OK, you may think you’re on overload now, but I am finding so much helpful information that directly relates to our desire for “something more”, that I just have to share it. It won’t all apply to you, but if you discover one or two nuggets out of all of it that find a lodging place in your heart and soul, then I have served my purpose. I came across this over at Tony Morgan’s blog. The following are his thoughts (But I agree!):
The 4-Hour Workweek
I recently wrapped up The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. This one was a stretch for me. The ultimate goal of the book is to help you become part of what Ferriss describes as “The New Rich.” That involves a combination of financial freedom and freedom from time constraints to be mobile–not tied to the responsibilities of your career. I, on the other hand, was more interested in the truths that might help me be more effective in my family and ministry roles.
Though I lost interest in chunks of the book, I pressed through and found some great insights that challenged me to revisit my priorities and how I invest my time. The book also provided a helpful reminder of how empty life can be when it’s void of the purposes God places on our lives.
That aside, here are some highlights from the book:
- “Finding a market before designing a product is smarter than the reverse.”
- “I can’t give you a surefire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time.” –Herbert Bayard Swope, first recipient of the Pulitzer Prize
- “‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.”
- “Measure the cost of inaction, realize the unlikelihood and repairability of most missteps, and develop the most important habit of those who excel and enjoy doing so: action.”
- “Being busy is most often used as a guise for avoiding the few critically important but uncomfortable actions.”
- “Problems, as a rule, solve themselves or disappear if you remove yourself as an information bottleneck and empower others.”
- “The vision is really about empowering workers, giving them all the information about what’s going on so they can do a lot more than they’ve done in the past.” –Bill Gates
- “People can dislike you–and you often sell more by offending some–but they should never misunderstand you.”
- “The more options you offer the customer, the more indecision you create and the fewer orders you receive–it is a disservice all around. Furthermore, the more options you offer the customer, the more manufacturing and customer service burden you create for yourself.”
- “People say that what we are seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think this is what we’re really seeking. I think what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive.” (which is another way of saying we are looking for “something more”)–Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
- “Lacking an external focus, the mind turns inward on itself and creates problems to solve, even if the problems are undefined or unimportant. If you find a focus, an ambitious goal that seems impossible and forces you to grow, these doubts disappear.”
- “If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems. And that’s a big mistake.” –Frank Wilczek, Nobel Prize winner in physics
My prayer for Grovers (our affectionate term for people attending The Grove Church) and others alike is that 2008 will be the year that it all begins to click. I will keep supplying as much ammunition as I can, but you will have to pull the trigger…with God’s help.
I’ve highlighted the two bullet points that particularly speak to me. How about YOU? What smacks YOU between the eyes? Which ones do YOU see as nuggets of gold?
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