W.I.N. Wednesday: Two things nobody can give you.
The below quote from one of James Clear’s 3-2-1- Thursday newsletters really resonated with me for a number of reasons, which I will get into below.
"People can help you in many ways throughout life, but there are two things nobody can give you: curiosity and drive. They must be self-supplied.
If you are not interested and curious, all the information in the world can be at your fingertips, but it will be relatively useless. If you are not motivated and driven, whatever connections or opportunities are available to you will be rendered inert.
Now, you won't feel curious and driven about every area of life, and that's fine. But it really pays to find something that lights you up. This is one of the primary quests of life: to find the thing that ignites your curiosity and drive.
There are many recipes for success. There is no single way to win. But nearly all recipes include two ingredients: curiosity and drive."
James Clear
Here are a few of the reasons this resonated with me:
Stay Curious is one of my core values and guides my daily activities.
Curiosity is also linked to my other Core Values - Focus on What’s Important Now and Seek to Inspire Others. I accept that curiosity and drive are not something I can give someone else, they are, however, attributes I can seek to inspire in others through the various aspects of my work.
The line, “Now, you won't feel curious and driven about every area of life, and that's fine.” Is an important reminder. It is ok to say, “I don’t know a lot about that topic.” At that point in a conversation, I can be curious and ask questions of the other person to explore their understanding of the topic and their reason for asking me about the topic.
The next line talks about the importance of “finding something that lights you up”. I was fortunate to find that 30 years ago. What is it? Seeking to find effective ways to help the men and women I train to prepare their mind and their body for where they may have to go.
· The final paragraph reminded me that my way is “a way”, not “the way” and that I need to help people find a way that works for them, understanding the critical nature of curiosity and drive in that process.
The second paragraph from the James Clear’s except reminds me of a quote from Dean Kamen that I share on The Excellence in Training course:
“Imagination is more critical now. Knowledge is a commodity. Knowledge is virtually free and accessible instantly. Imagination is what allows us to do the next great thing. Imagination allows us to say, ok I have all this knowledge, that is what we have today. How do I make a better tomorrow? What do you add to knowledge to create the future. You have to innovate. What is innovation? Innovation is taking all the same facts that everyone else has, looking at all the same problems as everybody else is looking at, but see them differently and say, “Ah Hah this is what we can do to fix this problem. That’s imagination.”
Take time to reflect of your life. What is it for you that ignites your curiosity and drive?
What’s Important Now? Stay curious and use your imagination and drive to continue to innovate and help make a better tomorrow.
Take care.
Brian Willis
www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com
ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.
If you found value in this post, please share this with your friends, family, and co-workers.
