"Just do it, go for it, do not
hesitate." Those pieces of advice are omnipresent in our
culture. Will you follow them, and place your life at risk? Will you
act now without thinking of tomorrow's consequences?
I very much hope you don't because,
instead of solving your problems, you would only be placing your
future at risk. Instead of improving your life, you would only be
jeopardising your assets.
Wisdom starts and ends with reality.
Opportunities need to be rationally assessed, investments carefully
researched, alternatives prudently weighed. If you make important
decisions on the spur of the moment, you will commit grievous errors.
Blind enthusiasm is not the way to go.
Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher who
lived twenty-six centuries ago, already warned us against exaggerated
pursuits. “A wise man does not rush,” he wrote. Wise men are
prudent and steady, not foolhardy and over-anxious.
Calmness, realism, and patience may not
be popular these days, but they work a million times better than
hot-headiness, rashness, and wishful thinking.
You will do much better if you assess
the distance before you jump. You will advance much faster if you
look ahead and circumvent obstacles, rather than crashing against
them.
Japanese management techniques provide
us detailed prescriptions about how to enhance our prudence and
effectiveness. And those prescriptions do not require us to maintain
a cheerful appearance at all times.
Rationality, not enthusiasm, is the key
to getting things done quickly, with high quality, and without
errors. In particular, you want to avoid the three major
negative consequences of unbridled positive thinking, three
consequences that the Japanese have named "muri,” “mura,”
and “muda."
"Muri" means excessive
physical or mental strain, which tend to have detrimental effects. We
all know that over-stressed individuals often experience anxiety,
insomnia, and a higher propensity to infections. Do not allow
yourself to fall into the “muri” trap. If you avoid
over-commitments, you will do much better in life. Keep a cool head.
Protect your health, and be realistic about how many hours you can
work.
"Mura" is a synonym of
"unevenness" or "irregularity." It means that, on
Monday, you perform a fair amount of work; on Tuesday, you do a bit
less; and on Wednesday, you do three times as much as on Monday, with
the result that you feel exhausted, irritable, and out of control.
Although unevenness can make you look creative and enthusiastic, it
will inevitably drain all your energies. Definitively, this is not a
good way to live.
"Muda" means "waste"
and includes all types of actions that consume our resources, but
fail to advance our cause. Typically, those are errors we commit when
we give more weight to your enthusiasm than to our logic. Examples of
“muda” are performing unnecessary tasks, engaging in unnecessary
travel, and establishing unnecessary requirements. A little less
positive thinking and a little more cool-headed planning can go a
long way.
Unfortunately, some individuals trust
their positive thinking so thoroughly that they overlook the signs of
"muri,” “mura,” and “muda" until it is too late to
avert reality's harsh revenge. It is always sad to witness disasters
that could have been prevented if people have kept their eyes open,
but without a rational philosophy, who can resist the pressure of
exaggerated emotions?
The story of a man who was afraid of
his shadow is attributed to Lao Tzu: The man tried to run away, but
could not escape. He ran and ran, trying to get rid of his shadow,
until he eventually dropped dead out of exhaustion.
Those who guide their lives by
unbridled positive thinking are no better off than the man in the
story. They run and run without caution, measurement, or planning.
And in doing so, they render themselves highly vulnerable.
There is a better way: the way of
reason and prudence, the way that I present in my books. By learning
and practising the principles of rational living, you can spare
yourself plenty of trouble, increase your chances of success, and
maintain an optimistic, but still realistic outlook.
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image: photograph by John Vespasian, 2017.
For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books

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Here are the links to six media interviews, just published:- John Vespasian im Gespräch mit Gunnar Kaiser auf Kaiser TV (Germany) über Rational Living.
- John Vespasian interviewed by Deb Krier on "The Business Power Hour" (USA) about rational living.
- John Vespasian interviewed by Jamie Melonie on "That Business Show 2.0" (USA) about the lessons from Ancient Greece.
- John Vespasian interviewed by Ronald Graves on "Consulting for Real" (USA) about consistency and personal change.
- John Vespasian interviewed by Darwing Darling on "The Darwin Darling Show"(USA) about rational living.
- John Vespasian interviewed by Dr Andrea Maxim on "Maximized Business" (Canada) about lessons from history.