Category Archives: Financial Independence

You Never Solve Your Problems

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You have to outgrow them!

Carl Jung has been attributed with this wonderful quote, “You never solve your problems, you have to out grow them.”  I love it! You and I have to grow and grow and grow.  And as we do, the problems and challenges that once caused us so much grief will shrink into little disturbances that we can easily handle.

What an empowering thought!  You can outgrow all of your problems! It makes perfect sense.  Let me illustrate with swimming.  If you were to take a man, who cannot swim, and drop him 10 meters off shore, he would have a big problem.  But you have outgrown that problem and could swim to shore, no problem.  Well, what if we took you out 500 meters from shore?  Many of you would have a very hard time getting back to shore alive.  Can you outgrow that problem?  Of course!  I have competed in several short-distance triathlons and so I could swim in from around a mile out, but beyond that, I would have a problem.  Have others outgrown that problem?  Of course!  An IronMan triathlete could easily swim in from 2.5 miles out, and count it as a work out.  You see, it’s all about our personal development, our growth rings.  How big are your growth rings?

Orison Swett Marden wrote, “Obstacles and challenges will seem big or small to you according to whether you are big or small.”  So our obstacles are actually opportunities to see where we are in our growth, and to do something about it!

A great and painful lesson

I vividly remember competing in a tough (for me) triathlon in Costa Rica.  I was not aware that the triathlon was going to take place until about a week before the race.  I had slacked in my training because, as I wrongly assumed, I didn’t have anything to train for.  Well, when the time to perform has arrived, the time to prepare has passed! And I was not prepared.  That triathlon kicked my backside!  I had not outgrown it through discipline, preparation and training.  And so it was bigger than me.  That morning before the race, one of the competitors, who is an IronMan racer, rode his bike about 50 miles BEFORE the race “for a warm up.”  He was definitely bigger than that race.

How do we get bigger?

So we ask ourselves, “How can we increase our growth?”  The answer:  the Law of the Harvest.  You and I will reap what we sow, and in exact proportion as well.

Life is like a garden.  We have to get good nutrients, not only in the body, but in the mind and spirit as well.  We’ve got to pull weeds, mix in fertilizer and get plenty of sun shine….light and truth!  How can we do all this?

The Daily Routine

Failure is fertilizer.  Try new things.  Get out of your comfort zone.  Discomfort is one of the best indications of growth.  Do not stay and vegetate in your little corner of the earth.  Get Out And Live!  And learn and grow from your mistakes and failures.

Input Determines Output.  Feed your mind and spirit with great content.  Study from the scriptures and the best books everyday.  Miss a meal, but don’t miss your daily dose of great truths.  Study the lives of great men and women who have really developed themselves, and model the manner in which they outgrew their challenges.

Pull the weeds.  Get rid of the negative people and input in your life.  Throw away your television and your video games.  Do whatever it takes to keep the porn, the violence and the filth out of your home and out of your life!

We’ve also got to pull the toxic weeds of tobacco, alcohol, drugs and obesity.  They are destroying so many lives everyday.

Exercise and eat well everyday.  Be consistent and vigorous and you will quickly get the results you are longing for.  Discipline yourself to do it.  Don’t let up.  No excuses or “special occasions.”

And most importantly, invite the Light into your life by drawing closer to God.  Seek His help and guidance, spend time with Him and DO what He asks.

If you will work on these habits everyday, I promise that you will experience tremendous growth in your life that will bring you those wonderful rewards that have been reserved for those who are willing to pay the price.  Then, you will really begin to be bigger than your problems.

Please share with us a time when this principle has been true in your life.

The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion

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You don’t have to climb over other people to get to the top.

If you’re in an organization or field that requires that….get out! We want to be people who are always lifting, building and serving those around us.  Do not tear others down to make yourself seem better or feel better.  You and I travel on a higher road than that!  If you desire to really ascend, then you must serve more.  We must stop tearing others down, falsely assuming it improves our position.

The true measure of our success will be determined by the quality and quantity of our service!

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Mercury and the Woodman

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The  best rewards in life are reserved for those who live with complete honesty and integrity.

We live in a world that is filled with lying and deceit, where it seems that almost everyone is out to get you, and you can’t trust anybody.  But even in a crowd of liars and cheats, we must remain honest.

Honesty will triumph.  Integrity will lead the way!

Do not lower your standards, no matter how bad it all gets.  There is far more at stake, than just temporal things.  Stay true in the darkness.  Let your high personal standards dictate how you live, so that there is no need for any to worry about your behavior, whether in a crowd of thieves or completely alone.

There are not enough soldiers, government officials or police officers in the world to control human behavior, and babysit the masses.  Control must come from within!

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Life Is Easier When You Are Better

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It’s a rather simple formula: the bigger you become, the smaller your problems will be.  Life is often hard, simply because we are too soft.  The more we discipline ourselves to grow and improve, the more capable and qualified we will be to handle life’s challenges and obstacles.  But if we are too easy on ourselves, then life will be hard on us.

CAVI is an acronym I love to use.  It stands for Consistent And Vigorous Improvement.  When we live by CAVI principles and habits everyday, life is so much more enjoyable, fulfilling and exciting.  Reach Upward!

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[audio:http://www.gregdenning.com/audio/Easier_when_you're_Better.mp3]

Please share examples of how this has been true for you.

The Spendthrift and the Swallow

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Have you ever failed at something because of ignorance?  And then realized that you could have prevented the mistake if you had just learned a lesson that was easily accessible in a book, or from a mentor?  I know I have. We don’t have to make all the mistakes ourselves; others have already made them for us.  THANK YOU PEOPLE!

But we cannot learn from others’ mistakes unless we are constantly seeking knowledge and wisdom.  We must read, study, ask and find all the answers we can BEFORE we make the important decisions in life.   Too many of us get caught in the winter storms of life without our winter gear, all because of ignorance.  Do your homework.  Prepare yourself in every way.  And then go it for with all you’ve got!

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What are some of the lessons you wish you had known beforehand? Please share.

The Horse and the Groom

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We all live according to priorities.  How do you know?  A priority is that thing to which you give your time and attention.  So take a good, honest look at what you are thinking and doing most of the time, and you will see what your priorities are…not what you say they are, but what they really are.  With that sobering perspective, most of us could use a reordering of our priorities.  This audio session will be very helpful.

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Share your highest priorities. How do you keep them there?

The Mice in Council

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A great idea has value when it is acted upon.  Action often requires risk.  Will you do it anyways?  I will!  We must discipline ourselves to think and act, think and act.  Then, and only then, will we get the great rewards in life.  Do you want to be closer to God, wiser, healthier, kinder, wealthier, and more influential?  Then you and I must consistently capture great ideas and act on them!  Even if they’re risky.  Billionaire Jon Huntsman said, “Leadership is about taking risks.  If your life is free of failure, you’re not much of a leader.  Take no risks, and you risk more than ever.  Leaders are called on to enter arenas where success isn’t covered by a warranty, where public failure is a real possibility.”

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Share your failures that have led to triumphs.  We all need inspiration to keep failing forward!

The Cat and The Mice

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In this crazy world we all live in, we’ve got to be so careful to not be deceived.  There are many that will tell you that dishonesty is OK, that infidelity isn’t that big of deal, that alcohol and drugs won’t really ruin your life, or that viewing pornography is natural and normal, etc.  Even Christ said that the very elect may be deceived.  Don’t be deceived!

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The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs

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How often has greed or ingratitude ruined something wonderful in our lives? Too often. We have to learn to constantly be filled with gratitude for all we have. That takes discipline and perspective. It also requires great discipline to keep greed out of our lives. Listen to this familiar fable and learn what we can do keep perspective.

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