The Power of Personal Experience

 

Chapter 13

The Power of Personal Experience 

Our personal experiences profoundly influence who we are, how we see the world, and what we eventually become. Like it or not, we are all products of our experiences. No matter how similar two people may be in terms of their race, ethnicity, culture, background and upbringing, DNA, disposition, personality, education, or career path, the experiences of each and every human being that has ever lived remain remarkably unique. 

Life is all about mining precious experiences
out of the ore of the everyday drudgery and humdrum

Experience matters—not only because it shapes who we are and how we see the world—but because precious gems of wisdom can be mined from its rocky ore. If you are willing to mine your experiences for these gems, you will be able to refine it to obtain insights worth their weight in silver, gold, or even diamonds—speaking either metaphorically or literally. Likewise, if you are willing to seek out new and challenging experiences, you will reap all sorts of riches in the form of knowledge, maturity, perspective, and personal capacity. 

No matter who you are, life is full of opportunities to gain worthwhile experiences. Sadly, many people fail to recognize opportunities for achievement and growth when they are staring them right in the face. Sadder still is when people do recognize opportunities, but fail to take advantage of them because of fear or laziness.

The great business philosopher, Jim Rohn, once spoke of his aged father who, even in his last days on Earth, was still actively engaged in productively living his life. Rohn counsels us to follow his father's example and take advantage of every worthy opportunity that crosses our path. As he puts is: "Don't miss anything" (1) that is worth doing.

Rohn further taught that embracing worthy opportunities is an impetus for the creation of wealth (financially as well as intellectually, physically, socially, etc.). According to Rohn, "If you live well, you will earn well." (2)

"If you live well, you will earn well."

—Jim Rohn

Unfortunately, many people get this formula mixed up; they mistakenly believe that if you earn well, then (and only then) you will live well. Rohn got the equation right—living well is the key to earning well, not the other way around. Your life doesn't improve as you get rich; you get rich as your life improves. 

SAL Mantra

Life doesn't improve as you get rich. You get rich as your life improves.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

It has been said that "there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." (3) If you watch television with a critical eye, you will readily perceive the insight of this statement. If you spend time online, you will find it corroborated even further. As one Internet expert (4) put it: "You can go on to Google [and] find whatever facts you want. You pick any story out there, give me fifteen minutes on Google, [and] I can give you facts that support both sides of the story." (5)

From media and politics to marketing and litigation, a diminishing ensemble of truth tellers face an uphill battle in their efforts to expose, indict, and quell the capable, determined, and well-funded "Spin Doctors" who are more interested in defending their point and proliferating their ideology than they are in opening up their eyes (or yours) to reality. It is a tragic waste of intelligence and a perpetual embarrassment to the collective populace. 

With the exception of BOOK the SEVENTH, where I share a few, brief stats in addition to presenting data from my own action research, I have intentionally chosen not to use statistics to support the points, postulates, and premises I put forth in this Life Leadership textbook. 

I have pursued this course for two (2) reasons.

First, I am neither a statistician nor a sociologist. I am also not a cultural warrior, and I make a habit of NOT speaking on topics of which I am not an expert. I am an educator. I am also a writer (poetry and prose), philosopher, family man, religious leader, amateur historian, and athlete. It is, therefore, most appropriate that my message be communicated through the lens of pedagogy, literature (poetry and prose), philosophy, family, theology, history, and athletics.  

Second, no matter how reliable cited data may be, the veracity of the SAL philosophy and its accompanying theory and model cannot be validated on a strictly empirical basis. The honest consultation of heart and conscience must play a vital role. If you are unwilling to listen to the still, small voice of conscience that resides deep down in the sacred recesses of your own mind, heart, and soul, trust that visceral intuition, and be categorically honest with yourself along the way, you will find little value in this Life Leadership textbook. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once put it: Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.  

"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind."

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is absurd watching otherwise intelligent persons cite and then spin statistics in every which way—truth, reality, and consequences be damned—their only real intent being to protect and advance themselves and their own personal or professional pet projects and power, all the while lining their pockets with cash from the accompanying pecuniary pursuits.

Amazingly, the exact same—or at the least very similar—statistics are often used by opposing persons or organizations to champion entirely contrary conclusions and their concomitant causes. It is a profound insult to my (and your) intelligence. This use of statistics to selectively and seductively provide so-called empirical data to corroborate whatever ideological, social, political, or marketing point someone is paid to promote is nauseating and we at Freedom Focused do not respect anyone we see engaging in these dishonest practices.  

In an effort to avoid such sophistry, I have chosen to steer clear of statistics altogether. Instead, I rely on the highly credible words and works of a considerable collection of the finest minds, hearts, and souls that have existed throughout human history. I then ask readers to tap into YOUR own conscience to determine the veracity or speciousness of the principles and practices. For those who wish to verify and validate this message with statistics and have the time, energy, and expertise to access or compile them, you won't have much trouble producing a reference list that is many miles long. We encourage such parties to pursue said course if they wish; statistics is simply not our passion or project. Our desire is to share a message we already know in our hearts is right and true—with or without the added corroboration of statistics.  

The Power of a Well-Cultivated Idea

"It is funny how mortals always picture [devils]

as putting things into their minds;

in reality [their] best work is done

by keeping things out." (6)

—C.S. Lewis

Never underestimate the power of a well-cultivated idea rooted in True Principles and Universal Laws. One veracious idea properly planted in your mind and heart and then nourished with consistent action over time can positively transform a relationship, a career, or a life. I know this is true because I have experienced it over-and-over-and-over again throughout my own life's circuitous and challenging, yet enormously fulfilling journey.  

For example, the ideas planted in my mind, heart, and soul as I read and studied Dr. Stephen R. Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People changed my life as a young college student. Not only did it produce many of the thought "acorns" that eventually grew up into the "Oak Tree" of this expansive Life Leadership textbook, but it also expanded my professional credibility and has been worth its weight in solid gold (literally and metaphorically) in my life and career.  

On one occasion, my knowledge of the 7 Habits material even helped me land a contract training position with a seminar company. I believe these same thought seeds will be worth untold millions of dollars to me before I retire. More importantly, they will contribute to my attainment of untold additional riches whose worth far outweighs any monetary remuneration. These riches include quality relationships, meaningful experiences, fulfilling achievements, and the opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of other people. Indeed, the day will come when the fruit produced by these seeds will be of inestimable worth and value to countless others whom I will eventually reach with the unprecedented work you know hold in your hands.  

Talk about a real-life money tree! 

Indeed, that one book has helped to make me a very rich man (financially and otherwise). And guess how much it cost me to procure this gold mine of ideas? 

It cost me absolutely nothing, because I found it on the bookshelves of my own home growing up. It belonged to my parents and I annexed it into my own personal library (thanks Mom and Dad!). I should emphasize here that the book itself did not produce the magic in my life. It was my willingness to invest the time, energy, and thought power to read, digest, ponder, internalize, and act upon the information I found therein.

This was a small price to pay in comparison to the residual benefits I accrued from the efforts.

        But I still had to make the effort! 

And this is to say nothing of the impact of a host of other books, poems, speeches, essays, and quotes (7) have had on my life, career, and relationships.

Communication is, among other things, a process of planting "thought seeds" in the mind, heart, and soul of another person. Leadership is about putting the right kind of ideas into the minds, hearts, and spirits of those you lead and then influencing them to act wisely on those ideas for the purpose of benefitting oneself and others in the long-run. Individuals can become capable, influential, and powerful beyond measure when truth is allowed to properly germinate within their minds, hearts, and souls, and then steadily cultivated, fertilized, nurtured, pruned, and protected over time.  

The embrace and proliferation of right principles was the foundation of Winston Churchill's genius and success during World War II. Throughout the Blitz, the Battle of Britain, the African Campaign, the Italian Campaign, and finally the Allied invasion of northern France, Churchill was continually planting thought seeds of liberty, freedom, fortitude, resolve, resilience, endurance, calmness, patience, and personal power into the minds of the British Empire and her Allies throughout the world. Utilizing his talents to their utmost, Churchill the leader truly "mobilized the English language and sent it into battle," to the benefit of us all. (8)

A middle-aged Winston Churchill

Obviously, this same principle and practice can be similarly applied to nefarious purposes through the corruption of educational processes and the sinister practice of brainwashing through the proliferation of propaganda. Hitler, Goebbels, Himmler, Heydrich, and their Nazi minions successfully indoctrinated the German masses with a steady diet of racist and xenophobic principles and propaganda throughout the 1930s. This pernicious program of poison fueled the Third Reich's extraordinary rise to power in the years leading up to the Second World War. The results of this diligent "sowing" of evil ideas was nearly as devastating as Churchill's campaign was triumphant. 

Fortunately—for all of us—Churchill triumphed over Hitler. 

        Unfortunately, evil is not always checked and extinguished as quickly and significantly as fascism was in the mid-1940s.  

This Life Leadership textbook provides you with a storehouse of true and virtuous ideals you can sow and ingrain into your mind, heart, and soul as well as the souls, hearts, and minds of those you teach, lead, and love. I invite YOU to plant these ideas by reading and pondering the principles of this book. I then encourage you to water, fertilize, prune, and protect by setting goals, working hard, and exercising persistence in applying the accompanying practices. Finally, I suggest you allow the sunshine of Serendipity to nourish your newly sprouted knowledge, skills, and habits. If you will do this, you will come to find that over time, the tree of your life will bear many bountiful bushels of delicious fruit in the form of growth, freedom, achievement, joy, and inner peace. 

YOU will have truly become an OAK TREE!

Your Unlimited Potential

I am not a perfect human being, nor do I claim to have all the answers to the challenges and mysteries of life. I do, however, place enormous confidence in SAL mixed with Serendipity because this potent and powerful existential cocktail has been developed, tested, and refined through the fiery crucibles of my own life and career experiences spanning nearly 40 years of time.

That'a a LOT of time!

More importantly, it has been corroborated by the experiences of many of the world's wisest and most successful men and women throughout history—as recorded in their own words. 

Like emotional intelligence, your capacity and potential for freedom and growth is not limited by your genetic makeup or mimetic heritage alone. The only real limits are the ones you place upon yourself.

That means that in the end, you really have only yourself to blame if you fail to rise to the full measure of your potential.  

Everyone throughout history who has humbly and diligently learned SAL principles and applied SAL practices over time has eventually become very happy, successful, fulfilled, and at peace. Most of these persons wouldn't have known the principles by the name of "SAL" but that is okay because I didn't invent the principles or the practices; I merely organized them into an original package, gave that package a unique name, and then articulated its particulars in a creative and unusual way.

The beauty of SAL is that there are no limits to how much you can grow or how much freedom you can obtain over time. This fact engenders enormous hope for anyone interested in, and willing to apply SAL in one's life. It means you are able to move forward for as long and as far as you are willing to push forward, plow onward, and keep trying. This reality begs two key questions, as follows:

How far will you choose to go?

        How much will you choose to grow?

In the end, YOU—and you alone—will have to answer these two questions for yourself, and your answer will ultimately be articulated not in words, but in actions and results.

How will you choose to act?

        And what will you choose to become?  

In Your Journal

• What is something you could do this week, month, or year to gain an educational or otherwise meaningful experience that you might have avoided before reading this chapter? 
• Who and/or what do you want to become in the long-run?
• What are some of the changes you must make to realize your future vision?

This is the end of BOOK the SECOND: In Pursuit of Change, Growth, and Freedom: An Introduction to Self-Action Leadership. It marks the conclusion of the SAL prefacing material. The next book introduces the SAL Philosophy, which sets up the SAL Theory and Model to come in BOOKS the FOURTH and FIFTH.  

—Dr. JJ

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 381st Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013 and the 192nd consecutive weekly blog published since August 31, 2020.   

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 380 FF Blog Articles 

Click HERE for a complete listing of Freedom Focused SAL QUOTES  

Click HERE for a complete listing of Freedom Focused SAL POEMS   

Click HERE to access the FULL TEXT of Dr. JJ's Psalms of Life: A Poetry Collection

Click HERE for a complete listing of Self-Action Leadership Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Fitness, Heath, & Wellness Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Biographical & Historical Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Current Events, Cultural, Philosophical, & Miscellaneous Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Dr. JJ's Autobiographical Articles

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Chapter 13 Notes

1.  Rohn, J. (2000). Building Your Network Marketing Business. (Compact Disc). VideoPlus.

2.  Ibid. 

3.  Attributed to Mark Twain (1835-1910) and Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), among others.

4.  Michael Maslansky, author of The Language of Trust: Selling Ideas in a World of Skeptics. See URL: www.maslansky.com

5.  Michael Maslansky speaking on The O’Reilly Factor. Fox News Channel. January 6, 2015. URL: http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/index.html#/v/3974678980001

6.  Lewis, C.S. (1995). The Screwtape Letters. New York: Bantam. Chapter IV, Page 11.

7.  To review a list of the books, poems, speeches, essays, and quotes that have had the greatest impact on the life of Dr. JJ, see Appendix A & B.

8.  President John F. Kennedy said this of Churchill upon granting him honorary U.S. citizenship nearly two decades after the end of World War II.