Principles for Success: “Struggle Well” | Episode 8

- [Ray] Principles for Success.

An Ultra Mini-Series Adventure

in 30 Minutes and in Eight Episodes.

Episode Eight- Struggle Well.

So far, I described how I learned

to confront my own realities, my problems,

my mistakes and weaknesses,

and how I surrounded myself with others

who could do things better than I could.

This was the most effective way I discovered

for making great decisions.

(cheering)

This is not the normal way of being

but through this approach, I became very successful.

And being successful enabled me

to meet extraordinarily successful people

and see how they think.

I've discovered that their journeys were similar to mine.

You might not know it but they all struggle

and they all have weaknesses.

That they all get around by working with people

who see risks and opportunities that they would miss.

Over time, I learned that by nature

most people's greatest strengths are also connected

to their most significant weaknesses.

And striving hard for big things is bound

to lead you to painful falls.

It's just part of the process.

Such setbacks will test you.

They sort people.

Some think hard about what caused their setbacks,

learned lessons, and continue progressing

toward their goals.

While others decide that this game is not for them

and get off the field,

I've come to realize that success

is not a matter of attaining one's goals.

I found that when I reached

each new higher level of success,

I really remained satisfied.

The things we're striving for are just the bait.

Struggling to get them forces us to evolve.

And it is this struggle

to our personal evolution with others that is the reward.

I no longer wanted to get across the jungle

but instead wanted to find greater

and greater challenges to go after.

Surrounded by great people working together

on a shared journey.

Eventually, the success of the mission

and the well-being of the people alongside me

became more important than my own success.

I also started to see beyond myself

and wanted others to be successful when I'm no longer here.

I realized that if I failed to do that,

I will be a failure.

I struggle with this now.

We all struggle with different things at different times

until we either choose to give up or until we die

and become part of the larger evolutionary story.

This is how all machines work and are recycled through time.

When a machine breaks down,

it's parts go back into the system

to become parts of new machines

that also evolved through time.

Sometimes this makes us sad

because we become very attached to our machines.

But if you look at it from a higher level,

it's really beautiful to observe

how the machine of evolution works.

Now you must decide for yourself how you will evolve.

Forget about where these principles came from.

Just assess whether or not they are useful to you

and evolve them to sooth your own needs.

As with all of life's decisions,

what you do with them is ultimately up to you.

My only hope for you is that you have the courage

to struggle and evolve well to make your life

as great as it can be.

Thank you and goodbye.