Chapter 12
Changing Your World from the Inside-Out
Following closely on the heels of our Liberty to Choose comes our PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for those choices. Thus, we have Law #7, which states that: You are responsible for the design of your world and the direction of your life.
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| Self-action leaders are responsible for drawing up blueprints for their lives and/or careers and then putting those plans into action. |
You are responsible for the design of your world and the direction of your life.
Law seven is a reminder that YOU are responsible for drawing up blueprints for your life and/or career. Just as importantly, YOU are responsible for putting those mental and written plans into ACTION.
It takes more than mere vision and planning to become a successful self-action leader. It takes action, analysis, reflection, and then more action!
This law is easy to stomach when things are going well and challenges are limited. But what about when the going gets rough? To help illuminate the power of the seventh law, even and especially during periods of your life when everything seems to be going wrong, I have chosen to share extensive details about my own life and career crucibles in BOOK the SIXTH.
I chose to include this detailed personal narrative to underscore the fact that these books didn't write themselves, nor did I magically become capable of organizing and composing them.
To the contrary, it took me nearly FOUR DECADES of diligent SAL study, research, application, and experimentation (trial & error) to consciously design my world and direct my life to the point where I was capable of getting this Life Leadership textbook to where it is today. Moreover, I didn't accomplish it alone. I had assistance from many others and an unending stream of Serendipitous grace, mercy, and inspiration attending me throughout the entire process.
Along the way, I endured seemingly endless setbacks and failures. I was also flatly rejected or ignored by many people who could have helped me in a number of ways, but for whatever reasons, chose not to. It was a messy, painful, and protracted process.
Such is the journey of life—no matter who you are.
Over time, I came to realize the great truth that everyone must ultimately realize, acknowledge, and accept: that it is MY JOB to earn my own successes bit-by-bit and piece-by-piece over long periods of time. Thus, in the last analysis, there are no excuses. There are always reasons for whatever happens in your life, but for a self-action leader, there are no excuses!
You either choose to pay the price to succeed, or you don't!
While you'll often need help from others and Serendipity along the way, no one can make the journey for you. The choice to move forward and succeed is YOURS—and yours alone—to make. YOU are responsible for the leadership, management, creation, and cultivation of your own metaphysical world.
As I have traveled this difficult road myself, I've learned that about 90 percent of my success in solving personal problems is contingent upon self-improvement and Serendipity; only about 10 percent hinges on external variables and environmental factors beyond your control. While these percentages will obviously differ from person-to-person and situation-to-situation, the point to remember is that YOU do not have to be a victim of circumstances or your environment. YOU can always choose to rise above the fray and become something greater regardless of the circumstantial or environmental challenges you may face; and we at Freedom Focused understand that many human beings around the world face enormous and sometimes soul-crushing difficulties that were not of their own making.
Nevertheless, a great truth remains ever-present and effervescent for ALL of us, that that truth is articulated by Law #8 of the SAL Theory, as follows: Long-term solutions to most of your problems are found inside, not outside, of your metaphysical world.
Law 8
Long-term solutions to most of your problems are found inside,
not outside, of your metaphysical world.
Generally speaking, the biggest problems you'll face in your life will not be rooted in external difficulties or circumstances. There are, of course, many exceptions to this rule—as I have previously iterated and reiterated. Forces of nature and Universal Laws, geography, others' choices, structural inequities, and numerous other variables can, for many, prove disproportionately at fault for an individual's given situation or circumstances. (1)
Bad things do happen to good people beyond their control.
But remember: even in unfair circumstances and situations, YOU still maintain control over how you choose to respond to those unfair variables. Good people can choose to respond positively, proactively, and productively to bad things that happen to them. And in the end, YOUR response to what happens to you is usually more important to and impactful on your long-term results than whatever may have happened to you in the first place.
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| Frederick Douglass 1818-1895 |
The lives of many great self-action leaders illustrate this fact and truth. A few of my favorites include: Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Mohandas Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, and Oprah Winfrey.
I encourage you to study the lives of these great self-action leaders—and others like them. Doing so will motivate you to aim higher in your own quest for Existential Growth and personal freedom. It will also inspire you with the realization that no matter how hard you may have had it in the past, or how tricky things may still be in the present, your future is still unwritten—and YOU can have a lot to say about how that story will be written.
Never forget that Decisions Determine Destiny!
SAL MANTRA
Decisions Determine Destiny
~ DDD ~
In Your Journal
- Of all the various challenges and problems that you currently face, are you more apt to blame external sources to complain, or to look inward to internal forces for solutions?
- To what extent are your own thoughts, speech, and actions to blame for your present challenges and problems? To what extent are other SAL variables to blame? How honest were you in answering this question? How do you know?
- Read a book on the life of one of the following individuals: Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Mohandas Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, or Oprah Winfrey. Reflect in your journal on what impressed you most about this person’s ability to transcend life’s difficulties through Self-Action Leadership. How might you benefit from following his or her example in your own life? Be specific.
—Dr. JJ
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
Author's Note: This is the 403nd Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013 and the 212th consecutive weekly blog published since August 31, 2020.
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Chapter 11 Notes
1. Seventeen (17) of these SAL variables are specifically listed and addressed in the previous chapter (Chapter 12) as well as BOOK THE THIRD, Chapter 7.
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