Comments on: How (not) to measure success http://dharmaconsulting.com/how-to-measure-success Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:59:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Don Boyd http://dharmaconsulting.com/how-to-measure-success/comment-page-1#comment-678 Don Boyd Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:06:27 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=117#comment-678 Eric, What strikes me about your story is our tendency to attach our self to any external outcome. Like you, I recently lost some money in investments. The year they did well (on paper) I thought I was smart. When I recently discovered that the company I had invested in was being investigated by the FBI and had closed its doors and my investment had vaporized, I didn't feel so smart. Dumb, smart, how much am I? I am still watching my response and striving to be like the Zen monk who, when confronted by the famous sword-wielding bandit who said, "Don't your realize who I am . . . I could run you through without batting an eye!", responded with, "Don't you realize who I am, a man that could be run through without batting an eye." Eric,

What strikes me about your story is our tendency to attach our self to any external outcome. Like you, I recently lost some money in investments. The year they did well (on paper) I thought I was smart. When I recently discovered that the company I had invested in was being investigated by the FBI and had closed its doors and my investment had vaporized, I didn’t feel so smart. Dumb, smart, how much am I? I am still watching my response and striving to be like the Zen monk who, when confronted by the famous sword-wielding bandit who said, “Don’t your realize who I am . . . I could run you through without batting an eye!”, responded with, “Don’t you realize who I am, a man that could be run through without batting an eye.”

]]> By: Dick Sclove http://dharmaconsulting.com/how-to-measure-success/comment-page-1#comment-72 Dick Sclove Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:03:54 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=117#comment-72 Hi Eric, Losing money in the downturn (Depression?) has not been fun, but may well have been constructive for me. It certainly provokes reflection and reordering of priorities, and it's gotten me off my duff in several ways. Including in ways that force me to confront on more fronts the challenge of integrating inner life with outer. Today I resonate especially with your 3rd question -- although not in relationship to money: ". When have you gained a truer sense of who you are through losing something you didn’t want to let go of?" Like many of us I was wounded in various ways in childhood. And I've found in psychotherapy that unconsciously I cling to some of those wounds as a strategy for staying in touch with people and relationships that I lost when I was young. Because the clinging continues, I can't yet answer your question in this case. But, yes, it seems highly likely that I will know myself better and become more free if and when I'm able to let go of those wounds (dontchathink?) Hugs, Dick Hi Eric,

Losing money in the downturn (Depression?) has not been fun, but may well have been constructive for me. It certainly provokes reflection and reordering of priorities, and it’s gotten me off my duff in several ways. Including in ways that force me to confront on more fronts the challenge of integrating inner life with outer.

Today I resonate especially with your 3rd question — although not in relationship to money: “. When have you gained a truer sense of who you are through losing something you didn’t want to let go of?”

Like many of us I was wounded in various ways in childhood. And I’ve found in psychotherapy that unconsciously I cling to some of those wounds as a strategy for staying in touch with people and relationships that I lost when I was young. Because the clinging continues, I can’t yet answer your question in this case. But, yes, it seems highly likely that I will know myself better and become more free if and when I’m able to let go of those wounds (dontchathink?)

Hugs,
Dick

]]> By: Steve Epstein http://dharmaconsulting.com/how-to-measure-success/comment-page-1#comment-71 Steve Epstein Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:04:28 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=117#comment-71 Eric, A profound succinct essay that works well in this particular here and now AND should be remembered when things are going well. I am sending this along. Steve O (bama) Eric,

A profound succinct essay that works well in this particular here and now AND should be remembered when things are going well.

I am sending this along.

Steve O (bama)

]]> By: How Do You Measure Success? « A Perfect Life Now http://dharmaconsulting.com/how-to-measure-success/comment-page-1#comment-69 How Do You Measure Success? « A Perfect Life Now Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:09:01 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=117#comment-69 [...] The confusion of self-worth with net-worth leads to the very kinds of decisions that produced the current financial crisis…. (more) [...] [...] The confusion of self-worth with net-worth leads to the very kinds of decisions that produced the current financial crisis…. (more) [...]

]]> By: Manjiri http://dharmaconsulting.com/how-to-measure-success/comment-page-1#comment-68 Manjiri Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:38:40 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=117#comment-68 I think this concern especially around money and big bonuses will remain only until the depression / recession lifts. Once that happens it will again be 'business as usual', my car is bigger than you, my yatch is faster than yours, mega bucks, mega egos.... and that is really because businesses revolve around the central theme of profit and profit alone. Morals, values, social repercussions are of no consequence ... as long as the bush fires are in Australia and not in my backyard, I can turn my face the other way.... Great Work should be about all of this, social responsibility, moral values, shouldering partnerships across sectors and then after that, profit. GREAT WORK to me will be when individual accountability includes social and moral accountability; when long term consequences are not overlooked for short term gain either individual's or organization's or a country's gain..... I think this concern especially around money and big bonuses will remain only until the depression / recession lifts. Once that happens it will again be ‘business as usual’, my car is bigger than you, my yatch is faster than yours, mega bucks, mega egos…. and that is really because businesses revolve around the central theme of profit and profit alone. Morals, values, social repercussions are of no consequence … as long as the bush fires are in Australia and not in my backyard, I can turn my face the other way…. Great Work should be about all of this, social responsibility, moral values, shouldering partnerships across sectors and then after that, profit. GREAT WORK to me will be when individual accountability includes social and moral accountability; when long term consequences are not overlooked for short term gain either individual’s or organization’s or a country’s gain…..

]]> By: Eric http://dharmaconsulting.com/how-to-measure-success/comment-page-1#comment-66 Eric Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:23:13 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=117#comment-66 Thanks for the Twittering - Michael. And for your Great Work. Bob - Wow. We're having a metaphor festival here: infiltrate, perfume, soak in, darkness, haunt. The power of these metaphors is that they can connect us our bodily/lived experience of money. And when we meet our experience directly - we can transform it. Thanks for the Twittering – Michael. And for your Great Work.

Bob -
Wow. We’re having a metaphor festival here:
infiltrate, perfume, soak in, darkness, haunt.
The power of these metaphors is that they can connect us our bodily/lived experience of money. And when we meet our experience directly – we can transform it.

]]> By: Bob Beverley http://dharmaconsulting.com/how-to-measure-success/comment-page-1#comment-65 Bob Beverley Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:03:18 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=117#comment-65 Dear Eric; I like your use of the word "infiltrated." The linking of money and self-worth is a matter of infiltration, given the vast and varied money perfume messages coming our way. These messages soak in deeply--as does fear, the major reason why I think we can feel so bad around money. After all, we need it and the fear of not having enough of it is a wordless darkness that can haunt our days. Peace, Bob Dear Eric;
I like your use of the word “infiltrated.” The linking of money and self-worth is a matter of infiltration, given the vast and varied money perfume messages coming our way. These messages soak in deeply–as does fear, the major reason why I think we can feel so bad around money. After all, we need it and the fear of not having enough of it is a wordless darkness that can haunt our days.
Peace,
Bob

]]> By: How do you measure success? | The Great Work Blog http://dharmaconsulting.com/how-to-measure-success/comment-page-1#comment-64 How do you measure success? | The Great Work Blog Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:42:07 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=117#comment-64 [...] You can read the rest of the article - and some thought provoking questions - here. [...] [...] You can read the rest of the article – and some thought provoking questions – here. [...]

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