CAREER & MONEY
CONTROL YOUR WORLD
By DONALD BROUGHTON
As chief market strategist, managing director and
senior transportation analyst for Avondale Partners,
Donald is a frequent guest on CNBC and Fox. He has
been recognized as a top stock picker by “The Wall
Street Journal,” “Fortune,” “Zacks” and “StarMine.”
his statement is that only if you truly conquer yourself can the world
truly love you, and only if you truly love yourself and the life you
have created can you fully love the world.
We live in a time in which we champion “self-esteem.” I find the
notion that we should always “feel good” or “be happy,” as terribly
misguided. Even worse is the notion that we should always make
our children “feel good” or “be happy.” “We can’t do that because
it might damage their self-esteem” is one of the most dangerous
pieces of “psycho-babble” ever uttered. Real, lasting positive selfesteem doesn’t come from people paying attention to you, liking
you or admiring you. Real, lasting self-esteem comes from living
a life of self-control. If you are successful at controlling your bad
impulses; if in a regular self-disciplined manner you follow through
and complete the work, the tasks and chores of the day, you will
feel good about yourself and what you’ve accomplished.
Students don’t make good grades because they have high selfesteem; students have high self-esteem because they make good
grades. People who carefully watch what they eat and exercise
regularly don’t do so because they have high self-esteem; they have
high self-esteem because the carefully watch what they eat and
exercise regularly. To take this point to the ridiculous level, I’m not a
successful financial analyst and investor because I drive a Mercedes
and live in Ladue. It’s the other way around. And, I’ll admit it, my
self-esteem enjoys driving a nice car and living in a nice house.
The axiom “Control yourself, and you control the world” isn’t
advocating megalomania, but rather, the realization that your ability
to control events and the reactions of others is extremely limited.
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But the ability to control yourself, your thoughts, your words, and
your actions IS under your control. As French writer Michel de
Montaigne pointed out, “Not being able to govern events, I govern
myself.” However, the more disciplined you are and the more
disciplined you become in controlling yourself, the greater the
influence you will exercise over the world.
First, that control and influence comes in your immediate circle
of and family friends. Second, that control and influence begins
to extend to your community and the friends of your family, and
friends of your friends. Third, if practiced long enough and diligently
enough, that control and influence can extend around the world and
through time long after your mortal body fails you, making it the
ultimate testament to “mind over body” as a sign of a life well lived.
The new age philosopher Sri Chinmoy said, “I am very happy
because I have conquered myself and not the world. I am very happy
because I have loved the world and not myself.” The great irony of
GAZELLE STL
In our modern world we see countless examples of people who
are “liked” or “admired” or “closely followed” for no reason that
is reflective of the life of self-discipline that they have lived. They
know all that attention is undeserved or unwarranted, and now they
are bundles of unhappy neurotic anxiety and low self-esteem. The
Kardashians are this era’s poster children for this phenomena. As
the poet Criss Jami opined, “If the entire world sought to make itself
worthy of happiness rather than make itself happy, then the entire
world would be happy.”
So, grow your personal wealth and the wealth of those around you by
taking control of yourself. Resist the temptation to worry or doubt in
all mat ters of your life. Consciously decide to think of ways to make
your life better. Write it down and hold yourself accountable. Set basic
goals in all matters - your health, your relationships, your spirituality,
your work, your finances, and your hobbies.
Regularly, consistently, do or act – eat more veggies, exercise every
day, reach out to an old friend. Tell everyone you love that you love
them, commit an act of random kindness, pray, read something
spiritual, teach yourself a new skill. Mentor a colleague, save a little
more, spend a little less, learn a little more about another way to
invest. Meet others who share your hobby, meet one of the best at
your hobby, get a hobby other than Facebook, TV, or video games.
Take control of your life through small steps of self-discipline.
Through thought, word and deed become who you were created to
be. Control yourself and you control the world.