Something to Gnaw On …

I’ll be off the blog for a few days while I’m in Boise, ID attending the wedding of a great friend (.jpg), former college roommate at Baylor, and current Idaho deputy attorney general. While I’m away, here’s something to gnaw on …

I’ll be posting some of my thoughts next week. Until then … the blog is yours -- jump in with your comments.

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UPDATED: Two other friends of mine would like their photo on Brand Autopsy as well. You asked for it Jeff and Matt. Hope you enjoy this vintage image from 1989.

Comments

[Spike Jones]

Sic 'em Bears!!

[Steve Liberati]

I'm willing to devote all of my time and energy (not to mention opportunity costs), making bare minimum wages... in order to be successful tomorrow and someday take over the family business - ohh wait, I'm doing that now!

As I'm getting older, I'm realizing more and more how important patience is. Many young people today (myself included) wants everything, including success like right NOW. We expect everything to be instant. Put dinner in the microwave and 5 minutes later its cooked. We see the young stars and athletes on MTV Cribs and we want what they have. We don't realize how much work and time it takes to get there.

John, you pose a very good question though. Speaking from first-hand experience, you definately have to make many sacrifices especially in the beginning when running a small business. Looking at the bigger picture from time to time is whats keeping me going.

Anyway, looking forward to your upcoming posts on this topic.

[olivier blanchard]

Commit your life to whatever it is you're after. Not tomorrow, not next week, but today. Marry your vision. Make it your life's purpose. Pledge yourself to it. (And accept the fact that you'll get kicked in the gut a lot.)

[Betsy]

Ooooh, that's a good one John. To be successful tomorrow, I hope that today I will have the courage to fail, to make a fool of myself sometimes, and to be misunderstood. (Three things that I hate.)

[Matt Steele in the Hour of Chaos]

Seek to be different. Seek to be changed. Seek to be transformed. Seek to be better than I am and be willing to accept the discomfort and trouble that comes with change for the better.

[Daria]

Tomorrow is today and to be successful you must create, not adapt. Create is the key word. You must create otherwise you evaporate.

[Sivaraman Swaminathan]

I ask my myself one simple question:
" Have you unlearnt something today and learnt something new today?"

[Emma]

I am willing not to be afraid and deal with things as they are instead of being afraid of what they might be.

I am willing to take action and not be paralyzed by inaction and fear of failure and rejection.

I am willing to look ahead as well as look back.

[Alexander Kjerulf]

I'm not sure this is the most important question, based as it is on the assumption that success is something people achieve tomorrow through the sacrifices they make today.

The question also assumes that success is something people can arrive at, a final destination where they've made it and can feel good about themselves. But there's always more people can achieve, and unless they already feel succesful with what they've accomplished today, there's a good chance that reaching their current goals won't satisfy them either. They'll simply set the bar even higher.

Here's a try at a different question along these lines:
What keeps you from accepting yourself as already succesful today.