Posted on 03/24/2014 1:16:42 AM PDT by carlo3b
****BREAKING NEWS****ALERT THE MEDIA****STOP THE PRESSES****
Sit down Sammy, Hold ma beer Bertha, Holy Samoli…
I HAVE DISCOVERED…
DRUM ROLL PLEASE…
“THE SECRET OF SUCCESS”
Developing, more to come, stand by, please…….
When I went to bed last evening, I was just as I have always been, as I am sure everyone else is, clueless as to what is the true “Secret Of Success”.. OK, I know.. I understand your reluctance in accepting my claim as authentic, however, this is the best I can do until I fill you in on the facts..
In what can only be described as an Euphony, a Divine Intervention, or a Revelation that became so clear that I could hardly contain my enthusiasm. Before I explain this further, I want to prepare you for the answer, and make a prediction that will have you face palm, or slap your forehead in shock, that it was, and is, so obvious that we all should have realized it so much sooner, and saved so much grief, and suffering..
Not to prolong the mystery, or build the bridge to a cliff, I would like you to try to figure it out, with me, and enjoy the ride to achieving your dream of, success in your life. To start, let’s agree on what is success, to you, which is certainly different to all of us..
FIRST, what do you think is the most important common goal, we would all agree upon is a state of mind that can be best described as a successful life. WOW, pretty daunting right? To some of us it has a dollar sign, to others, it would be the place where you live.
I have known folks that believe success is to be just plain, Health, which is really a major achievement if they have had a debilitating illness or disability. I am telling you this now, whatever you think your answer is, will probably change by the time we finish this short exercise..
SECOND, why do we diet, exercise, buy makeup, change hair color, or any number of physical enhancements to improve our appearances? If you were better looking, or lets go even further, and say you were a Knock Out, would that be success? If that was truly success why do some beautiful people destroy themselves with drugs, and some, suicide? That said, how come some really rich, pretty folks, end up in divorce court, or on therapist couch? I guess you really can’t tell a book by it’s cover..
One can look at the same scenario with Career achievement. This is not to say that one’s upward mobility isn’t something to herald, or to take pride in, it is clearly a marker. Just not enough to call it quits. The woman or man that works hard should, and usually achieves greater glory. After all, those are the rules, right? Well, we all know the rules don’t always work, and sometimes, they work against us. A job title is just words, and it is how much we want, or need those words that matters..
We are all born with something that separates us from everyone else. However, there are folks that are born with extraordinary talent, and we reward those talents in extraordinary ways, like actors, singers, and to a great degree, athletes. Not that they don’t need to hone their skills, they were born with a heads-up. Other of us may have talents that matter more to mankind, than being able to sing, but are not rewarded nearly as much..
We call that Life.. I can tell you from personal experience, celebrities’ aren’t any happier than you are.. Ask O J Simpson, or Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won an Oscar in 2012, and still suffered from depression to the extent that he overdosed on drugs less than 2 years later..
We’re getting close.. So, where are we on the meaning of success? Superficial isn’t it, financial doesn’t mean squat, and celebrity is a matter of taste. All of the things that we have discussed are targets to success, but only you define success. I know what success is, because I have been imbued with that certain knowledge since this morning.
THREE.. CLUES.. 1) A ROLLING STONE, 2) GAMESHOW, 3) MY UNCLE JOE..
I’ll clear up the Uncle Joe thing quickly. My great uncle, took me in as a baby, and also provided a home not only for me, but for his mother-in-law, my great grandmother, for 30 years. He was born in 1899, of modest means, finished 6th grade, and never attained more than that of a delivery man. He died, 30 years ago, about the same, except he was the happiest man I ever knew. Last night before I fell asleep, I remembered this was the first year that I forgot his birthday, January 25th, and I was terribly ashamed..
Gameshow, was a major feature film that chronicled a scandal involving an immensely popular game show on early TV. The show was exposed to be a fraud, to the utter amazement, and deep disappointment of millions of viewers, who trusted that the winner, a handsome, Ivy League professor, and the son of a respected author/professor, was in on the fix. It was the death of innocence in TV, and the reality that nothing is as it seems..
Mick Jagger, couldn’t find any satisfaction outside of the stage. His rolling stones, where often too hot to handle, in and out of trouble, as much as he was in and out of personal relationships. With all of that money and fame, aside, he isn’t happy yet, according to him in a recent interview.
There we are, what is success? What would make you feel successful? Let me suggest you may already be there, or a lot closer than you think, or maybe you should rethink your priorities. Success is a state of mind that accompanies achievement and contentment with oneself, and the satisfaction that you don’t need MORE. It’s looking at life and not expecting something that you cannot achieve, without sacrificing more than you are willing to put out.
Yes, you may be your limit to success. You are watching the grass growing in a field that is really just weeds. Is stressing for more, worth it when you might not find satisfaction in the ultimate goal, or what you thought it would be. You may have to give up too much to get it. Find happiness in your heart, in your relationships, in your soul. Living ahead of yourself, spending before you earn it, wanting something you know, is beyond your means, is never worth the stress of paying for it..
I remembered my uncle asking me as I ran out of the house, late for my second job, so I could afford a new car, is it really worth it? HUH? I didn’t understand what he was asking me. I bought the car and was thrilled with it for the first 6 months to a year, but had to pay for it for 3 years, long after the thrill was gone. I changed cars before they were paid off for 25 years, until I realized that my fancy car wasn’t important to anyone that mattered in the big picture of my life..
Joyce Hall, the sole owner of the world’s largest privately held corporation, at the time I worked with him, Hallmark Cards, drove himself to work every day in a 4 year old stripped down Chevy. The 90 year old billionaire once told me, to my amazement, that he was never as happy as he was traveling the Kansas plains, carrying a box camera, and a suitcase, selling farmers his penny postcards, with his invention, their picture on the front. He said he made 60% profit on each sale, the most he ever made, with no employees. He told me that he never had so little stress and so much satisfaction since..
I believe he was telling me something, the same thing my uncle was trying to get me to understand. It is the secret that is no secret at all. Success is as close as your next paycheck that pays all of the bills, and provides your food and shelter, with a bit left over for the memories that you should be making each and every day. Your being alive, half-assed healthy, having been born in America, free, is a success story to a citizen living almost anywhere else in the world..
CONGRATULATIONS!
Success is born out of fate, luck, and determination. You were the guy who sold umbrellas in the park on the day it rained. You were the guy who played with a waffle and twisted it one day...to make a cone. Or you were the guy who tested seven hundred ways of making a relay switch, and finally got the right design.
The difference between a successful guy and a failed guy? One simply never had fate or luck step in, or they really never had enough determination other than marginal stuff.
This is why so many Heisman winners fail in the NFL, why so many great college basketball players never survive the NBA, why Beta never got accepted, why Apple is the 500-lb guerrilla in the room, why a marginal state legislative guy who makes good speeches but never ran anything in his life turn into a lousy executive or President, and why Dancing with the Stars is so heavily viewed.
Good Story, and true. Passed up more money on many occasions because the cost wasn’t worth it. When I look at where I came from compared to where I am, I’m happy, when I see my kids growing and doing so well, I’m thrilled. My wife and I won’t be rich anytime soon, but we lack for nothing and have fun being around each other. My job is a challenge, but I know how to do it, generally like it, and I’m told I do it well. I feel successful. My only complaint, allergies are driving me nuts! I hope all of you have a good life too...without the alergies, of course.
In return let me share with you a version of my Measure of a Man.
The measure of a man isn't his wealth
or how he looks
or speaks
or his standing in the community.
The measure of a man is how he applies his GOD given strengths to:
Provide for his family
Help his neighbors and
Take care of himself.
When he does these three things to the best of his ability he meets God's Measure of a Man.
It is so good to see you posting!
Now I must get back to work!
I say live to please your spouse and kids
Well said, Carlo! I really enjoyed reading this.
I like it!!
Happiness is a state of mind.
The real secret of success is having a rich father or uncle.
Always use lots of butter!!!!
I believe it was Jefferson who said that he believed in luck, and that he found that the harder he worked, the more luck he found.
You sure started my day off right.
(....of course, I'm always on the right!)
Leni
Entrepreneur Extraordinaire! Over the years, Carlo has owned or managed over 56 restaurants and hotels, many of them having multiple locations. In 1974, he bought Houston’s Le Pavillon, an offshoot of New York’s acclaimed restaurant, and quickly turned it into the area’s first Four Star French restaurant. Carlo has owned or operated Élan, the award-winning chain of 14 private clubs with nationwide locations; the Cowboy Club, the Rice Rittenhouse Hotel, and the Cadillac Bar.
At age 38, he retired and soon tackled his most important challenge of all, as a stay-at-home dad with his young sons. As a popular homeroom dad, he has shown children how to make funny faces on pizzas and taught students how to make muffins. “I’ve never had so much fun as cooking with kids,” says Carlo.
Yep, I would call that success.
Yep. Luck falls on the side of the prudent.
I agree with all you say. I'm retired and my wife will be within weeks.
What I think about is this:
24/7/365 together may present a challenge, but we will deal with it.
FMCDH(BITS)
We could use a good restaurant where I live (gloom).
Obama's economy has taken its toll the past couple years....and all the good private dinner spots are gone with the wind.
Nothing but cookie-cutter chains left.
Leni
In politics, Eloquence, does not equal knowledge, or intentions. Great orators can deliver a horrible idea, with an enthusiastic flare, resulting in disastrous outcomes. Apparently the audience heard the speech, but failed to listen to, or understand the consequences of the message..
Here is the rub, where should we place the blame? Who or what is at fault? Ultimately, the listener failed to comprehend the ramifications of the proposal, but trusted the integrity of the Party to qualify the information and assess the content or the intentions..
The Party has the responsibilities through their resources, to vent the proposal and parse the legalize, thus the ramifications..
We have been lead to blame the full blame for the outcome on Low information voters, which is a fact, but fail to identify the culprits that formulated the agenda that premeditated, and intentionally, put the misleading message, and slick narrator in a place of trust..
But of course, FR readers already knew this, our challenge is to communicate this to those that haven’t the wherewithal, or incentive to educate themselves..
Throwing our hands up in frustration isn’t the answer, if it were we would still be living in the stone age.. MY PROPOSAL.. I have a kewpie doll, or a cookbook, for the most inventive proposals to advance this knowledge to the great unwashed among us.. :)
BTTT!? ;)
May God bless, FRiend!
Tatt
:)
Dittos to that! Thanks to Chef Carlo I have learned how to work in a kitchen!
In fact it has become a somewhat interesting problem when I prepare a meal after mrs p6. It takes me at least an hour to clean the kitchen. Not that she doesn’t clean, but I clean as I work.
And while I’m not sure I learned it from Chef Carlo I am sure he would agree...the first step to learning to cook is to learn how to clean. Once you learn why it is so hard to clean a pan, you learn not to burn the food!
Chef Carlo expanded my very limited knowledge...mostly camp, road and guy style food... to include wonderful, tasty and healthful meals!
While not everything I try is a success, most are and the family is delighted.
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