Prosperity – Prosperity is a Lot Like Rubik’s Cube

Rubik’s Cube will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year – 2010.  There are a lot of toys that stay around for years and years – new generations of kids buy the ‘gold standards’ of toys – those that work and bring enjoyment to all who use or play with them.  Rubik’s Cube is a little different than most toys – a lot of adults bought them also.  The inventor, Erno Rubik, was a sculptor and professor or architecture.

I had a couple Rubik’s Cubes many years ago when they first came out.  I bought one (or two) for my kids when they were growing up.  A few years ago I bought a 25th anniversary Rubik’s Cube.  Back then I never mastered it, but it was fun and occupied a lot of my time.  My son showed me a combination and I worked with those simple instructions and was able to convert any color of my choosing to appear all on one side – one sixth of the puzzle solved.  I worked to see how fast I could solve it – and then, worked to see how fast I could solve each of the colors – one after another.  I enjoyed the challenge.  But, I could never master the whole cube.

I was thinking about it today while driving back home and told my wife that it would make a good blog tonight.  Prosperity is a lot like a Rubik’s Cube.  How might you ask?  There is a formula to solve Rubik’s Cube.  I looked it up on YouTube the other day and watched and wrote the moves.  It’s pretty complex and takes lots of practice.  Prosperity does not come over night without any instruction or practice – just like Rubik’s Cube.  If we were given a Rubik’s Cube and told to ‘mess it up’ for a few minutes, and then solve it, we could not do it – that’s the vast, vast majority of us.  We don’t have the skills, time or inclination to do it.

Prosperity is similar.  We’ve spent most of our lives messing it up and we want to fix it in a few moments.  The Rubik’s Cube has many different possibilities to start from – just like us – we all have different backgrounds and experiences in our lives.  Regardless, the Rubik’s Cube can be solved by starting with a particular objective in mind – to align certain colors in specific locations on each side.  That, in and of itself, does not take a lot of training, but it does take time and practice.

Prosperity can be started by anyone at any point in time.  You should know where you are to start, but it is not necessary.  Time and discipline is required to begin and stay focused on your immediate objectives.  In a while – weeks or months for some, and years for others, the basic framework is set – just like the Rubik’s Cube.  Once you have the corner colors matching the center color on each side, then you begin the repetitive operations that will bring any color to a middle location on the side and leave the rest of the cube exactly as it was before you began those iterations.

We begin making iterative changes in our lives, but our baseline changes as we go – and most of the time it is regressing – not staying the same, or advancing along with us.  Our subconscious minds perceive this as failure, and support to continue wanes – it is too hard to do.  Worst yet, after a couple of failures, we don’t even try again – it’s been tried and didn’t work.  Rubik’s Cube is the same.  You think you are almost there and make a turn and a twist and all of a sudden you find that it didn’t work and the cube is worse off than when you started – and you don’t know how to repair the damage.

Rubik’s Cube requires action – it won’t fix itself.  Our prosperous futures require action – something done continually to make a difference – a positive difference in our lives.  If we have the formula and slowly begin adhering to the requirements and constraints of that formula, we will be successful and solve the Rubik’s Cube.  The same will happen in your quest for prosperity.  You need a proven formula that works.  Fortunately there is more than one formula that works to achieve prosperity.  But, you have wisely select one formula and stick with it – and stay with it for the required period of time.  You have to realize that constraints will be part of the solution and failure comes with a price – the price is to learn what didn’t work, why it didn’t work, and don’t do it again.  Failure is a great learning tool when used properly.

Our subconscious minds don’t forget anything, but our conscious minds constantly ‘drop sync’ with important things in our lives.  If you solve the Rubik’s Cube and then throw away the formula, what is the chance that you can solve it again in ten years?  Probably not good!  It has to be practiced all the time.  Achieving success with the Rubik’s Cube and achieving success with your achievement of personal prosperity are the same – you have to continue doing what you did correctly in order to maintain the success and prosperity in your lives.

Choices have consequences.  Your Prosperity Professor, Red O’Laughlin

Motivation – Boring or Not?

I saw an interesting chart recently that categorized the emotional states of the human mind.  The left axis was labeled challenges in life and the bottom axis was labeled skills required in life.  The four corner regions are Anxiety when your challenges are very high and your skill level is very low.  You want to do something, but you are thwarted from doing it because you can’t – you don’t have the tools to do it.  A corner region labeled Apathy is when you have no challenges in life and no skills.  You are not challenged and you don’t care – you have no concern or interest.

The other two regions are Relaxation and Flow according to the chart.  Relaxation occurs when you have high skill levels, but no challenges.  This is good for a while.  It’s good to relax – to remove the stresses in your life.  It’s the area a lot of people think they want to be in when they retire – a life of relaxation.  Flow is defined on the chart by having high skills and many challenges.  I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘in the flow’ or ‘in the zone’ when someone is highly competent and producing.  The term is usually equated it to sports, but many times it is exhibited in working environments.

How many times do we live in the upper or lower bands of challenge and skills?  Probably not many!  I’m sure that some people do and burn out occurs occasionally when stress exceeds our ability to cope with it.  Most of us live in those regions where we don’t produce at 100% every minute of every day.  We don’t have challenge after challenge that has to be met (some times it feels that way though).  We have a challenge and a skill to complete a task and then move on to the next one.  Most of these tasks are externally driven – from our bosses, our coaches, our family, etc.

The middle regions are where most of us live and spend our time.  The region between Flow and Anxiety – where we are highly challenged but don’t have the skills to meet those challenges is called Arousal.  We want to achieve, but can’t quite complete the project on time, within budget, or to the satisfaction of those measuring us.  We would be in the flow if we could just produce a little more.  Between Flow and Relaxation is Control.  You have the skills to handle a myriad of activities and the challenge level is something that you can handle easily.  You are in control of your destiny.  You have the skills, knowledge, wisdom and ability to meet your goals on time and within budget.

The region between Anxiety and Apathy is called Worry.  You don’t have the skills required to achieve challenges that are just beyond your ability.  You care about getting the job done, but worry that you cannot do it.  The last region on this chart is labeled Boredom.  It’s between Relaxation and Apathy.  You have little to no challenges in life and you have the skills to achieve a lot more than is being thrown at you.

Each of these eight regions could be better defined and developed further.  Allow me to choose one at random to complete this blog.  The last topic introduced was Boredom.  We have been conditioned to view certain activities as boring.  What do you think of when you hear the subject of ‘accounting’?  Yet, flying a commercial airliner can be very boring at times.  The computer takes over after take-off and you just sit there and monitor – sometimes to the level of boredom.

We view boredom differently at different times in our lives.  It’s seems transient as we gain knowledge from grade school and start working our way through the higher grades.  We know a lot (acquired skills) and we are not challenged at that moment.  We are being held captive by the system – you have to be here at this time for a certain amount of time – whether it is in class, at home or in transit between the two.  Other people control your lives and occasionally you feel bored.

We grow older and have a job and family and get caught in that old ‘rat race’ of life.  Stresses hit us continually and we occasionally don’t have enough time to unwind.  Some totally immerse themselves in computer games, television or some other self-absorbing activity to fight the boredom of the moment.  You are not really bored, but you don’t want to deal with the challenges in your life at that moment.  This is another transient opportunity to tune in to a bored state by choice rather than having it forced on you from an external source.  However, as mature adults we know that life goes on and we have to meet the challenges of dinner, baths, kids’ homework, etc.  You have a responsibility to yourself and others.  It’s that responsibility that pulls you out of that temporary boredom opportunity that you chose.

There are also those times as accurately described by the chart – highly skilled, but not challenged.  We are given something to do that requires very little of our ability.  Let’s say that you are going to be paid to answer a phone.  That’s your job.  You are not allowed to do anything else at this job except answer the phone – no cell phones, no games, no books – just answer the phone.  If the phone rings a lot, then you are busy and are not bored.  It is rings once or twice a day, and then boredom sets in and is reinforced hourly.  You don’t’ have a chance to multi-task into other activities to keep you brain engaged.  Again, this is transient because you leave this job and go home.

There is a true story about a prisoner of war being held in North Vietnam who mentally constructed a house during his imprisonment.  He ordered all the materials, drew the plans, and phoned suppliers to expedite items that were late or delivered in error.  He built his home one day at a time, one brick at a time, and one paint stroke at a time.  He would change his mind and tear out part what was already constructed and remodel it.  He was still in prison when his home was fully built.  He enjoyed the home for a few days – did some odd jobs here and there.  Then he set it on fire.  He was still in prison and had no hope of going home any time in the near future.  He allowed the fire to consume his home and he began immediately to visualize the clearing of the lot, the filing of insurance claims, talking to adjusters, etc.  He then began the construction process again.  He kept his mind occupied with things he could do – self-imposed challenges when the external world kept him in a cell.

When we are bored we don’t think about the things we could be doing – mentally – that require no more resources than what we already have with us.  Pick a project that will take some time to accomplish and concentrate your free time on building that dream you want to have later in life.  You can have what you want by building it, modifying it, readjusting the little things so it will be done to your satisfaction.  Never stop dreaming!

Choices have consequences.  Your Prosperity Professor, Red O’Laughlin

Motivation – 16 Desires That Get In Your Way

A couple weeks back I blogged about desires and expectations.  I said that happiness is the difference between our expectations and our reality.  Expectations are always in the future.  Desire is related to our present and is representative of our reality.  If we have it pretty good, then our desires are satisfied and our future expectations are lowered.  If our current reality is lacking, then our desire is for better and our expectations are increased.  Our desires and expectations today are dynamic; they change as our reality changes.

I was doing further research on desire and came across some interesting tidbits that fascinated me.  A desire is a sense of craving or yearning for a person, thing or outcome.  The philosopher Hobbes (1588-1679) stated that human desire is the fundamental motivation for all human action.  Motivation can be intrinsic (coming from within you) or extrinsic (coming from the environment).  A lot of people think they are motivated by money, but they really are not.  That’s a topic for another blog.  I used to teach courses around the country in an earlier life and spent the better part of a couple hours talking about motivation.

Many of us have heard that we are motivated to minimize physical and mental pain or maximize pleasure.  Anthony Robbins took those two concepts and explained decision theory – why we decide to do something – avoid pain or seek pleasure.  Professor Steven Reiss, is a professor of psychology and psychiatry and an author.  In his book, Who Am I?  The 16 Basic Desires That Motivate Our Action and Define Our Personalities (Tarcher/Putnam, 2000), said that these sixteen desires are what drive our everyday actions and make us who we are.  The uniqueness of individuals are based on the combinations and ranking of these desires.

Professor Reiss found that many researchers tried to reduce all human behavior to the basic two elements – pleasure and pain.  He did a number of studies involving over 6000 people and determined that there are sixteen intrinsic desires in each one of us.  These sixteen basic desires guide nearly all human behavior.  The sixteen basic desires are:
Acceptance – the need for approval
Curiosity – the need to think
Eating – the need for food
Family – the need to raise family
Honor – the need to be loyal to the traditional values of one’s clan or ethnic group
Idealism – the need for social justice
Independence – the need for individuality
Order – the need for organized, stable and predictable environments
Physical Activity – the need for exercise
Power – the need for influence of will
Romance – the need for sex
Saving – the need to collect
Social Contact – the need for friends (peer relationships)
Status – the need for social standing/importance
Tranquility – the need to be safe
Vengeance – the need to strike back

Professor Reiss emphasized that at least fourteen of the sixteen basic desires appear to have a genetic basis.  The desires of idealism and acceptance do not appear to have a genetic base.  These sixteen basic desires can describe over two trillion desire profiles.  Think about two or three people you know extremely well.  How different are they on each of the sixteen basic desires? These desires are intrinsic – they are internal to each of us.  They are part of our mindset.  They determine how much effort we are willing to expend to get something.  If we have an exceptional strong desire for vengeance, then we will do literally anything in our power to exact that revenge.  Other people with a low basic desire for vengeance will rationalize or justify to themselves why it is not worth their time to seek vengeance – the person, the object of their hatred will get his or her just rewards in this life or the next.

Each of these sixteen basic desires has been built from genetic codes which established your baseline at birth and have been reinforced in different ways through your learning experiences.  You may realize that your career requires a lot more of the basic desire for social contact – the need for friends and peer relationships.  I am an introvert and don’t like to walk up to a stranger and introduce myself and begin a conversation.  I feel very uncomfortable doing that.  I understand it.  But, I understand that my business requires that I wear that hat to do business.  If you ask people who know me about my being an introvert – they would swear that I’m absolutely the opposite.  I recognize a need to improve my skills in the area of social networking to earn more money.  I have changed my basic desire for social contact by direct action and will continue to change it in the future.  There was a lot of trial and error and awkward moments, but I have the ability to put on a particular hat and act professional.
Are any of these basic desires getting in the way of your life?

Choices have consequences.  Your Prosperity Professor, Red O’Laughlin

Prosperity – What is it Worth to YOU?

I was talking with a friend a couple days ago about investments.  He was happy because he has enjoyed a better than average rate of return for the past year.  Of course, he hasn’t caught up with what he has lost since 2000, but he’s happy and seeing his prosperity increasing.  He equates money to prosperity – as most people do.

I did a quick search on the Internet for the definition of prosperity and found many definitions.  Here are a few:  a state of flourishing, thriving, success or good fortune; comfortable, fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich; easy living; booming; having a thriving business; abundance of valuable resources or material possessions; affluent; economic state of growth; and, well off.

One definition included a little more than just wealth – it includes other factors that are independent of wealth to varying degrees, such as happiness and health.  What is the value of having wealth and not being happy and healthy?  Most people think they are limited in their wealth building because they are dependent on their jobs.  They have so many skills and so many hours and are dependent on others to provide a paycheck.

Nevertheless, if your prosperity is more than just individual wealth, why can’t you improve prosperity in other parts of your life?  You have invested in yourself to make a living by accumulating an education, experience and skills to work for someone else and earn a paycheck.  Why can’t you invest in the other things in your life that will add to your own personal prosperity?  It’s not that hard to do.

Have you ever walked into a room that is a total mess?  Some will accept the mess as is – it is not worth cleaning up – it costs too much to make it better – it is not worth my time to change it – or any other rationalization as to why you won’t do anything.  Yet, if you start with the simple things, you can make a difference.

You can pick up some things, straighten out others, put things away neatly out of sight – these things take little effort – you already have the skills, you just need to do it, expend the time and energy.  However, if it needs painting and drywall repair or new carpeting, etc., then you may need new skills, money and more time.  Moreover, if you don’t want to do it yourself, then it will cost you more money.

I think this little analogy applies to our personal prosperity.  You may want to earn more money – increase your financial prosperity – and you might increase your financial prosperity incrementally – a small percentage of what you are already making.  To make a factor of ‘times’ your current income, then you need to learn new skills, accept greater risk, expend more of your valuable time and invest your money.

The option of making more money might not be worth it to most of us if it takes more effort than we believe is worth it.  What about the other factors that make up personal prosperity?  What can you do to improve your health?  Does it cost you a lot of money and time?  What can you do to improve your happiness?  Does it cost you a lot of money and time?  You can incrementally improve your health and happiness for little of your time and money.  

Can you improve your financial personal prosperity with a little monetary investment?  Absolutely!  Start with improving you mind first.  Invest in you – your personal development.  There is so much information available free on the Internet that you can’t read it all.  There is so much free information available on YouTube that you can’t listen to all of it.  It takes your time and energy only to improve your mind. 

The best two investments you will ever make will be into your own mind and into your own business.  The cost to invest in your own mind is negligible – it’s a time and energy function.  It is truly a low-cost option.  Improving your mind will give you the opportunity to own your own business.  Owning your own business gives you the ability to significantly improve your financial personal prosperity.

Allow me equate the messy room analogy to your personal prosperity.  You can pick up, straighten up and put away things in your room – they all cost nothing in terms of dollars – just your time and action.  You can go to the Internet and YouTube free and obtain information to assist you in your personal growth and development (health, wealth and happiness) – they also require your time and action.  The result is a better you.

The messy room is a good analogy also because many of us clean up our messy room, and then let it go back to the messy state again.  We are continually allowing ourselves to revert back to our messy past, rather than accepting the new paradigm that we approach but never adopt. 

If you want significant improvement in your financial prosperity, you will have to invest a little more to have a greater return on your investment.  This involves you owning your own business – real estate, becoming an author, MLM, consulting, mentoring, e-Bay selling, etc.  All involve more skills than you might have right now to be truly proficient, productive and profitable.

How much is incremental or significant improvement to your personal prosperity worth to you?  

Choices has consequences.  Your Prosperity Professor, Red O’Laughlin