The Slight Edge

Ralph Waldo Emerson said “The law of nature is, Do the thing, and you shall have the power: but they who do not the thing have not the power.”

Take two seemingly similar people – give them both the exact same opportunity. One has remarkable success – other doesn’t. One wins – other doesn’t. Why?

Not a matter of luck, timing, or fate. Not a matter of intelligence, skill or talent, either.

People clamoring for the secret formula – path to improve their lives. They say… “Tell me how you did this, so I can do it, too. Give me the definitive plan. Tell me, tell me, tell me …”

Secret ingredient – your philosophy. The secret is to change the way you think. Once you do that, then you will take the steps you need to take, to lead you to the how-to’s you need. If you don’t change your thinking, no amount of how-to’s will offer a real solution. It’s not the “hows”, it’s how you do the “hows”.

The Author is not talking about some complex, elaborate or clever/shrewd system of ideas – Not difficult to do. Simply means: changing your thinking, Your philosophy.

Not our attitude because – motivation comes/goes. It’s the philosophy. That’s the secret ingredient.

YES: We have to know the winning how-to actions, and have winning attitudes– but what generates all that and keeps it all in place is your philosophy.

Pos. philosophy –> pos. attitude –> pos. actions –> pos. results –> pos. lifestyle. Likewise…

Neg. philosophy –> neg. attitude –> neg. actions –> neg. results –> neg. lifestyle.

Life Wisdom
Your philosophy is what you know, how you hold what you know, and how it affects what you do. Look at anyone’s actions and trace back, through the attitudes behind those actions, to their source: the philosophy behind the attitudes – Show me what a man does, and I’ll show you his/her philosophy.

Again, Emerson said “Do the thing, and you shall have the power”. Profoundly simple and just as powerful, Nike said “Just do it”, but I like what Emerson said better…

“Do the thing, and you shall have the power!”

“Successful people do consistently what other people only do occasionally”