Books I'm Reading 7) I Can't Accept Not Trying by Michael Jordan (yeah that Michael Jordan)
http://www.amazon.com/Cant-Accept-Not-Trying-Excellence/dp/1892866005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238139299&sr=8-1
This is actually an old book. Back in 1994 I had my first eye surgery for a retinal detachment. When I first went into the eye doctors office downstairs from the office was a bookstore and my father got me this book. Which is kind of ironic when you consider that it's a book and after surgery for retinal detachment your eye is basically covered in gauze for a few weeks. But yeah....
I guess I was reading this again because it reminded me of something: you need to be aware of consequences but not be afraid of them. Too many times in life we're afraid to take chances because we're afraid of failing. Now there's a difference here between being afraid of the consequences and owning up to the consequences. Failing to own up to your failures is why I have to pay 25% fucking interest on my credit cards when Citi is getting 5% loans from the federal government with MY MOTHERFUCKING TAXES.
But that doesn't mean it's the same thing as not taking risks. You need to be smart about it. You need to be aware of what the consequence of action is. You need to be prepared to eat those consequences, but in the end, I can't accept not taking those risks because it prevents me from succeeding. And that I suppose is one of the great lessons in life that we all need to learn. Some people learn that quicker than others. Sometimes we forget it and need to be reminded.
And don't get me wrong, there are lots of things in life that I regret doing, but if I had to do it all over again, I would do it all the same...except maybe I would try harder to punch a dolphin. But I don't regret taking those chances, I don't regret the actions, only the inactions; and as much as I hate to waste my time, I also hate to waste an opportunity. What can I learn from an experience? What does that experience say about who I've become and who I can become? Where does the journey take me? And so this book serves as a nice reminder to always be open to the possibilities...and be ready, at a seconds notice, to punch a dolphin.
This is actually an old book. Back in 1994 I had my first eye surgery for a retinal detachment. When I first went into the eye doctors office downstairs from the office was a bookstore and my father got me this book. Which is kind of ironic when you consider that it's a book and after surgery for retinal detachment your eye is basically covered in gauze for a few weeks. But yeah....
I guess I was reading this again because it reminded me of something: you need to be aware of consequences but not be afraid of them. Too many times in life we're afraid to take chances because we're afraid of failing. Now there's a difference here between being afraid of the consequences and owning up to the consequences. Failing to own up to your failures is why I have to pay 25% fucking interest on my credit cards when Citi is getting 5% loans from the federal government with MY MOTHERFUCKING TAXES.
But that doesn't mean it's the same thing as not taking risks. You need to be smart about it. You need to be aware of what the consequence of action is. You need to be prepared to eat those consequences, but in the end, I can't accept not taking those risks because it prevents me from succeeding. And that I suppose is one of the great lessons in life that we all need to learn. Some people learn that quicker than others. Sometimes we forget it and need to be reminded.
And don't get me wrong, there are lots of things in life that I regret doing, but if I had to do it all over again, I would do it all the same...except maybe I would try harder to punch a dolphin. But I don't regret taking those chances, I don't regret the actions, only the inactions; and as much as I hate to waste my time, I also hate to waste an opportunity. What can I learn from an experience? What does that experience say about who I've become and who I can become? Where does the journey take me? And so this book serves as a nice reminder to always be open to the possibilities...and be ready, at a seconds notice, to punch a dolphin.
posted by rpalmeira at 12:35 AM
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