The ABC’s of Handling Murphy’s Law

Murphy’s Law states that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, and at the worst time possible. There have been many occasions in my life when Murphy has slammed my door and forced his way into my life without giving me any notice. A whole lot of things have gone wrong at those times. My experience with Murphy has prompted me to develop a strategy for keeping him from messing me up ever again. Here’s my three-pronged strategy for dealing with Murphy next time he shows up. I call it the ABC’s of dealing with Murphy:

1. Anticipate what might go wrong

When Murphy has struck at me in the past, it has always been in situations when I did not see it coming. My game plan now is to anticipate what might go wrong so that when it does go wrong, I can deal with it effectively.

2. Bring yourself to a state of calmness

Murphy has always left me in a panic because of the element of surprise. The key to winning over Murphy’s law is to always stay in a state of calmness. I have seen people who may be going through the worst times of their lives but they don’t show it. Such people always come out as winners. 

3. Create systems that allow for success

Success in any endeavor is all about having the right systems. Every so often, I try to look at all the systems I have in place in different areas of my life. My objective is to ensure that my systems allow me to have the most success possible. 

Change your Stories and Learn to Thrive

The key to staying motivated towards achieving our goals is the inspiration that comes from the stories we encounter on a daily basis. Learning to listen to the good, powerful and life-changing stories that life offers us enables us to soar above mediocrity and live life at a higher level. Our purpose is clarified and our power is harnessed when we share in positive, life-changing stories.We are used to listening to the stories of people involved in crime and negative things in the news media. I think it is essential to turn off the negative news and start finding the positive things that are being done in society and highlighting them. I am usually greatly inspired to continue working in my community when I read positive stories of people making a difference in their communities.

We get inspired so that we can aspire to higher ideals. Our aspirations provide us with the motivation that we need to stay focused. Being inspired therefore, is foundational to our personal growth and development. I look at and define myself as an inspirational teacher. My stories inspire people so that they can find the motivation to do what they need to do. Motivation may provide people with information that generates good feelings within them but inspiration sparks a fire within them that they can act upon. 

Value is Measured by Your Contribution

We have been told many times in the past that “If you build it, they will come”. This line was popularized by a movie, Field of Dreams, I believe. While this was a great line for many years, it proves to be insufficient for today’s world. Today’s world demands that whatever you build must provide value. Value is measured by the contribution that your idea brings to the table. The line that works in our world today, as opposed to the world of Field of Dreams, is this: “If you build it and it provides value, they will come.”

Let’s talk about value then: the value that you and I bring to the table. I know and feel that, as conscientious individuals, you and I absolutely love what we do. Just like you, I wake up every morning and I want to give my absolute best in whatever I do throughout the day. Some people will say that most people don’t have a passion for what they do. They do just enough to keep from getting fired because they are being paid just enough to keep from quitting. I hope that’s not your situation because I want you to embrace the idea of providing maximum value on a daily basis. When you embrace such an attitude, your life gains immense purpose and power. Elevate your life, give maximum value on a daily basis. 

Increasing Your Output and Results by Focusing Your Potential

When I was a kid my dad bought me a couple of magnifying glasses of varied colors. I enjoyed playing with the glasses and feeling like a serious detective as I roamed in and out of the house looking for clues to mysteries that I created in my overactive imagination. Perhaps the greatest power of those glasses, I came to discover, was that when I held them over a piece of newspaper and allowed the sun’s rays to stream through, pretty soon I would have a fire (I was a little older and understood the need for safety). We lived directly under the equator and the sun was always hot and directly above us for most of the day. However, it’s rays never burnt anything until when they were brought to a point of focus.

While bringing those rays to a point of focus might seem like reducing the sun’s power, it actually increased it’s intensity and resulted in the generation of heat. This is the same thing with our potential. When potential is brought to a point of focus it results in greater output and results. Activity is not necessarily productivity. It’s what you focus on that brings about your greatest productivity. Much has been said about the Pareto Principle, which I believe to be true. According to Pareto, 80% of your productivity will come from 20% of your activity (paraphrased). Here’s the key to generating lasting results: find the 20% of what you are most effective at and give it 80% of your time and resources.