Goals vs. paths

[Jamie (K)]

I have just read a book by Barry Minkow, a man who spent time in prison for massive financial fraud but got out early for good behavior (his character had undergone a conversion), and because he was so good at helping the FBI sniff out and prosecute similar swindlers. He has now rescued far more victims than he cheated.

One of the things he mentions in the book is that there is a big difference between choosing a goal and choosing a path. He says that choosing a goal is useless unless you choose the path that leads to it. And you can reach a goal without choosing it, just because of the path you chose.

He says that when con artists are arrested and sent to prison, they almost always tell him, "This isn't where I was planning to end up!" He points out that they had chosen the goal of being wealthy, but they had chosen the path that leads to prison. The path you choose determines the goal you attain, but the goal you choose does not always determine the path you embark on.

[Torsten]

Hi Jamie, a lot of people think that being rich is success. But that's not true. Before you can become rich, you have to be successful. The people Barry Minkow is describing in his book simply have the wrong definition of 'success'. Success means getting what you want without harming others. As a matter of fact, you can't be successful by harming others. Success should be the progressive realization of a worthy idea. If you set yourself the goal to make a million dollars you are always bound to end up either in prison or broke (or rather both). If the goal you set yourself creates value for other people, you will become rich as result -- spiritually, intellectually and financially. As for picking a path, I don't think you can follow just one single path. You have to try out many roads and ways to achieve your goal. Your paths will change while your goal remains the same.

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