and some luck and have made it..

I also have 9th grade edu, Got a GED at 16 and later went to college and graduated.

 

[Bikini Mod]

BM, please take this the right way because I do think you're a strong amazing soul, but it seems to me by your post that you based your strength on meeting a man?!
Would you not be anything w/out a man or had you not met D?

Being down and out and then coming back up is not based on what others perceive of you or how they believe in you. The real strength comes from how you believe in yourself.

What others at EF or in the real world thought of you or how they treated you is how you thought of yourself or you would not have subjected yourself to that abuse.

Being dependent on others to make you happy or bring you to a better place in life is a set up for future failure.
If you and D break up, will you hit rock bottom or take your strength with you and stay strong w/out needing a man?

No offense taken, but that was not what was written. Merely how it was read.

If my husband and I were to go our separate ways (which has almost happened several times - at MY REQUEST - not the other way around) life would go on and I would continue to prosper, as would he.

The fact that I made it to the day when I met him and had the sense and insight to allow him to pursue me is a miracle in and of itself and a testament to MY STRENGTH AND COURAGE ALONE. Anyone who has gotten a glimpse of my reality, all of them agree that were it them, they would have just given up and died a long ass time ago. So to question my feelings about myself as an individual alone who stands on their own merits is sorta silly.

However, for me to even try to negate how I have prospered exponentially (though the work was done BY ME) would be self-centered and narcisstic.

He would be fine with me or without me. And I would have eventually been ok too. Separately we are dynamic.

But as a team we are unstoppable. He puts me and my wishes and my projects in the forefront... I am merely acknowledging that he is the wind beneath my wings. I don't think this is a negative thing but shows my humility and ability to applaud someone else for giving me what was needed in order that I might realize my potential. ... since then I have done whatever I could to pay it forward and help others do the same.

 

[roadwarrior]

that a positive outlook, determination and hard work = ANYTHING?
do you think that anything is possible with this combo? can a person
overcome seemingly impossible odds and accomplish great things
with the right mind set and elbow grease? if not.....tell me why and
what it takes. if so, please share your personal experience. more than
anything, i love to hear peoples world views. i believe that the
way in which we view our world, actually shapes it. it conforms to
our inner images. there is nothing mystical about this and i believe it is
a function of consciousness. henry ford said, " you think you can or
you think you can't, either way, you're right.

A person can't overcome anything but with those characteristics along with perserverance then one can reach one's maximum potential.

I know you have overcome some obstacles to achieve success. I have a similar story and am a 25% partner with a 52 person company now. Along the way I had climbed high from the pits only to lose a 7 figure net worth only to recover, get married to my perfect wife, adopt four of the best kids in the world, and have my net worth nearly double where it was before it was lost.

 

[ortiz34]

bro i worked 80-90 hrs a week for 10 years and then i worked 50 - 60
for 5 years. i don't feel guilty for working 10 hours a week now, but i'd
be willing to go back to 90 if i needed to.

2 foot cawk alert!

 

[blueta2]

No offense taken, but that was not what was written. Merely how it was read.

If my husband and I were to go our separate ways (which has almost happened several times - at MY REQUEST - not the other way around) life would go on and I would continue to prosper, as would he.

The fact that I made it to the day when I met him and had the sense and insight to allow him to pursue me is a miracle in and of itself and a testament to MY STRENGTH AND COURAGE ALONE. Anyone who has gotten a glimpse of my reality, all of them agree that were it them, they would have just given up and died a long ass time ago. So to question my feelings about myself as an individual alone who stands on their own merits is sorta silly.

However, for me to even try to negate how I have prospered exponentially (though the work was done BY ME) would be self-centered and narcisstic.

He would be fine with me or without me. And I would have eventually been ok too. Separately we are dynamic.

But as a team we are unstoppable. He puts me and my wishes and my projects in the forefront... I am merely acknowledging that he is the wind beneath my wings. I don't think this is a negative thing but shows my humility and ability to applaud someone else for giving me what was needed in order that I might realize my potential. ... since then I have done whatever I could to pay it forward and help others do the same.

I don't doubt for ONE SECOND that you're a strong person. I'm glad that you believe in yourself and that someone else believed in you.
Being down and out and losing faith in who you are is devastating. I hope you continue to believe in your strength.

 

[blueta2]

My belief, if you want something BAD enough, you'll get and nothing can stop you

 

[layinback]

Education - some may feel is overrated, mainly entrepreneur's that have a good hustle and some luck and have made it..

I also have 9th grade edu, Got a GED at 16 and later went to college and graduated.

congrats bro. there is something to be said for completing what you
started. i eventually want to go back to school. my lack of formal
education has always been a sore spot in my life. i don't equate
success or earning capacity with schooling, but it would be cool
to finish what i started.

 

[jerseyrugger76]

Everything you learn doesn't have a utilitarian purpose, but the overall experience of being in a full-time residential undergraduate program is something I wouldn't trade for the world. Most of what you learn is outside of the classroom and I have to say it's one helluva education. But I used to think that one had to go that route to "be somebody," but I've met so many amazing people who've accomplished so much (and I don't mean that they're just pulling down a half mil each year) that it became clear to me that there are multiple paths to success and that the difficult part is finding the one that is right for you.

 

[musclemom]

You can be the most determined mutherfucker on the planet, have the best attitude there ever was, bust your ass from morning to night and if you ain't over 6' tall you'll never play in the NBA, nor will you ever see a paraplegic playing for the NFL or a 5'2" supermodel. Likewise, all the hard work on earth would never turn Forrest Gump into Albert Einstein.

In other words, there comes a point in time where you have to accept that, no, 99.9% of us won't grow up to be president of the United States, or cure cancer, or create lasting art, etc., etc., etc. For the vast majority of us, the best legacy we can hope to leave is a life well lived.

You don't have to be great to be good.

 

[titeNtonedN08]

You can be the most determined mutherfucker on the planet, have the best attitude there ever was, bust your ass from morning to night and if you ain't over 6' tall you'll never play in the NBA, nor will you ever see a paraplegic playing for the NFL or a 5'2" supermodel. Likewise, all the hard work on earth would never turn Forrest Gump into Albert Einstein.

In other words, there comes a point in time where you have to accept that, no, 99.9% of us won't grow up to be president of the United States, or cure cancer, or create lasting art, etc., etc., etc. For the vast majority of us, the best legacy we can hope to leave is a life well lived.

You don't have to be great to be good.

yikes! let's not propogate this bit of reality.. you'd be bursting too many bubbles

Those attributes are important, but i believe we live what game theorists call a "noisy system." You don't control all of the variables that affect your life. At birth, race, class, and gender coalesce to establish a matrix of social domination (i.e. they determine the set of opportunities available to you). Clearly, you can expand this opportunity set by dint of hard work, provided that you have family & friends who will be emotionally, and in some cases financially, supportive of your desires to build a better life for yourself.

There are still other variables beyond our control. For example, you could get hit by a bus today. Variables like these are in God's hands. Other may choose to chalk them up to chance. Whatever you call them, a positive outlook, hard work, and determination are powerless against them, yet they are none the less important.

i agree 100%. It's always good to just focus on the dream, and to keep advancing yourself.. when people find that thing they want to spend their life achieving, or die trying.. they find purpose, excitement.. and in the end it doesn't matter whether you make it or not... the fun is in the journey not the destination..

 

[FriendlyCanadian]

I think one of the most important elements if you have to believe and have faith in your dreams that they are yours and that they will be yours, and that you deserve them.

You also have to be thankful and pay it forward.

you can't doubt success, you can't have doubts that what you're doing is wrong and that you might fail, cause chances are you probably will then.

in my opinion.

My story is just getting started so I have really no cred to back any of my shiznet up.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

There are a few things that always work. Hard work, desire and more hard work. Then more hard work always helps. I have made a lot of money 4 times and lost it 3 times Now, if you have the skill set then you can always make it again. Formal education is something you can live with or without, most of the top Fortune 500 execs in the past were graduates of the school of hard knocks.

lynbk. u be da man! When we gonna get together anyway?

 

[Smurfy]

A person can't overcome anything but with those characteristics along with perserverance then one can reach one's maximum potential.

Exactly!

 

[Bikini Mod]

You can be the most determined mutherfucker on the planet, have the best attitude there ever was, bust your ass from morning to night and if you ain't over 6' tall you'll never play in the NBA, nor will you ever see a paraplegic playing for the NFL or a 5'2" supermodel. Likewise, all the hard work on earth would never turn Forrest Gump into Albert Einstein.

In other words, there comes a point in time where you have to accept that, no, 99.9% of us won't grow up to be president of the United States, or cure cancer, or create lasting art, etc., etc., etc. For the vast majority of us, the best legacy we can hope to leave is a life well lived.

You don't have to be great to be good.

THAT IS VERY TRUE...

Not all of us share the same goals and aspirations. For me, if I leave this planet a better place then it was before I came to it, then I will feel that I am ready to go.

Who knows? Maybe I will NEVER *be ready to go*? So then, I needa get my lazy ass in gear!

 

[Smurfy]

You can be the most determined mutherfucker on the planet, have the best attitude there ever was, bust your ass from morning to night and if you ain't over 6' tall you'll never play in the NBA, nor will you ever see a paraplegic playing for the NFL or a 5'2" supermodel. Likewise, all the hard work on earth would never turn Forrest Gump into Albert Einstein.

In other words, there comes a point in time where you have to accept that, no, 99.9% of us won't grow up to be president of the United States, or cure cancer, or create lasting art, etc., etc., etc. For the vast majority of us, the best legacy we can hope to leave is a life well lived.

You don't have to be great to be good.

+1!

 

[layinback]

There are a few things that always work. Hard work, desire and more hard work. Then more hard work always helps. I have made a lot of money 4 times and lost it 3 times Now, if you have the skill set then you can always make it again. Formal education is something you can live with or without, most of the top Fortune 500 execs in the past were graduates of the school of hard knocks.

lynbk. u be da man! When we gonna get together anyway?

i read 3 key words in your post, *hard work and desire*. i think these words
can be applied to any facet of our lives. and yep, making money is easy, but
finding balance and contentment is tough sometimes.

we can get together anytime grump. i dig you and BM.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

i read 3 key words in your post, *hard work and desire*. i think these words
can be applied to any facet of our lives. and yep, making money is easy, but
finding balance and contentment is tough sometimes.

when can get together anytime grump. i dig you and BM.

Works for me Bro! Come over anytime you are always welcome!

Having money is easy, making your life great is not! BM was just talking to the new houskeeper about that entire life thing. We live to be happy, but the happy part is really difficult to obtain.

We all have so many outside influences everyday that make us forget the reality of our existence. We all want to be content, we all want to be at peace. We all forget that the object of the exercise was to drain the swamp, but because we were up to our asses in aligators the process was interupted or ignored.

 

[roadwarrior]

i read 3 key words in your post, *hard work and desire*. i think these words
can be applied to any facet of our lives. and yep, making money is easy, but
finding balance and contentment is tough sometimes.

we can get together anytime grump. i dig you and BM.

Don't mean to butt in on your conversation with Grump - Hi Grump! - but I gotta say that you said a mouthfull with " finding balance and contentment is tough". With the right skills, intelligence, desire and hard work, we achieve success - sometimes with ups and downs - but that balance thing is a bear.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

Don't mean to butt in on your conversation with Grump - Hi Grump! - but I gotta say that you said a mouthfull with " finding balance and contentment is tough". With the right skills, intelligence, desire and hard work, we achieve success - sometimes with ups and downs - but that balance thing is a bear.

Hi Road..

Balance is one difficult thing to obtain. I am a holistic person so I feel that balance is essential but with many other things that contribute to that balance.

Hard to find each of those things that allow one to be in harmony and balanced. Only later in life can we even begin to find what we need to accomplish even a fraction of what balance really is. The first 30 years or so are a learning experience.



ps, roadwarrior you are one smart mofo

 

[Bikini Mod]

Ah now, it isn't for us to decide what is the karma of another.

I always loved gangsta films - "Scarface" being one of my all-time favorites. The last scene was so powerful when Tony Montana was laying face down in a pool of his own blood surrounded by the excesses that his ill-gotten good earned him with the statue above him - the words glowing "The World Is Yours." <--- He certainly got EXACTLY what he deserved. Didn't he?

Bottom line is that whatever energy one sends out will be returned threefold.

It is a simple concept really. I smile often at everyone and that is because I prefer that most smile back at me. Most do, but since I have no control over the thoughts or actions of another sometimes they don't see my smile as they are absorbed by their own thoughts so they return no expression or they may scowl as again, they are too absorbed by their own thoughts/realities to return the energy that I have sent out. That does NOT change my reality though... does it?

A book that the very wise and lovely Ms Velvett gifted me many years ago helped me to undertand this very simple, yet powerful concept.

 

[titeNtonedN08]

A book that the very wise and lovely Ms Velvett gifted me many years ago helped me to undertand this very simple, yet powerful concept.

what book is that?

 

[velvett]

Those attributes are important, but i believe we live what game theorists call a "noisy system." You don't control all of the variables that affect your life. At birth, race, class, and gender coalesce to establish a matrix of social domination (i.e. they determine the set of opportunities available to you). Clearly, you can expand this opportunity set by dint of hard work, provided that you have family & friends who will be emotionally, and in some cases financially, supportive of your desires to build a better life for yourself.

There are still other variables beyond our control. For example, you could get hit by a bus today. Variables like these are in God's hands. Other may choose to chalk them up to chance. Whatever you call them, a positive outlook, hard work, and determination are powerless against them, yet they are none the less important.

^^^ yes, and stated so well

 

[Jon79]

i read 3 key words in your post, *hard work and desire*. i think these words
can be applied to any facet of our lives. and yep, making money is easy, but
finding balance and contentment is tough sometimes.

we can get together anytime grump. i dig you and BM.

yeah....

 

[roadwarrior]

Hi Road..

Balance is one difficult thing to obtain. I am a holistic person so I feel that balance is essential but with many other things that contribute to that balance.

Hard to find each of those things that allow one to be in harmony and balanced. Only later in life can we even begin to find what we need to accomplish even a fraction of what balance really is. The first 30 years or so are a learning experience.



ps, roadwarrior you are one smart mofo

Thanks for the kind words Grump.

As I approach 50, I finally feel that wisdom may be attainable but I am not there yet. I have found my balance through my family. Everything is much clearer for me now.

 

[jerseyrugger76]

Oops wrong thread

 

[needtogetarmy]

some people have a negative outlook that drives them....

I am that type of person. It suits me just fine. IMO it gives me a better understanding of my surroundings and being pessimistic prepares me for worse case scenarios.

 

[Bikini Mod]

Thanks for the kind words Grump.

As I approach 50, I finally feel that wisdom may be attainable but I am not there yet. I have found my balance through my family. Everything is much clearer for me now.

WERD

Money buys comfort and it buys freedom. But it will NEVER buy love.

 

[blueta2]

WERD

Money buys comfort and it buys freedom. But it will NEVER buy love.

money buys health also

 

[titeNtonedN08]

money buys health also

i read an article that said that for healthy people there's a limit on how much happiness money can bring.. but people who had wealth before acquiring a disability tended to be happier than other people with disabilities and no money..


I've learned that money can buy many things.. all very nice to have.. but health is the absolute most important thing.. and if you have that.. you have everything you need!

 

[blueta2]

i read an article that said that for healthy people there's a limit on how much happiness money can bring.. but people who had wealth before acquiring a disability tended to be happier than other people with disabilities and no money..


I've learned that money can buy many things.. all very nice to have.. but health is the absolute most important thing.. and if you have that.. you have everything you need!

health is truly everything.

On my illness journey, I've encountered people (especially in the US) who have lost their homes, jobs, medical insurance because of their illness.
Here in Canada, no one loses their homes to pay medical boills, but some of th best care in the world for any illness has a price.

If I were super wealthy I could be in europe right now getting some of the most up-to-date lyme treatments.
I'm not broke, but being and working on being healthy cost a lot of money

 

[javaguru]

I believe people fundamentally want someone to lead them and I don't want to be that guy.

 

[layinback]

WERD

Money buys comfort and it buys freedom. But it will NEVER buy love.

have you been to vegas lately

j\k

 

[FriendlyCanadian]

[/SIZE]

have you been to vegas lately

j\k

kinimom is definately wrong this time, cause you could totally buy my love, heh.

 

[javaguru]

kinimom is definately wrong this time, cause you could totally buy my love, heh.

Didn't know you were gay bro but props for coming out of the closet.

 

[FriendlyCanadian]

Didn't know you were gay bro but props for coming out of the closet.

loving money makes me geigh?

wtf ever.

 

[Arabian]

that a positive outlook, determination and hard work = ANYTHING?
do you think that anything is possible with this combo? can a person
overcome seemingly impossible odds and accomplish great things
with the right mind set and elbow grease? if not.....tell me why and
what it takes. if so, please share your personal experience. more than
anything, i love to hear peoples world views. i believe that the
way in which we view our world, actually shapes it. it conforms to
our inner images. there is nothing mystical about this and i believe it is
a function of consciousness. henry ford said, " you think you can or
you think you can't, either way, you're right.

Yes Layingback ...please read my signature? I read it everyday before I start my day;...... read it and rememeber it... its true ....good luck buddy

 

[javaguru]

that a positive outlook, determination and hard work = ANYTHING?
do you think that anything is possible with this combo? can a person
overcome seemingly impossible odds and accomplish great things
with the right mind set and elbow grease? if not.....tell me why and
what it takes. if so, please share your personal experience. more than
anything, i love to hear peoples world views. i believe that the
way in which we view our world, actually shapes it. it conforms to
our inner images. there is nothing mystical about this and i believe it is
a function of consciousness. henry ford said, " you think you can or
you think you can't, either way, you're right.

I'll give you the counter postulate....
Do you believe everything you were told as a child without question? Do you believe all the good things you were told are right and proper and that you understand the world better because of it? Do you think that anyone that thinks differently from you is obviously wrong?

 

[Jon79]

I'll give you the counter postulate....
Do you believe everything you were told as a child without question? Do you believe all the good things you were told are right and proper and that you understand the world better because of it? Do you think that anyone that thinks differently from you is obviously wrong?

dang hey java....

 

[Bikini Mod]

I'll give you the counter postulate....
Do you believe everything you were told as a child without question? Do you believe all the good things you were told are right and proper and that you understand the world better because of it? Do you think that anyone that thinks differently from you is obviously wrong?

THAT is an excellent question.

But that answer is a bit more complex than the simplicity of the question... I suppose.

The answer is yes and no.

I realized a long time ago (I was still a little kid matter of fact) that I think way outside the box and while my thinking may help get me from point A to point B I fully recognize that my way of thinking is DEFINITELY NOT the way most other people think. So what is *right* for me is waaaaaaaay *wrong* for most other people, but I am cool with that.

I really don't care if others are right or wrong though. I care more about being happy.

If my thinking suits me, then ta hell w'the rest of yaz! If another can provide an intelligent counter to my view point I will respect that viewpoint but that doesn't even necessarily mean that I will adopt that way of thinking... I think you of all people know, that I CAN be swayed if I am presented with enough intelligent data. If not then I merely agree to disagree.

 

[layinback]

I'll give you the counter postulate....
Do you believe everything you were told as a child without question? Do you believe all the good things you were told are right and proper and that you understand the world better because of it? Do you think that anyone that thinks differently from you is obviously wrong?

i'm a critical thinker and i take very little at face value. i welcome opposing views
and i don't think that much growth is possible without challenge.

i always consider the possibility that everything i believe is wrong.
the older i get, the less i seem to *really* know.

sometimes *not knowing* is a cool place to hang out.

 

[Bikini Mod]

i'm a critical thinker and i take very little at face value. i welcome opposing views
and i don't think that much growth is possible without challenge.

i always consider the possibility that everything i believe is wrong.
the older i get, the less i seem to *really* know.

sometimes *not knowing* is a cool place to hang out.

YUP

 

[layinback]

Yes Layingback ...please read my signature? I read it everyday before I start my day;...... read it and rememeber it... its true ....good luck buddy

i've been reading biographies of accomplished individuals for 20 years.
lincoln, is of course, the personification of not giving up. perserverance
is a key component in accomplishment.

btw arabian, i've noticed you are a very positive source. you are in the business of making a difference for people. very very cool.

 

[puddlemonkey]

btw arabian, i've noticed you are a very positive source. you are in the business of making a difference for people.

He's just making up for the lack of happy I spread.

 

[layinback]

He's just making up for the lack of happy I spread.

LOL. without you it wouldn't be EF, it would be MF. ( mediocre fitness )