Sign InMy Account

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?

Posted By: Randy GageDecember 23, 2012

Message from RG:  I’m lounging under a palm tree on a much-needed vacation for a few weeks.  So to fill your insatiable need for brilliant and helpful self-development info each morning, I’ve asked some of my clever friends to sit in for me during my absence.  Today’s guest blogger is Dr. Joachim de Posada:

Most people are not too smart. That is unfortunate of course. Why can’t most people understand that what they do is what gets the results they have. It is not what they say that makes them successful: it is what they do, how they behave, that determines the results they get.

You hear people talk and you listen to the same thing over and over. “I want to be successful, I would like to be happy, I want to have good health, be financially secure, have a marvelous wife and great kids.” Then you watch what they do and it is impossible for them to get what they want.

In other words, they practically sabotage their success on a daily basis.

I have good friends and acquaintances that are screwing up their lives by making stupid decisions and doing dumb things every single day of their lives. Let me give you an example.

I have a friend who is great at remodeling houses. He was down on his luck, lost his job in the government, broke off a long-term relationship and things were not going well for him.

I needed some work to be done in my home so I hired him to do so. It was a small job, not more than four or five thousand dollars. I also referred him to another friend of mine who manages buildings and who could give him a lot of work if he thought he did a good job.

This guy starts work on my home on a Monday, works for three days and on Thursday disappears until next Monday. He didn’t call or anything, he simply left and on Monday when he comes back, he tells me that he had to leave town for a few days but that he was back.

He also started work on one of the buildings that my friend manages and left without having finished.

I got very upset when he came back on Monday. I asked him why in the world didn’t he call me and let me know. Why didn’t he say anything?

I said that of all people, it was very stupid to screw up with me because I am the one that gave him a job and also referred him to someone who could give him lots of work.

He has now lost a client, me and another client, my friend who could have given him work for one, two or even more years.

This guy does good work. He is top notch in carpentry, plumbing, roof replacement, you name it, and he can do it very well and at a very good price. But, he has an Achilles tendon and that is that he is not reliable. He doesn’t keep his promises.

At least three more times he did the same thing. He simply wouldn’t show up for a day or two and then show up. So, he lost my trust and he also lost my other friend’s trust, the guy that manages buildings.

So now we have to ask why is a good worker, smart, with knowledge and skills, be doing so poorly?

On the surface, it may appear that he is stupid. But obviously he is not.  However, his behavior is stupid. He is not successful because he gets in his own way. He is his worst enemy, his worst obstacle.

I often say in my seminars that knowledge is power. Then I correct myself and say, no, we should say “applied knowledge is power.” Because if you know and you don’t do, you don’t know.

This friend of mine knows, he knows quite a bit, but he simply doesn’t do. He doesn’t act on is knowledge in order to do a good job.

What you know makes little or no difference in your life. What you do with what you know makes all the difference in the world.

Analyze your own life. Look at how many opportunities you might be missing because of your fault, because of something you didn’t do, because you committed to doing something and you didn’t follow through. It could be something as simple as not returning a phone call or telling someone that you were going to call and you didn’t.

I have been guilty of this myself in the past. Don’t think that because I am writing about it I am perfect or it has never happened to me.

I lost one of the biggest opportunities in my life because I didn’t do what I said I was going to do, I didn’t follow up.

Mark Victor Hansen, the co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul attending a banquet with me in Dallas, asked me to submit my story so as to be included in the first "Chicken Soup" book. I said I would send him the story. The following Monday, I went off to Argentina for a speech and I simply forgot. I never sent him the story. The rest is history! Chicken Soup for the Soul books have been mega best sellers and I didn’t make it for the first book, all my fault.

Everyone that got their story in that first book became very successful because millions of people read about them.

So, before you blame the economy, or the government or your boss, company or neighbor for you not doing as well as you should, take a look at yourself and how you are handling your life and your business. There you might have the answer.

- JdP

Joachim is an international speaker and the author of, Don't Eat the Marshmallow...Yet  You can find him at: www.joachimdeposada.com and  https://twitter.com/Joachimdeposada

24 comments on “Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?”

  1. "What you know makes little or no difference in your life. What you do with what you know makes all the difference in the world."
    What a POWERFUL message!!!!
    And actyally the more you know and the more "power" you achieve through knowledge - the more you CAN ruin for yourself because you know 🙂 SO it's important to apply the knowledge to have acchieved - also to experience if that really IS the truth for you.
    Thank's for a GREAT article JdP!!!!
    AND MERRY CHRISTMAS from Denmark
    Lene

  2. "What you know makes little or no difference in your life. What you do with what you know makes all the difference in the world."
    What a POWERFUL message!!!!
    And actyally the more you know and the more "power" you achieve through knowledge - the more you CAN ruin for yourself because you know 🙂 SO it's important to apply the knowledge to have acchieved - also to experience if that really IS the truth for you.
    Thank's for a GREAT article JdP!!!!
    AND MERRY CHRISTMAS from Denmark
    Lene

  3. It seems to me that when I find myself blaming someone/something else for what's wrong in my life...I probably need to remember this article, Joachim!  Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
    Just now, I am having some problems with my young-adult daughter....could it be I need to look more closely at my own behavior?  Darn!  I guess I do.

  4. It seems to me that when I find myself blaming someone/something else for what's wrong in my life...I probably need to remember this article, Joachim!  Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
    Just now, I am having some problems with my young-adult daughter....could it be I need to look more closely at my own behavior?  Darn!  I guess I do.

  5. some people maybe have too much going on in they mind to stay disciplined and keep on doing great work so they create gaps in their lives.
    for all who do, your todays message is a great reminder how life goes on for all of us.
     
    >> to you & all readers: have a very Merry Christmas!

  6. some people maybe have too much going on in they mind to stay disciplined and keep on doing great work so they create gaps in their lives.
    for all who do, your todays message is a great reminder how life goes on for all of us.
     
    >> to you & all readers: have a very Merry Christmas!

  7. another great post. What people realize is that, while you may have a lot on your plate, a new outlook on life can change you dramatically (for the better). Granted its not that easy for some people but its generally true.

  8. another great post. What people realize is that, while you may have a lot on your plate, a new outlook on life can change you dramatically (for the better). Granted its not that easy for some people but its generally true.

  9. thanks great post What you know makes little or no difference in your life. What you do with what you know makes all the difference in the world.

  10. thanks great post What you know makes little or no difference in your life. What you do with what you know makes all the difference in the world.

  11. Wow. Can we have more of these? My husband said to me after he read this one saying thank you baby for not giving up on me and being there for me when I needed someone the most. He is a wonderful ,funny, loving, & hilarious man. However, he was a little rough around the edges. As many times as I had to be overly stern with him, he would come back wagging his tail. What he didn't know until he got the lock to my key was it was hurting me just as bad, but when he started understanding the standards I demand are for all of our higher good. What she means is she had to thump me good many times in private, but when I got it in public one time. I knew she was mine to have as my wife because she wasn't going to let anyone be disrespectful her and taught me to self respect myself even though I thought I was. Men have an odd way and coming from my standpoint we still have a lot of work to do daily on ourselves. Marissa has taught me so much about myself and the man I always wanted to be that I am that man she always dreamed of but more importantly the man I want to be. Thank you for this post because she sat down like a good wife and started relooking at herself and I thought good wife. Now watch me get talked to in hindu because I still don't understand it, lol.

  12. Wow. Can we have more of these? My husband said to me after he read this one saying thank you baby for not giving up on me and being there for me when I needed someone the most. He is a wonderful ,funny, loving, & hilarious man. However, he was a little rough around the edges. As many times as I had to be overly stern with him, he would come back wagging his tail. What he didn't know until he got the lock to my key was it was hurting me just as bad, but when he started understanding the standards I demand are for all of our higher good. What she means is she had to thump me good many times in private, but when I got it in public one time. I knew she was mine to have as my wife because she wasn't going to let anyone be disrespectful her and taught me to self respect myself even though I thought I was. Men have an odd way and coming from my standpoint we still have a lot of work to do daily on ourselves. Marissa has taught me so much about myself and the man I always wanted to be that I am that man she always dreamed of but more importantly the man I want to be. Thank you for this post because she sat down like a good wife and started relooking at herself and I thought good wife. Now watch me get talked to in hindu because I still don't understand it, lol.

Leave a Reply to sbrevett Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Warning: Undefined variable $key in /nas/content/live/randygagedev/wp-content/plugins/honeypot-comments/honeypot-comments.php on line 63

  • Stay Connected

    Subscribe to Randy’s Blog via Email

  • Recent Posts

  • 24 comments on “Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?”

    1. "What you know makes little or no difference in your life. What you do with what you know makes all the difference in the world."
      What a POWERFUL message!!!!
      And actyally the more you know and the more "power" you achieve through knowledge - the more you CAN ruin for yourself because you know 🙂 SO it's important to apply the knowledge to have acchieved - also to experience if that really IS the truth for you.
      Thank's for a GREAT article JdP!!!!
      AND MERRY CHRISTMAS from Denmark
      Lene

    2. "What you know makes little or no difference in your life. What you do with what you know makes all the difference in the world."
      What a POWERFUL message!!!!
      And actyally the more you know and the more "power" you achieve through knowledge - the more you CAN ruin for yourself because you know 🙂 SO it's important to apply the knowledge to have acchieved - also to experience if that really IS the truth for you.
      Thank's for a GREAT article JdP!!!!
      AND MERRY CHRISTMAS from Denmark
      Lene

    3. It seems to me that when I find myself blaming someone/something else for what's wrong in my life...I probably need to remember this article, Joachim!  Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
      Just now, I am having some problems with my young-adult daughter....could it be I need to look more closely at my own behavior?  Darn!  I guess I do.

    4. It seems to me that when I find myself blaming someone/something else for what's wrong in my life...I probably need to remember this article, Joachim!  Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
      Just now, I am having some problems with my young-adult daughter....could it be I need to look more closely at my own behavior?  Darn!  I guess I do.

    5. some people maybe have too much going on in they mind to stay disciplined and keep on doing great work so they create gaps in their lives.
      for all who do, your todays message is a great reminder how life goes on for all of us.
       
      >> to you & all readers: have a very Merry Christmas!

    6. some people maybe have too much going on in they mind to stay disciplined and keep on doing great work so they create gaps in their lives.
      for all who do, your todays message is a great reminder how life goes on for all of us.
       
      >> to you & all readers: have a very Merry Christmas!

    7. another great post. What people realize is that, while you may have a lot on your plate, a new outlook on life can change you dramatically (for the better). Granted its not that easy for some people but its generally true.

    8. another great post. What people realize is that, while you may have a lot on your plate, a new outlook on life can change you dramatically (for the better). Granted its not that easy for some people but its generally true.

    9. thanks great post What you know makes little or no difference in your life. What you do with what you know makes all the difference in the world.

    10. thanks great post What you know makes little or no difference in your life. What you do with what you know makes all the difference in the world.

    11. Wow. Can we have more of these? My husband said to me after he read this one saying thank you baby for not giving up on me and being there for me when I needed someone the most. He is a wonderful ,funny, loving, & hilarious man. However, he was a little rough around the edges. As many times as I had to be overly stern with him, he would come back wagging his tail. What he didn't know until he got the lock to my key was it was hurting me just as bad, but when he started understanding the standards I demand are for all of our higher good. What she means is she had to thump me good many times in private, but when I got it in public one time. I knew she was mine to have as my wife because she wasn't going to let anyone be disrespectful her and taught me to self respect myself even though I thought I was. Men have an odd way and coming from my standpoint we still have a lot of work to do daily on ourselves. Marissa has taught me so much about myself and the man I always wanted to be that I am that man she always dreamed of but more importantly the man I want to be. Thank you for this post because she sat down like a good wife and started relooking at herself and I thought good wife. Now watch me get talked to in hindu because I still don't understand it, lol.

    12. Wow. Can we have more of these? My husband said to me after he read this one saying thank you baby for not giving up on me and being there for me when I needed someone the most. He is a wonderful ,funny, loving, & hilarious man. However, he was a little rough around the edges. As many times as I had to be overly stern with him, he would come back wagging his tail. What he didn't know until he got the lock to my key was it was hurting me just as bad, but when he started understanding the standards I demand are for all of our higher good. What she means is she had to thump me good many times in private, but when I got it in public one time. I knew she was mine to have as my wife because she wasn't going to let anyone be disrespectful her and taught me to self respect myself even though I thought I was. Men have an odd way and coming from my standpoint we still have a lot of work to do daily on ourselves. Marissa has taught me so much about myself and the man I always wanted to be that I am that man she always dreamed of but more importantly the man I want to be. Thank you for this post because she sat down like a good wife and started relooking at herself and I thought good wife. Now watch me get talked to in hindu because I still don't understand it, lol.

    Leave a Reply to sbrevett Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


    Warning: Undefined variable $key in /nas/content/live/randygagedev/wp-content/plugins/honeypot-comments/honeypot-comments.php on line 63

    © MMXXIII Prosperity Factory, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Legal Information, Sitemap, Site by PrimeConcepts