The Unreasonable Attitude

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Contrary to what Frank Sinatra claims in his song ?My Way,? most people will have many regrets in their lifetime? not just a few. I expect that a fair number of individuals will look back and wish they had done more?not less?and really gone after their dreams with more energy, tenacity, and an unreasonable level of effort. I also think most will wish in hindsight that they had ?swung for the fences,? taken the big gamble, and really put themselves all out there. So why wait until the end of your life to wish for these things?

Start now, and approach every day as though your future depends upon an almost insane-like pursuit of success.

When I say insane here, I simply mean over the top, operating without the usual logic or reason that has a ten- dency to constrain people. I don?t want to respond as others would; I just want to get the job done. Behaving in this way means going forth without editing or judging your behav- ior based on how everyone else acts but instead on what it takes to accomplish the task at hand.

Social means ?marked by or passed in pleasant compan- ionship with one?s friends or associates.? A norm is defined as ?a principle of right action binding upon the members of a group and serving to guide, control, or regulate proper and acceptable behavior.? Put together, you have social norm?one of the major reasons why people elect not to take the actions necessary to create the life they want. It?s a shame to see so many people doing solely what is necessary in order to survive when they have their backs against the wall. I have met thousands of extremely successful people, none of whom ever claimed that their success came easily to them. They all share the common purpose of making their dreams and goals a reality, and many of them did not truly experience their brilliance until they realized that the ful- fillment of their dreams required them to act unreasonably. That purpose seems to fuel their willingness to be irratio- nal, even to go against social norms at times. Consider this: Had the Founding Fathers of the United States conformed to the social norms of England, they would have ended up in prison instead of building a new country.

Unreasonable people are often criticized for being so eager to challenge societal barriers. But those who stand by their actions and get things accomplished?despite the negativity, ridicule, and fear they endure?will eventually lose their label as an outcast and instead receive admiration. These people are content to make their own rules; they risk breaking the rules in order to build the life, business, indus- try, and economy they want. Anyone who has contributed at exceptional levels has at some point in his or her life acted irrationally?and been ridiculed, even condemned for it.

For example, where would Christianity be without the teachings, stories, and examples left to us by the life of Jesus Christ? He was willing to be ridiculed and even had to leave his own land in order to get others to listen to him. What if the Founding Fathers had not fought against the powers of England? What if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had decided to abide by the laws of his day and never made himself heard? More recently?and on a somewhat smaller scale?what if Howard Schultz had taken the advice of his father-in-law and abandoned his dream to build Starbucks? People weren?t requesting coffee shops on every corner, after all. What if Bill Gates had listened to his father and remained at Harvard? He might not have founded Micro- soft and become one of the richest men in the world. What if Mother Teresa had not spent her whole life dedi- cated to her causes? She would not have saved the count- less lives nor made the impact on this planet that she did. Where would the world be if the Wright Brothers had not insanely and unreasonably continued their pursuit of flight?

What if Barack Obama had listened to what many said was ?impossible?? He would not have become the first African American president of the United States.

I could go on and on, listing examples of people who refused to quit and follow societal conventions in order to realize their dreams. Tfte economy you ftave is only limited by tfte amount of unreasonable action you take to create it. During periods of economic contraction, you must refuse to agree with any social norms that hold you back. Of course, you want to avoid anything that will get you into trouble or hurt other people. But barring those scenarios, think about some of the rules you blindly follow?and what might be different if you didn?t. Those who are able to utilize the childlike ability to disagree, go against the tide, and act illogically will be ensured success, despite economic conditions. I encourage you to (1) disagree with the masses; and (2) go overboard with your actions. It certainly won?t be easy. You?ll have to throw off what you consider appropriate and acceptable. You?ll probably receive some criticism, judgment, and even ridicule. These reactions are simply indications that you?re on the right track.

Most people spend their lives receiving too little atten- tion, with no one ever noticing them. Creating the life you want requires that you demand others? attention. You want people to be talking about you because otherwise, no one will ever know about you, your products, or your services. And the only trouble you will get from being unreasonable is envy on the part of others?as well as financial freedom. If you don?t stand out, you probably will not be left stand- ing during serious economic contractions.

Show me someone who did something exceptional, and I will show you an exceptional person?a case to which a rule does not apply. To do something out of the ordinary, you have to act that way. Now is the time to get attention, go the extra mile, break free from the masses, do what others refuse to do, and be unreasonable in your thinking and actions.

Conclusion

Date: 2016-06-12; view: 101