Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
~ Albert Einstein
A friend of mine inspired this article. He was mulling over where he was in life and how he’d gotten there. I’ve asked very similar questions at various times in my life.
You might’ve heard this next story or some variation of it. Not only is it relevant, but, it is helpful for us in analyzing our way of thinking and doing. We need to consider choices we’ve made and continue to make if we are to change them.
A person (you or I) was walking down a certain street and falls into a great hole. We are unable to extricate ourselves from the hole without much trying and much effort. But, after several attempts, we are able to paw our way out of the hole. The following day we find ourselves walking down the same block, down the same street, and again falling right into the same hole. Again, it takes several attempts to get out. A third day we come to the street, KNOWING what’s down the street, but, again, we walk down and fall into this s-a-m-e nasty little hole. This pattern continues on and on until one day we come up to this street and look down it. We know full well what that street has to offer as we have been on it so many times. We then make a life-changing decision. We decide that another hole on another street on another day may hold us captive (a willing captive, I might add). Another street might have holes waiting for us. But, it won’t be this hole on this street on this day. We decide to take another street.
“You must lookout for your own best interests.”
I have done a whole lot of digging in my life. The darnedest thing is that it was all by choice. Very seldom have I fallen into a hole that has taken me by surprise. Some holes are worse than others. But, you can free yourself from almost ANY hole as I have found out. It may take a while, but, it can be done. The catch is that you must avoid the streets that you know have holes. You must lookout for your own best interests. If you don’t, who will? Make it a point today (and tomorrow) to steer clear of those streets. Make choices that fulfill, not kill.
Please share.
Are you better at digging yourself out of holes or steering clear of them to begin with?
Now, get out there and live it, and Live it LOUD!
Rob,
I couldn’t agree with you more! Life rarely throws people a TRUE curve ball, sometimes it happens but for the most part there are BIG warning signs along the way. getting the lesson is crucial to be able to move on otherwise the “hole” or lesson will come back on another street and with more force. Love the street analogy for this and find it a powerful way to explain a subject that all of us face or have faced throughout life.
-Bernardo
Hey Bernardo,
Yes, the ‘hole’ or lesson can definitely pay you a visit else where. Glad you mentioned that. We must decide that we don’t like digging our way out of holes and avoid them whenever possible.
Thanks for stopping by. Also, I must mention, your videos at your place are tops. Powerful.
Keep Living it LOUD!
Rob,
it’s so funny when i saw this article and the quote ”
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result”.
For the longest time that was part of my personal email signature.
A few years ago i also asked myself how did i get here? I was successful, had a nice six figure income, nice home, great area but it felt empty. I basically took the road with no pot holes. The safe scenic route. which was great but it i had so many passions and dreams that went unexplored.
I’m taking the road that’s less traveled now. the one with the holes in it, and i am falling in them once in a while. But, i am learning how to maneuver around them. And with every handful of failures i get at least one gain.
But i agree, if you keep landing in the same hole and keep trying to do the same thing over and over again, it’s not going to change. You have to try different routes to get to the end of the road.
Here’s a quote from Michael Jordon that i love.
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career, lost almost 300 games, missed the game-winning shot 26 times. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan, professional basketball player”
Sometimes people who we think are successful make it look so easy. but we forget that they had to fail a bunch of times and do things differently to eventually succeed.
Hey Annie,
Back atcha with the Jordan quote. If you scroll down on the right hand side of my humble abode you will see it, just below Edison:)
I also love the one by Terry Paulson, “Winners lose more than losers. They win and lose more than losers, because they stay in the game.”
The point for all of us is to stay in the game or change it if it isn’t to our liking.
I love what you said here, ” Sometimes people who we think are successful make it look so easy. but we forget that they had to fail a bunch of times and do things differently to eventually succeed.”
How true that really is. Your success is quite obvious. Thanks for sharing.
Live it LOUD!
Wow, i did not see the Michael Jordan quote on the right. And Einstein quote. Ok, what about this one?
“If you can’t measure it you can’t control it” totally off topic but i like it.. LOL… When are you going on your RV trip with the Family
Okay, Okay, I know when I’ve been beaten…but could it be the one attributed to W. Edwards Demming? I admit I had help:)
I actually have to go with persistence and Calvin Coolidge for my fav:
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Rings true to me.
Noticed you have some talented boys (and young gal) on your hands. My daughter is over at http://www.pianolessongirl.com (13) going on 28. Children make life that much sweeter.
You must mention to your husband I had that Frost poem here BEFORE he mentioned it:)
We will be heading out w/in 2 months…a little more to get in order as we don’t aim to return!
I give, give. I am no match for you.
Yes you are spot on. it is from the quality guru W. Edwards Demming.! I thought i had you. I
I love the piano. Is that to be your daughters future site to compose and share music with the world? It is so much fun to watch the kids progress in their achievements. My eldest son just turned 14 and he loves sailing (racing competitively). My 13 year old is a FOODIE, like me. My 3 year old daughter is lucky so far and has never been in day care. her life to be determined.
I assume you will be homeschooling while on the road. It’s been tough homeschooling 3 kids, and running my sleeping mask business and starting a blog and and and and and… I digress.
Can’t wait to hear about the RV trip. You will have to do some VLOGS while on the road. It’s all the rage you know? 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hey Annie,
We (okay, mainly Mom) homeschool already. It appears that isn’t challenging enough for you. We have two with the baby boy being 6 (drummer and Star Wars fanatic).
My baby-girl’s site shares a bit of her music now and is a first step in entrepreneurship. She’s been teaching piano for three years and studying for 9. But, enough of the bragging on homeschoolers! We will be doing videos here and there. Actually, I wasn’t aware that RVing was the rage, I thought it was France:) We have a little ways until we do that, but are working on it.
Does the sleeping mask work for men also???
The sad thing is that, that story is so true.
You did miss a part though, the part where the person in the story complains to his friends/colleagues about the hole when he gets out of the hole.
We often do the same things over and over and then complain about how horrible it is, instead of making a change.
The ability to change is one we all have. We can script our lives and decide how they are going to play out.
Hey Daniel,
Indeed. I did miss that part:) How true it is though. Then, of course it is on to the ‘if only, then’ game.
Thanks for that addendum and for sharing.
Live it LOUD!
Hey Rob,
I came across you at Janet Calaway’s blog so came over to read your current post and say hi.
I have lived that Einstein quote to be sure! This has been and is my journey which pretty much agrees with your story.
Phase 1 – I didn’t know I was digging holes. I thought everybody else was doing the digging but regardless of which I couldn’t see them so I kept falling into them and wondering where the heck they came from.
Phase 2 – I carried on digging the same holes but still believed I couldn’t be digging all of them. I got slightly better at not falling into all of them but with some it was just like bees to honey over and over again.
Phase 3 – After a long long time I realized I was digging all the holes. I learned that if I slowed down and took enough notice I could stop myself digging some of them. Even if I can’t always do this, at least I have a much better idea where I dig them so I can see them before I fall into them by navigating around them!
Great read thanks!
~Marcus
Hey Marcus,
Your welcome any time my friend.
Your comment is the reason I read comments here and on other sites. There are more ways than one that things can be viewed.
Ironic thought that we actually dig the holes and then, pretend we don’t see them, and act surprised when we’re in them.
I followed a very similar pattern. Very similar. At times, I would dig myself deeper into the hole once in it. Fun times.
I decided to bury my shovel.
That doesn’t make things perfect, but at least I’m not sabotaging myself.
Live it LOUD!
A very true read Rob, it all makes sense when we talk about it now, but when we then go back into everyday life, we find the momentum is lost. We need to follow through more often.
I could talk about choosing different paths, forging your own direction without regard to what anyone else says, but it’s one thing to talk, it’s another thing to walk. If I continue to talk about making your own path and doing what YOU really want to do, then I must ‘walk the walk’ and start discovering my own path.
Following through on our promises is an important part of our lives; it’s normal to have great thoughts, but it takes something else entirely to have great actions 🙂
Hey Stu,
Follow through, lost momentum…more posts, more ideas for posts!
Isn’t it great to have another day to try and get this thing right?
We can’t go back, but we sure can go forward and make our tomorrows better by our actions today.
We both know today has power.
Live it LOUD!
Hey Rob,
Interesting point, but sometimes we know that we have to take that street, that is the only way out; but you know there is that big hole there so what do you do…stuck? Jump over it. Yes, for many taking a different route becomes a tough choice, if you have to go that way, find a way to fill all those holes or simply jump over them…please, not literally!
Taking a different route is although the better option!
And really, who was that guy who slipped in three times, c’mon dude…wasn’t twice enough..duh already?
Hey Hajra,
Yes, literally! Do the darn thing already. Jump. Jump.
We waste too much time hemming and hawing. Or maybe we could possibly walk close to the edge, being ever so careful not to fall in. We may have to consider that option.
For myself, I’ve been given to create my own holes like Marcus though.
Attitudes and choices. Changing those have made the road a bit less hole-ly:)
As for the streets that still have holes that you have to go down. Tread carefully and bring tools.
A shovel (persistence), a rope (reasoning), and good jumping shoes (optimism) have been known to get a guy or gal to their proverbial ‘home’. Oh yes, duct tape (duct tape).
Live it LOUD!
I loved the analogy, Rob! This was totally my life before Peru, just pulling myself out of those darn holes that I kept finding myself in. I’d often look around and think: “This, again?!” =P
When I took a year to do a student exchange in Japan, it was my first time trying a different street and I haven’t looked back since. Whenever something feels the slightest bit funny or if I have a feeling that a hole is coming, I try taking other streets and it’s how I ended up in Peru! =)
Excellent post, Rob! Will share for sure! =)
Love it Sam,
That’s it exactly. Most of what we fear never comes to fruition anyhow. Why should we base all of our meaningful decisions around the abstract? We shouldn’t. You didn’t. And, life is good. Keep setting trends as it inspires others.
Keep Living it way LOUD!
Rob,
Your blog’s looking better every time I come visit. Just FYI though, I’ve been trying to add your blog to my rss reader, but it keeps giving me a massive jumble of text. Might want to take a look at that.
Hey Paul,
Thanks for the good word. And, the heads-up on my little rut…savvy techiness:)
Will look into.
Live it LOUD!
i really needed that post Rob!
really inspiring and gives hope that everything is going to be great
keep it up 🙂
Hey Farouk,
As you well know, we can make it great.
Glad you stopped my friend.
Live it LOUD!
Don’t know if you have heard this saying, to stumble over the same stone twice is a proverbial disgrace! And I never want that type of disgrace!
I’ve learnt in life not to allow myself fall into situations and never learn a lesson from them. By this you can always take more careful look the next time. Yes, you may not be able to prevent it the first time but when you pick yourself up take a look at the situation again and the lesson will appear.
Thanks for yet another great one.
Hey Chadrack,
I haven’t heard that one, but it’s good. And, true. The problem is when we see the stone and stumble anyway. Or worse, we’re the one throwing the stone in front of us.
Thanks for the input and kind words.
Live it LOUD!
Yes, it’s quite amazing how so many clearly intelligent people keep making the same mistakes. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that so much of our behavior is motivated by emotions rather than intellect.
It’s not impossible for a person to “get ahead of the curve” and see the emotions repeatedly leading them to those metaphorical street holes. It does take quite a bit of time and effort, however. It also requires introspection. A lot of people are just afraid of going there and just never get around to it, unfortunately.