The Fly That Wouldn't Quit - Part 2

"Sooner or later you're going to reach the point where you can't try any harder. It may be that your spirit flags, or that your physical and mental resources are stretched to the limit. And often, well before you come to that set of circumstances, you reach the point of diminishing return-trying harder and harder starts producing less and less. Sometimes, in fact, intensifying your efforts produces nothing except bigger problems.

As a case in point, go back to the story of the fly. That little insect could have turned away from the window 180 degrees and followed the path of least resistance as it flew to the open door. A quantum leap to freedom. Ten seconds of effortless flight would have produced total success, while hours of frustration and panic spent beating its wings against the glass were destined to end fruitlessly in death on the dusty windowsill.

Now this is not an argument against self-discipline or persistence. Those are virtues. Over a lifetime they can make a powerful contribution to success and achievement.

They are fundamental to the development of your talents. It's extremely important to apply yourself diligently, and sometimes "staying power" is what delivers a big win.

But ordinarily you will find that trying harder produces only incremental gains, not quantum leaps. Also keep in mind that trying harder sometimes offers little more than a straight path to burnout. Attempting to succeed through "more of the same," being resolute, and relying on committed effort, can blind you to better pathways.

If you want to make a quantum leap, quit thinking about trying harder. More effort isn't [always] the answer."

-Price Pritchett

The Fly that Wouldn't Quit

I loved this story. The little fly reminded me a little of myself sometimes :)

I'm sitting in a quiet room at the Millcroft Inn, a peaceful little place hidden back among the pine trees about an hour out of Toronto. It's just past noon, late July, and I'm listening to the desperate sounds of a life-or-death struggle going on a few feet away.

There's a small fly burning out the last of it's short life's energies in a futile attempt to fly through the glass of the windowpane. The whining wings tell the poignant story for the fly's strategy-try harder.

But it's not working.

The frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part of the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking through the glass. Nevertheless, this little insect has staked its life on reaching its goal through raw effort and determination.

This fly is doomed. It will die there on the windowsill.

Across the room, ten steps away the door is open. Ten seconds of flying time and this small creature could reach the outside world it seeks. With only a fraction of the effort now being wasted, it could be free of this self-imposed trap. The breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy.

Why doesn't the fly try another approach, something dramatically different? How did it get so locked in on the idea that this particular route, and determined effort, offer the most promise for success? What logic is there in continuing, until death, to seek a breakthrough with "more of the same"?

No doubt this approach makes sense to the fly. Regrettably, it's an idea that will kill.

"Trying harder" isn't necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer any real promise for getting what you want out of life. Sometimes, in fact, it's a big part of the problem.

If you stake your hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever, you may kill your chances for success.

- Price Pritchett

Positive Thinking

Be grateful for what you have now. As you begin to think about all the things in your life you are grateful for, you will be amazed at the never ending thoughts that come back to you of more things to be grateful for. You have to make a start, and then the law of attraction will receive those grateful thoughts and give you more just like them.
Rhonda Byrne -

Voice Inside Your Head

"Who is that voice inside your head?"
You know the one you talk to when you are excited about something. Or when someone you love is sick and you need to ask "why is this happening?" Or when you accomplish something that you are proud of. We all do it, even if we don't consciously realize we're doing it, we tell the stories of our lives to this someone.
We want to hear those stories, the ones you tell inside your head, those genuine stories, the ones that not only change your life, but will likely change others lives too.
So back to the question
"Who is that voice inside your head?"

Making Life Richer

This week I sold some patio furniture on Craigslist. A woman named Susan emailed, "consider this furniture sold." The next morning she came by to pick it up. I didn't know who to expect, but by the time she left I was extremely grateful for who it had been. Susan is a Pediatric Anesthesiologist. She works at a hospital here in Houston called Shriner Hospital. We talked for close to an hour. We talked about our lives, our children, our joys, and our struggles. Susan said things to me and touched my heart in a way that I believe only she could. As she left we hugged goodbye. Susan made sure that I had her number so that I could call her anytime. It's amazing the people we meet in our lives that can touch our hearts and be such a wonderful blessing in a very short period of time.

But, in order to be able to experience these people we have to be willing to be open and vulnerable. I know there are times when I have not been open and vulnerable. I may have missed out on opportunities such as this one. I am grateful on this day I was willing to be open and that Susan who has such a busy life and may see no reason to take time to talk with stay at home mom, took the time to talk with me and enrich my life.

Thank You Susan!!!

I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches.

"I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable. All these and other factors combined, if the circumstances are right, can teach and can lead to rebirth."
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"What You See Depends On What You Are Looking For"

So many times life feels so frustrating! Everything looks like it is going wrong. Like when the microwave breaks, the oven breaks too. But other times everything looks perfect, the world could not look better, we have a "Rich Existence," but the microwave and oven are still broken.

Has anything really changed, other than what we are looking for?

How do we change from having a poor existence to a rich one?

How do we change what we are looking for?

What type of things were you doing when you felt like you had a rich existence?

When we feel like we are at a poor point in our lives, if we can remember the rich times in our lives, the memory can begin to give us hope. The memory will help us remember that there was a time when things were better. When we remember a time things were better, it gives us hope that life can be fulfilling, rich, and happy again.