Mini-Bible-Philosophy-Worldview Study (17) Of The Day- On Dealing With Success
Verse Of The Day
Jesus answered, “If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:” (John 8:54)
Related Quotes
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”- Henry Ford
“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”- Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Dealing with the fame and going from nothing and becoming something where everyone wants a piece of you, your life changes in a day.”- Bow Wow
Questions For Discussion
What is stopping you from reaching your goals?
Do you find it difficult to set realistic goals in your professional or personal life?
Are you a person who expects too much from other people?
Can you effectively work in a group setting?
Is it better to be a leader or a follower in life?
Bonus Verses
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4)
Commentary- On Life Success And Sherpa Tour Guides In 1953
Craig note- Do you get down about failures in your life? I do.
On Really Tall Mountains
1953. Years before I was born, Sir Edmund Hillary became the first (Western) climber to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. I remember learning that in my third grade history class.
I also recall my teacher remarking, “Yeah, there was some Sherpa with him. But, he’s not important.”
Two weeks later, I took a history test.
I circled “Sir Edmund Hillary” to answer the question, “Who was the first man to reach the top of Mount Everest?”
And, I got a 100% on the test.
(Fast-forward.)
That “some Sherpa” had a name Tenzing Norgay.
(Related topic.)
Recently, I have taught some history classes. I read a lot, and my memory is quite good. As such, I am called upon to teach on some history topics.
Give me 20 minutes, and I can fake expertise on almost any subject.
Last week, I was talking about how life changed in Nepal for the Sherpa people.
Before the historic climb, most Sherpa people were poor. Most Sherpa people were farmers.
Their access to things like education, healthcare, and good food was limited. After 1953, this began to change. Tourism boomed in Nepal.
The economy shifted to focus on tourism-based industries. This new-found wealth improved the lives of the Sherpa people. But, not everyone is happy.
The older generation of Sherpa people is disappointed the younger generation is so, so, so focused on money and material things.
The older folks believe happiness, or rather, finding happiness in the simple things in life is most important.
On Coming To Japan
(Tangent.)
2005. I came to Japan.
I have written before that I came to Japan with nothing. I was fortunate to get a great teaching job. I was focused on saving money right from the beginning.
And, I did.
Later, I found an even better English teaching job. And, I was (am) focused on saving money.
And, I did and still do.
More recently, there have been a ton of extra overtime classes at my company. I have taken nearly every extra class my company has available.
That’s great for my money bins. But, I am working all day long.
I don’t care. But, I have realized the extra hours have taken a bit of the “happiness” out of my simple life.
It has been much harder to keep pushing content out. I am writing this blog at 3 a.m.
There are no excuses for not finding a way to keep following your dreams.
Too, my wife and I have not had a conversation beyond, “What time do you get home?” in three weeks.
I don’t think my wife cares too much. She enjoys her freedom and the extra money.
(Back to 2005.)
I was thinking about how difficult my life was pre-Japan-arriving. Yet, I realize how simple my life was back in America.
I got up. I worked. I went to sleep. And, I repeated again, again, and again.
Life in Japan, for as hard as I try to make it simpler, is sometimes difficult.
I failed completely yesterday. There was a moment I needed to come through, and I didn’t. Now, it was one of those things. It was 99% out of my control.
I could not help, but think, “If I had only been in America, I could have found the right answers.”
But, I’m not.
And, I didn’t.
It was an opportunity to make more money. And, it is a chance to climb the mountain of success. Trust me, I will be doing neither of those things anytime soon. At the end of the day, life will go on.
Perhaps, next time, I need some: “Sherpa tour guides.”
Grey, Grizzled, and Gaijin
