13 Rules of Success


Guest Mores
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Guest Mores

I'm wondering what people think of these rules.

1. Don’t compare yourself to other people.
2. Work with & around the imperfection in yourself and others.
3. See vulnerability as a strength.
4. Don't let self-doubt stop you from reaching your goals.
5. Don't overthink everything.
6. Take on tough challenges.
7. Every once in a while, break the right rules, in the right way.
8. Don't put others down to lift yourself up.
9. Recognize that you have infinite potential.
10. Accept responsibility for failure, without focusing on blame.
11. Speak up.
12. Go ahead and reinvent yourself.
13. Own your success.

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2 hours ago, Mores said:

I'm wondering what people think of these rules.

1. Don’t compare yourself to other people.
2. Work with & around the imperfection in yourself and others.
3. See vulnerability as a strength.
4. Don't let self-doubt stop you from reaching your goals.
5. Don't overthink everything.
6. Take on tough challenges.
7. Every once in a while, break the right rules, in the right way.
8. Don't put others down to lift yourself up.
9. Recognize that you have infinite potential.
10. Accept responsibility for failure, without focusing on blame.
11. Speak up.
12. Go ahead and reinvent yourself.
13. Own your success.

Good starting point, but if I were going to tweak them I'd say:

  • Don’t compare yourself to other people except when picking a good role model
  • Work with & around the imperfection in yourself and others.
  • See vulnerability as a strength if you know how to make the most of it.
  • Don't let self-doubt stop you from reaching your goals, but be realistic about your capacity.
  • Don't overthink everything, but know how to consider a problem with due dilligence
  • Take on tough challenges. (I'd merge this with 4.)
  • Every once in a while, break the right rules, in the right way.
  • Don't put others down to lift yourself up.  Ever.
  • Recognize that you have infinite potential, but work to make the most utility of it.
  • Accept responsibility for failure, without focusing on blame.
  • Speak up, but know when is the time and place.
  • Go ahead and reinvent yourself but keep the good parts.
  • Own your success but don't let it go to your head..

 

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Guest Mores
9 hours ago, unixknight said:
  • See vulnerability as a strength if you know how to make the most of it.

There is a very powerful perspective on vulnerability that may make that tweak meaningless.  Who was more vulnerable than the one perfect man who was completely abandoned by God in the worst time of his existence?  There is much more here that could be discussed at length.

9 hours ago, unixknight said:
  • Don't let self-doubt stop you from reaching your goals, but be realistic about your capacity.
  • Don't overthink everything, but know how to consider a problem with due dilligence
  • Take on tough challenges. (I'd merge this with 4.)
  • Every once in a while, break the right rules, in the right way.
  • Don't put others down to lift yourself up.  Ever.
  • Recognize that you have infinite potential, but work to make the most utility of it.
  • Accept responsibility for failure, without focusing on blame.
  • Speak up, but know when is the time and place.
  • Go ahead and reinvent yourself but keep the good parts.
  • Own your success but don't let it go to your head..

All the tweaks you made are essentially "But stay balanced".  Yes.  But the reason these rules are important is because most people who miss success are the ones who are not near the balanced point.  They are so far on the wrong side, that to run towards the other side is the way they can reach the balanced point.

If you remember the movie "Yes Man" you'll know what I mean.  It really is a thing to consider, just to open yourself up to the possibilities.

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Guest MormonGator

All these rules are nice, but life is more complicated than what these rules say, and every situation is different. 

LG and I have been married since 2002, and people ask us "How can you stay married so long? What's your secret?" We both always say "Ignore tacky rules that people give you about what makes a marriage last, and it's okay to go to bed angry."  Only because everyone seems to think "Never go to bed angry" is rule one in marriage. It isn't. Everyone is different. 

For these rules, there are exceptions too. I've known wildly successful people who don't do many of these things listed. 
 

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3 hours ago, MormonGator said:

LG and I have been married since 2002, and people ask us "How can you stay married so long? What's your secret?" We both always say "Ignore tacky rules that people give you about what makes a marriage last, and it's okay to go to bed angry."  Only because everyone seems to think "Never go to bed angry" is rule one in marriage. It isn't. Everyone is different. 

That's a rule I wish I could have successfully implemented very early in my marriage. For those who are capable of doing it, I think it's a great idea.

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1 minute ago, Vort said:

That's a rule I wish I could have successfully implemented very early in my marriage. For those who are capable of doing it, I think it's a great idea.

LG and I are very happy. We've gone to bed angry at each other many times. Sometimes going to bed and getting rest is better than arguing until 3AM. But again, whatever works for you. 

There are so many happy marriages out there. Much more so then pop culture thinks. I despise pop culture that shows every marriage as unhappy or depressing. I would never tell someone else how to run their marriage. If you are happy doing the opposite of the Gators, than God bless you.

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4 minutes ago, Vort said:

Agreed. As I said, I wish I could have successfully implemented it. But sometimes it's better than the alternative of not going to bed at all.

Yup.

A few missionaries have asked how we stayed together for so long. They are shocked when we say "A dark sense of humor and human sacrifice." 

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My mostly sincere responses:

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

I'm wondering what people think of these rules.

1. Don’t compare yourself to other people.

Who else are you supposed to compare yourself to? If I want to know if I'm good at, say, math, I need to find out how good others are. Right? If I want to get good at almost anything, I have to have a standard to measure myself against. So how can I possibly live a productive, joyous, gainful life if I refuse to compare myself to others?

I honestly don't understand what is usually meant when people say this.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

2. Work with & around the imperfection in yourself and others.

Seems common sense.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

3. See vulnerability as a strength.

Seems like a contradiction in terms. "See up as down. See black as white. See evil as good."

Now, there is a use of the word "vulnerability" to refer to a willingness to be emotionally affected by others. Sure, any Godly person is willing to invest himself or herself emotionally into another. If that's what is meant by "vulnerability", then maybe I agree. But I think it's a poor way to put it.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

4. Don't let self-doubt stop you from reaching your goals.

Hmm. This sounds sort of good, but what does it mean in real terms, where the rubber meets the road? I doubt I can be successful as a computer programmer, so—what? I try to be a computer programmer anyway? Maybe the reason I doubt my ability to be successful is exactly because I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROGRAM A COMPUTER.

I don't mean to be belittling or personally critical, but this kind of aphorism, removed from any context, comes across to me as vacuous feel-good nonsense.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

5. Don't overthink everything.

I'm seeing a common theme here: Pop-psychology slogans used as advice. It is possible to "overthink" something in the sense of "analysis paralysis", or refusing to act out of fear of ignorance. Many large corporations hire people that have a "bias toward action", meaning that when they're not sure what to do, they pick the best-seeming road and follow it instead of just thinking about things for a few days. This is probably useful in something like the software industry, where people by their nature tend to be analytical. Can you imagine an oncologist or cardiac surgeon embracing a "bias toward action" in that sense?

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

6. Take on tough challenges.

Sure, absolutely. But unlike President Kennedy's announcement about going to the moon, it's generally not a good idea to select a tough challenge because it's tough. Better to select a tough challenge because it leads to where you want to go and there is no other obvious way to get there that requires less effort and gives greater possibilities of success.

I have never asked God, "Dear Father in heaven, please give me a huge challenge that's really, really hard." I know some have promoted this, but it just doesn't make sense to me.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

7. Every once in a while, break the right rules, in the right way.

Several problems with this. Some "rules" should never be broken. I guess those aren't the "right rules", though. But then, those rules that are breakable aren't really rules, are they? In pirate speak, they're more like guidelines.

I guess if we take this in the pop psychology way it's probably intended, then it means that if you always do things in a certain way without good reason, then sometimes it's useful to shake up that pattern. I agree.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

8. Don't put others down to lift yourself up.

There's one I agree with completely. Almost completely; if you have a declared enemy who is intentionally trying to destroy you, you may have to rectify that situation first, even if it means putting the other guy down. But I don't think that's the intent here.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

9. Recognize that you have infinite potential.

How is this helpful? Say I'm in my mid-sixties, near retirement, and I'm not financially or emotionally prepared for it. In what sense do I have infinite potential? How does recognizing that actually serve me?

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

10. Accept responsibility for failure, without focusing on blame.

This sounds like a pretty good idea, generally speaking. There are times when blame needs to be recognized and assigned, but in general, if you screwed up, own it and move on.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

11. Speak up.

Sure, speak up, when you have something to say. Don't keep silent just because you're afraid of sounding stupid. (Unless you're in an environment where people will happily crucify you for saying something stupid. In that case, keep your mouth tightly shut and find another job.)

Sadly, I have known several people who really need to shut up, but don't. They are so enamored of the sound of their own voice that they talk seemingly just to hear themselves. Such people need to ignore Rule 11.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

12. Go ahead and reinvent yourself.

Sure. If you need permission, you've got it.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:44 AM, Mores said:

13. Own your success.

Hmmm. Sure, I guess. But don't "own" it too tightly. You succeed because others help you to do so. If you are unable or unwilling to recognize that fact and give full credit where due (and maybe sometimes even when it's not really all that due), then you won't succeed as often or as well as you otherwise might have done.

There's my specific feedback. In general, I find the list rather more pop-psych than useful, like something you might read in Seventeen magazine. For real adults living in a real adult world and facing real adult problems, I think the list would be of probably only limited usefulness.

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On ‎4‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 1:26 PM, Vort said:

I understand that in West Virginia, the most common answer is "Grandpa's birthday party".

As a direct descendant of West Virginian stock (on my mom's side), I feel I must respond to this.  I'll be calling my cousins down off the mountain.

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On 4/12/2019 at 8:44 AM, Mores said:

I'm wondering what people think of these rules.

1. Don’t compare yourself to other people.
2. Work with & around the imperfection in yourself and others.
3. See vulnerability as a strength.
4. Don't let self-doubt stop you from reaching your goals.
5. Don't overthink everything.
6. Take on tough challenges.
7. Every once in a while, break the right rules, in the right way.
8. Don't put others down to lift yourself up.
9. Recognize that you have infinite potential.
10. Accept responsibility for failure, without focusing on blame.
11. Speak up.
12. Go ahead and reinvent yourself.
13. Own your success.

How about just Two:

#1. Do lots of really brilliant and intelligent things.

#2. Don't do anything foolish or stupid.

 

The Traveler

Edited by Traveler
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Guest Mores

I must preface what I'm about to say.  This list came from a source that provided a paragraph or two of explanatory & qualifying statements with each item.  But lest I be accused of plagiarism, I decided to hold off on the full explanations.  And I wanted to see how they held up on their own without explanation.

Quote

Who else are you supposed to compare yourself to? If I want to know if I'm good at, say, math, I need to find out how good others are. Right? If I want to get good at almost anything, I have to have a standard to measure myself against. So how can I possibly live a productive, joyous, gainful life if I refuse to compare myself to others?

I honestly don't understand what is usually meant when people say this.

Usually this means that you need to compare yourself to an objective measure.  And other people are not necessarily the objective measure.  The other aspect of this is that we're all unique.  So, just because we're worse that someone else at one talent, doesn't mean we aren't better at another talent.  That kind of thing.

Quote

Seems like a contradiction in terms. "See up as down. See black as white. See evil as good."

Now, there is a use of the word "vulnerability" to refer to a willingness to be emotionally affected by others. Sure, any Godly person is willing to invest himself or herself emotionally into another. If that's what is meant by "vulnerability", then maybe I agree. But I think it's a poor way to put it.

Yes, that is the usage from the list.  But I believe the person who put the list together had done some reading from a social scientist (a real one) who recognized that we tend to see "vulnerability" in the wrong light.  If we are simply weak, that is something we want to change.  But to "put ourselves out there" is something else.  We always take calculated risks in any worthwhile endeavor.  There is the potential for failure.  We also become victim to criticism and so on.

But to be the type of person who is willing to take that risk and receive the criticism openly is actually a sign of strength.  The weak and fearful shy away from putting themselves in such positions.  The strong will take it on and prepare for the backlash of criticism.

A self-help guy I once listened to said that he would take on a dozen projects in a year and maybe get three or four of them done.  He'd fail at many.  Meanwhile, his friend would be careful to take on only one project and pay special attention to every aspect just to make sure he got it right.  While the batting average may be lower, the list of accomplishments goes higher with the former method as opposed to the latter method.

Quote

Hmm. This sounds sort of good, but what does it mean in real terms, where the rubber meets the road? I doubt I can be successful as a computer programmer, so—what? I try to be a computer programmer anyway? Maybe the reason I doubt my ability to be successful is exactly because I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROGRAM A COMPUTER.

And that is common sense.  But I've heard so many stories of people who were actually weak in certain areas.  But because of determination, they did what they loved, were willing to work even harder to get it.  And they succeeded.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was diagnosed with asthma.  She hid her condition from coaches when attending UCLA.  She eventually became an Olympic champion.

Yes, there are actual limits.  But too often, we believe the limits are much lower than what they really are.  That is the spirit of this and many more items on this list.

Quote

I don't mean to be belittling or personally critical, but this kind of aphorism, removed from any context, comes across to me as vacuous feel-good nonsense.

I'm seeing a common theme here: Pop-psychology slogans used as advice. It is possible to "overthink" something in the sense of "analysis paralysis", or refusing to act out of fear of ignorance. Many large corporations hire people that have a "bias toward action", meaning that when they're not sure what to do, they pick the best-seeming road and follow it instead of just thinking about things for a few days. This is probably useful in something like the software industry, where people by their nature tend to be analytical. Can you imagine an oncologist or cardiac surgeon embracing a "bias toward action" in that sense?

They were talking about those people who are refuse to make any decision without 100% of the information.  Well, we usually don't have 100% of the information.  So, if you're going to wait on any decision until you do, you'll tend to not make any decisions.

I believe Colin Powell said that he waits for 70% of the information and then he has to go with his gut and experience.  Obviously, when you're a novice at something, just about all you do is think it through.  But as you get more experience, you kind of fill in the unknowns.

Quote

Sure, absolutely. But unlike President Kennedy's announcement about going to the moon, it's generally not a good idea to select a tough challenge because it's tough. Better to select a tough challenge because it leads to where you want to go and there is no other obvious way to get there that requires less effort and gives greater possibilities of success.

I have never asked God, "Dear Father in heaven, please give me a huge challenge that's really, really hard." I know some have promoted this, but it just doesn't make sense to me.

Yes.  I believe Eyring said something to that effect.

Again, this list is talking to people who have not really pushed themselves to their potential.  Too often, we shy away from something that we should and could do simply because it is "too hard".

Quote

Several problems with this. Some "rules" should never be broken. I guess those aren't the "right rules", though. But then, those rules that are breakable aren't really rules, are they? In pirate speak, they're more like guidelines.

I'm not really sure where the explanation for this one was going.  So, I'm going to invoke someone else's insight on this one.  Another source said that to master something you have to be sure to learn all the rules.  Learn why those rules are there.  Master the rules until they are a part of you.

Then to become that "Da Vinci" you need to know when it's time to break some rules.

I believe the problem is that too many have never really learned the rules before they feel qualified to break them.  They never understood why the fence was put up before they're ready to take it down.  Then they learn the hard way that the herd of buffalo didn't like you tearing it down.

Quote

There's one I agree with completely. Almost completely; if you have a declared enemy who is intentionally trying to destroy you, you may have to rectify that situation first, even if it means putting the other guy down. But I don't think that's the intent here.

Hallelujah.

Quote

How is this helpful? Say I'm in my mid-sixties, near retirement, and I'm not financially or emotionally prepared for it. In what sense do I have infinite potential? How does recognizing that actually serve me?

What importance is there to know we're children of God?

cue primary song: I am of worth, of infinite worth...

Quote

This sounds like a pretty good idea, generally speaking. There are times when blame needs to be recognized and assigned, but in general, if you screwed up, own it and move on.

What is that?  Three now.  Great.

Quote

Sure, speak up, when you have something to say. Don't keep silent just because you're afraid of sounding stupid. (Unless you're in an environment where people will happily crucify you for saying something stupid. In that case, keep your mouth tightly shut and find another job.)

Sadly, I have known several people who really need to shut up, but don't. They are so enamored of the sound of their own voice that they talk seemingly just to hear themselves. Such people need to ignore Rule 11.

Again, the qualifying statement with this one was speaking to those who are afraid to speak even when they have good input.  But I agree.  It can also be dangerous advice.

Quote

Sure. If you need permission, you've got it.

This was more about the methods and attitudes we have that are preventing us from changing.  Change is always a two edged sword.  Depends on how we're changing.

Quote

Hmmm. Sure, I guess. But don't "own" it too tightly. You succeed because others help you to do so. If you are unable or unwilling to recognize that fact and give full credit where due (and maybe sometimes even when it's not really all that due), then you won't succeed as often or as well as you otherwise might have done.

This particular item pointed out that too many people (actually TOO many) have been told to be humble and to avoid bragging to the point that they actually shy away from compliments.  They will actually feel confused and don't know how to react.  A simple "thank you, that's very kind of you to say" was never part of their common phrasebook.

Quote

There's my specific feedback. In general, I find the list rather more pop-psych than useful, like something you might read in Seventeen magazine. For real adults living in a real adult world and facing real adult problems, I think the list would be of probably only limited usefulness.

You may go to the head of the class.  This was from a pop-psychology site.  The funny thing was that it was specifically advice from a female psychologist telling women what "strong-minded women" do.  As I read it, I had to wonder why any of this applied specially to women that didn't equally apply to men. 

Even with or without all your comments, this list is equally applicable to men as women (or not applicable as the case may be).

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With financial success I would advise the following:  make financial plans and do your best to implement them.  

If you have no financial plan you will very likely spend all your money.  All your money will be gone and you will not know where it all went.

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8 minutes ago, Mores said:

I must preface what I'm about to say.  This list came from a source that provided a paragraph or two of explanatory & qualifying statements with each item.  But lest I be accused of plagiarism, I decided to hold off on the full explanations.  And I wanted to see how they held up on their own without explanation.

Usually this means that you need to compare yourself to an objective measure.  And other people are not necessarily the objective measure.  The other aspect of this is that we're all unique.  So, just because we're worse that someone else at one talent, doesn't mean we aren't better at another talent.  That kind of thing.

Yes, that is the usage from the list.  But I believe the person who put the list together had done some reading from a social scientist (a real one) who recognized that we tend to see "vulnerability" in the wrong light.  If we are simply weak, that is something we want to change.  But to "put ourselves out there" is something else.  We always take calculated risks in any worthwhile endeavor.  There is the potential for failure.  We also become victim to criticism and so on.

But to be the type of person who is willing to take that risk and receive the criticism openly is actually a sign of strength.  The weak and fearful shy away from putting themselves in such positions.  The strong will take it on and prepare for the backlash of criticism.

A self-help guy I once listened to said that he would take on a dozen projects in a year and maybe get three or four of them done.  He'd fail at many.  Meanwhile, his friend would be careful to take on only one project and pay special attention to every aspect just to make sure he got it right.  While the batting average may be lower, the list of accomplishments goes higher with the former method as opposed to the latter method.

And that is common sense.  But I've heard so many stories of people who were actually weak in certain areas.  But because of determination, they did what they loved, were willing to work even harder to get it.  And they succeeded.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was diagnosed with asthma.  She hid her condition from coaches when attending UCLA.  She eventually became an Olympic champion.

Yes, there are actual limits.  But too often, we believe the limits are much lower than what they really are.  That is the spirit of this and many more items on this list.

They were talking about those people who are refuse to make any decision without 100% of the information.  Well, we usually don't have 100% of the information.  So, if you're going to wait on any decision until you do, you'll tend to not make any decisions.

I believe Colin Powell said that he waits for 70% of the information and then he has to go with his gut and experience.  Obviously, when you're a novice at something, just about all you do is think it through.  But as you get more experience, you kind of fill in the unknowns.

Yes.  I believe Eyring said something to that effect.

Again, this list is talking to people who have not really pushed themselves to their potential.  Too often, we shy away from something that we should and could do simply because it is "too hard".

I'm not really sure where the explanation for this one was going.  So, I'm going to invoke someone else's insight on this one.  Another source said that to master something you have to be sure to learn all the rules.  Learn why those rules are there.  Master the rules until they are a part of you.

Then to become that "Da Vinci" you need to know when it's time to break some rules.

I believe the problem is that too many have never really learned the rules before they feel qualified to break them.  They never understood why the fence was put up before they're ready to take it down.  Then they learn the hard way that the herd of buffalo didn't like you tearing it down.

Hallelujah.

What importance is there to know we're children of God?

cue primary song: I am of worth, of infinite worth...

What is that?  Three now.  Great.

Again, the qualifying statement with this one was speaking to those who are afraid to speak even when they have good input.  But I agree.  It can also be dangerous advice.

This was more about the methods and attitudes we have that are preventing us from changing.  Change is always a two edged sword.  Depends on how we're changing.

This particular item pointed out that too many people (actually TOO many) have been told to be humble and to avoid bragging to the point that they actually shy away from compliments.  They will actually feel confused and don't know how to react.  A simple "thank you, that's very kind of you to say" was never part of their common phrasebook.

You may go to the head of the class.  This was from a pop-psychology site.  The funny thing was that it was specifically advice from a female psychologist telling women what "strong-minded women" do.  As I read it, I had to wonder why any of this applied specially to women that didn't equally apply to men. 

Even with or without all your comments, this list is equally applicable to men as women (or not applicable as the case may be).

I have decided that if someone does not enjoy, cherish and passionately love whatever it is they think they are doing or trying to accomplish - they will ultimately fail at it.

 

The Traveler

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2 minutes ago, Still_Small_Voice said:

With financial success I would advise the following:  make financial plans and do your best to implement them.  

If you have no financial plan you will very likely spend all your money.  All your money will be gone and you will not know where it all went.

This is applicable of a lot more than money - for example:  It also applies to time.  Nothing of importance has ever been accomplished in any endeavor without discipline.

 

The Traveler

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Guest Mores
Just now, Traveler said:

I have decided that if someone does not enjoy, cherish and passionately love whatever it is they think they are doing or trying to accomplish - they will ultimately fail at it.

 

The Traveler

There was a young man I once new who had a gift for math and science.  He just absorbed it readily.  I was in the position to give him some counsel on what he ought to pursue.  I suggested a STEM field.  His response was that he hated math.

I was kind of surprised because I've never known anyone who was REALLY good at something and actually hated it.  So, for the time being I recommended that he at least do his best to keep up his studies and school work on everything just to keep his options open.

One day he returned to me and said,"I don't know what I was thinking.  I actually do like math.  I was just kind of bored with the way it was being taught.  So, I found it boring.  Now that I'm in higher level math, we're getting into some cool stuff.  I think I'll go into a STEM field."

Sometimes, we go with our talents and we eventually find the joy.

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2 minutes ago, Mores said:

There was a young man I once new who had a gift for math and science.  He just absorbed it readily.  I was in the position to give him some counsel on what he ought to pursue.  I suggested a STEM field.  His response was that he hated math.

I was kind of surprised because I've never known anyone who was REALLY good at something and actually hated it.  So, for the time being I recommended that he at least do his best to keep up his studies and school work on everything just to keep his options open.

One day he returned to me and said,"I don't know what I was thinking.  I actually do like math.  I was just kind of bored with the way it was being taught.  So, I found it boring.  Now that I'm in higher level math, we're getting into some cool stuff.  I think I'll go into a STEM field."

Sometimes, we go with our talents and we eventually find the joy.

If there were only one economic, job-related lesson I could go back in time and teach myself, it would probably be: Play to your strengths. I would have been far more successful by worldly measures if I had done so. It's not unlikely that I would have been more successful in spiritual endeavors by following this advice, as well.

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18 hours ago, Mores said:

There was a young man I once new who had a gift for math and science.  He just absorbed it readily.  I was in the position to give him some counsel on what he ought to pursue.  I suggested a STEM field.  His response was that he hated math.

I was kind of surprised because I've never known anyone who was REALLY good at something and actually hated it.  So, for the time being I recommended that he at least do his best to keep up his studies and school work on everything just to keep his options open.

One day he returned to me and said,"I don't know what I was thinking.  I actually do like math.  I was just kind of bored with the way it was being taught.  So, I found it boring.  Now that I'm in higher level math, we're getting into some cool stuff.  I think I'll go into a STEM field."

Sometimes, we go with our talents and we eventually find the joy.

For me, in my youth, mathematics was like a game that I could win.  Two things in high school changed everything.  #1. I met someone a lot better than me and suddenly a competitive nature drove me to be much better.  #2. I had a teacher that in a single statement changed my outlook not just of math but the entire universe.  He said, "Mathematics is a flawless perfect language."

It was revelation to me and like a liahona that has continued to guide me spiritually and physically.  It is impossible to speak mathematics correctly (grammatically) and lie or be lied to.  Moroni chapter 10 speaks of "spiritual gifts".  I am convinced that mathematics is a spiritual gift.  I use to think everyone should appreciate and love mathematics but I have learned that we all have spiritual gifts that when realized make every human a genus through which the light of Christ can shine and unfold all the secrets of the universe.  It is easy for me to think I am smart because of my spiritual gift but I have been humbled by so many others that have different spiritual gifts that see, understand and show thing that I do not connect to with my gift and thus seem like mystical magic to me.  My wife has no mathematical (scientific) aptitude (I mean like zero, zip nada) but has other spiritual gifts so much greater than mine.

I am inclined to categorize spiritual gifts (universal spiritual  and physical magic) into 3 great pillars of spiritual insight and power.  Of course one is mathematics - It is a great key to understand and predicting the future of the physical universe.  Another is music.  It is a great key of comfort and peace and a means of worship (of good or evil).  Music includes rhythm and order and the means of harmony and balance.  The third and greatest spiritual gift is love.  I wish I had a better word because of what is done in English to the word "love" - if we say charity and the pure love of Christ we can comprehend a little better.  But pure love is the joy and power of deep relationships through which we and those we love are transformed into G-ds and through which all other gifts are unified and made whole.

 

The Traveler

Edited by Traveler
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