Running the Business of Life

By Dr. Milo Sobel

This book is all about observations and reflections on life. Over the years, these have been put down on scraps of paper
and now finally gathered together into a single work. Sometimes, random thoughts. Also, advice from older others and
'mentors.' Thoughts where the mind wanders under unusual circumstances. Funny. Touching. Informative and interesting.
Dare one say motivational?

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483501826

Book preview

©2005, 1999 by Milo Sobel. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9781483501826

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to Judith,

my former wife and former partner

in the business of life.

I. PROLOGUE

As an author of books dealing with the topic of business

management strategy, I often work with quantitative

formulas and methods that yield correct answers or

effective solutions. Unfortunately, the challenges of life

call upon us to deal with situations that none of these

formulas taught in business school were designed to address.

As a person who struggles to manage his personal life

(not unlike his students who struggle to manage their lives),

I reasoned that there must be certain guidelines that we

may know yet not be able to articulate to ourselves in such

a way that we can act upon them. So, I thought, if we can

learn about how to run a business, perhaps we can learn

about how to run the business of life.

If it isn't already apparent, allow me to tender this note of disclosure: I suffer from what might be

called the Expert's Paradox. Those of my ilk can be

very skilled at helping others to solve their problems,

but often fail miserably in their own personal lives.

I allude to the psychiatrist who, along with his wife and

children comprise a dysfunctional and unhappy family,

and the labor mediator (peacemaker?) who is constantly

contentious and scrapping with family and anyone else

interested in engaging in a hearty dispute.

We all belong to the same club.

And we all pay dues.

But the dues are not monetary.

Yet, the cost can be very high.

The educator in me writes this book with you, the reader,

in mind. The entrepreneur (risk taker) in me writes this

book with success or failure (not the financial kind) in mind.

And the ... ‘person’...in me ...

writes this book with his own self-discovery, at heart.

8 August 2004

II. MONOLOGUES

MASTERPIECE

All men are sculptors,

constantly chipping away

the unwanted parts

of their lives,

trying to create

their idea of

a masterpiece.

- E. Murphy

YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE

Everyone has a purpose in this life, and a mission to perform.

Your ‘calling’ may not be known to you right now, but

to find it, you might give some thought to the following:

What are my gifts, special skills or qualities?

Who, what types of people and situations do I have a special feeling for?

What activities do I enjoy, for the sake of it?

Why am I where I'm at, doing what I'm doing, with the people I'm with?

GETTING WHAT YOU WANT IN LIFE

I believe that Robert Schuller put it best:

First, a decision must be made.

Second, a plan must be laid.

Third, a price must be paid.

What should be the basic premise of such a decision?

Well, in the old days of insurance sales, a commonly used aptitude test question (please allow for some paraphrasing) was: Would you rather be a)happy or b)successful?

From the standpoint of the sales manager doing the hiring,

b is the correct answer. It reflects that the candidate

is driven, an attribute from the arbiter's perspective.

But from the standpoint of a mental health perspective,

a is the correct answer, since being happy is an

end in itself and, therefore, makes one successful,

whereas the reverse