teresa

I meet with a group monthly in Pleasanton.  The group is organized by a retired  CEO of a large paint company.  His name is Joe.  I think he is one of my favorite people.  Out of the kindness of his heart he organizes this group that gathers monthly for about 90 minutes.  He always has a topic, often an article of some sort we all read before hand and discuss.  He has some dynamite people in the group that appear to be part of an even smaller group of mentees that I am working to break into.  At any rate last month he announced that we would be reading the book the Slight Edge.  I promptly picked up the book and started my reading.  For February we are to have read 3 chapters.  Well I finished the book already.  It was great.  I am definitely going to read it again I liked it that much and at that time I going to distill out my favorite quotes and make a one sheet I can refer to when I need a boost.  Some of the lessons I really enjoyed are the following:

• Your salary is typically the average of the people you are friends with, a more specific way of saying what my father and I think his parents said which is: ask me who I am and I will tell you who my friends are.
• Generally the slight edge is about harnessing the power of small, seemingly insignificant steps, that over time result in huge successes (compounding interest).  The author posits that the slight edge works in both positive and negative directions.  So for instance one cheese burger will not make you fat, although a cheese burger once a week for a few years will probably add some pounds.  Conversely he suggests reading 10 pages of a positive self improving book each day, overtime gaining the knowledge and energy from those books will improve your life.
• Plant, cultivate, harvest.  In our society there seems to be a need for immediate results, the slight edge is about knowing that taking the steps will provide the results although never immediately.
• Write down your goals and refer to them often – this is the one part that I will be working on.  I have my goals.   They are written and they are in a pile of papers I haven’t taken the time to look at.  That is not right, my goals are so important that I want to focus on them each day so I can take baby steps towards achieving them.

So now I am reading a Kabbalah and Business book that some how I purchased a while back.  I think it was one of those Amazon suggestions, people who bought this book (which I think was The Starfish and the Spider which I haven’t read yet) also bought… and in order to receive Super Saver Shipping I ordered it, the title is True Prosperity.  I am really enjoying it.  I think Elliott is afraid that I am going to drift off into a cult somewhere never to return as myself.  However I like the way the book is presented.  I do not know if their way of thinking is right or true although I think the idea provides a good way at looking at life’s struggles, and stress and fear.  The first few pages of the book they talk about a persons desired to be fulfilled and that caught my eye as that is my word for this year, fulfilled with balance – those are my goals in a nutshell.  Anyway the book goes on to say what most people achieve is success with side effects.  I think that the slight edge talks about that as well.  That often executives may be very successful at work although have not found balance with their family.  I think that is success with side effects.  The slight edge is about taking baby steps in all important categories of your life which the author of the slight edge suggests are: health, personal development, relationships, finances, and life overall (with a focus on purpose).  Back to Prosperity another part of this book is about being at the cause of your life rather that at the effect of it.  My Vistage chair talks a lot about this, the book refers to it as being the boss of your life.  The book also talks about the effect of the ego.  The book describes ego as an illusion or a fake self.  I think that is interesting, I think that in general people use ego to protect themselves although ultimately I think that it ends up shielding us from really connecting with others.

Here are some of my favorite quotes/ideas from the slight edge:

• In talking about not fearing failure: Babe Ruth set a world record for home runs, he also led the league in strikeouts.
• There is never anything but today.
• Success is not a random accident.
• For you scientists: a body at rest tends to stay at rest, a body in motion tends to remain in motion.
• Results come last.
• My all time favorite: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.

I am certainly not perfect.  I have made some of the slight edge steps in my life already.  Mostly related to personal development by reading.  I do think more about what I eat.  I haven’t yet committed to exercise on a regular basis.  I blame it on the weather.  Although I think the slight edge says something about successful people live a life of responsibility so I take responsibility for my lack of exercise and I desperately want to improve in that category.  And then I have relationships to tackle.  At any rate I am motivated and excited to focus on my goals and achieve fulfillment and balance in 2010.