Beyond the rat race

As a business trainer, I interact with store owners every day. I have found that most, at one point, were motivated by a desire to move beyond the rat race. The rat race is an unhealthy competition created by the misconception that there is a limited supply of resources in the universe and that in order to succeed; You must do so at the expense of your competitor. I am reminded of the story of 2 store owners who competed daily with each other for sales and customers.

One night, one of the shop owners named Joe had an encounter with a Magical Jeanie. Jeanie informed him that he would be teaching her a lesson by agreeing to any request he had on the condition that his competitor got double what he asked for. If she asked for wealth, her competitor would get twice as much wealth. After much thought, Joe asked to be blinded in ONE eye! This story is a humorous illustration of the unhealthy competition that takes place in the rat race. There’s one thing I’ve discovered about the rat race: even if I win, at the end of the day, I’m still a RAT! So the question I pose is how do you move beyond the rat race? I will give you three points to consider that will allow you to advance and grow to the next level.

The first point to consider is the destination. When you focus on the destination, your focus shifts from your competition to your calling. One of my favorite TV shows growing up was Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Alfred Hitchcock had a unique way of opening each episode. He flashed a silhouette image of him and then walked towards her. His silhouette was formed specifically for him and him alone. Our destiny is like that silhouette. It is made specifically for us and all we have to do is walk towards it. It eliminates the need for unhealthy competition in the sense that it is not necessary to compete for something that is already made for us. Our Destiny is our life project. When deciding on a business plan, our life plan should be the first priority.

The second point to consider if you plan to go beyond the rat race is discipline. It takes discipline to move into your destiny. I saw an interview with actor Will Smith in which he communicated the principles of success and used the analogy of the perfect brick wall. He mentioned that if he was looking to build the perfect brick wall, his direct focus should be on the individual brick and placing it as perfect and complete as possible. The focus on the individual brick would lead to the perfect wall. This is the discipline necessary to move towards your destiny. Focusing on doing the right things and working one brick at a time takes away your focus on a competitor.

The third and last point to consider is desire. Desire is what motivates your discipline and allows you to walk towards your destiny. I will share with you the story I saw online from the success guru that will emphasize this point. A young man who wanted to be successful and achieve his destiny met a success guru. He asked the Guru what he would have to do to be successful. The Guru told the young man to meet him on the beach the next day. The next day, to the young man’s surprise, the Guru was standing in the water and called out to him to find him. The youth sank knee-deep in the water only for the Guru to motion him closer.

It reached the waist and was again told to go ahead. Finally, when the youth sank up to his neck, the Guru plunged his head into the water as if he were trying to drain it. After much struggle, the Guru released him and they went to the shore. The Guru asked the young man what he wanted to do while his head was in the water. The young man replied that he wanted to breathe. The Guru then communicated the following lesson to him: “To achieve your destiny and to be successful, the same level of desire that you had to breathe is the same level of desire that you need to be successful.”

If you focus on destiny, discipline and desire, you will be able to move beyond the rat race.