One of my personal philosophies is to always be in the mindset of personal growth, whether it’s financially or otherwise. I’m like a sponge, always “soaking” in whatever I can through books, lectures, and life experiences that will enable me to live a better life. I like ideas that challenge my way of thinking. I like being able to say, “wow, I never thought of it that way!” How exciting and awesome is it to have a simple concept from whatever source that will change your way of thinking, and in effect, change your life forever??
I love, love, love to read and the latest book I’m going bananas over is called “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson, M.D. I’m so crazy over this book because it reveals some life changing concepts in such a simple manner it makes you think, “Why didn’t I think of it like that before?” It’s a really quick read about 2 mice (Scurry and Sniff), and 2 little people (Hem and Haw). The 2 mice, with their limited thinking capability, kept things simple and adapted to change quickly and easily. The 2 little people, with their complex thinking skills, complicated everything and didn’t adapt as easily as the mice.
This really is a life lesson for me because I tend to over-analyze everything. In my line of profession I get paid to analyze data. Sometimes I get caught with over-analyzing and being paralyzed because of the overdrive of data filtering in my head. As I was reading the story, I began to see myself as the little people who complicate life’s simple tasks. My goal starting today is to not get so wrapped up in the details of life and keep it simple! I think this would save ALOT of time and ALOT of energy (and less headache!!)
Another great point made was the ability to adapt to change. The mice were able to adapt to changing their routine when the cheese moved while the little people struggled to adapt. I was reading through one of my favorite blogs today, Smart Passive Income, and there was an article from a guest blogger that hit on this same point. Tyler Tervooren wrote “How to Evolve Your Income and Build Your Business the Charles Darwin Way”. Charles Darwin theorized on “survival of the fittest” which states those who can adapt to change the best, wins!
Spencer Johnson really hits on some great points in the book that I’ll share with you throughout the week. If you haven’t read the book you should definitely put it on your list of must reads. I checked it out at the library (free reading!!). I’m not exaggerating when I say it took me about an hour to get through the entire book.
Are you a good adapter to change, or is this something you think you can improve on? Do you keep things simple or are you a complex thinker?
Photo by: Free Digital Photos