Before my wife, Zhannie, emigrated to the United States from China, she always ended her messages the same way, “Bu yao tai nu li gong zuo.”
Translation: Don’t work too hard.
This statement always bothered me. I didn’t like it because I honestly believed that ‘hard work’ was the key to success in anything. Today, I have a different way of looking at the ‘hard work’ principle, and I’ll explain how in a moment – but first, what did Zhannie mean when she said, “Don’t work too hard.”
One day, while taking it easy at the aluminum factory in her hometown, Zhannie’s good friend was working hard in the assembly line.
Suddenly, an explosion.
The lady’s face caught on fire. She suffered third-degree burns. And never left the house again, other than to see a doctor, for more than ten years.
The woman’s beautiful face instantly scarred for life. And with the communist system of income, you can imagine the health care she received for her wounds.
Shabby at best. Until the doors opened to capitalism and doctors arrived who could perform the complicated operation she needed.
Under a non-capitalistic system, very few high-level doctors – or the money to pay a specialist if there was one.
Why no high-level doctors?
No incentive. Everyone got paid the same, no matter what.
Another worker lost his arm while working hard. Others lost their lives. In fact, my wife saw so much death when she lived in China she was numb to it. Life was not precious.
Everyone was the same. Just an egg shell to be discarded.
So my wife’s refrain: “Don’t work too hard” – meant the same as the Chinese saying, “Yi lu ping an.” Travel safely.
Safety was valued far more than hard work. Don’t take a risk. Don’t do anything in which you could get hurt or injured.
When Zhannie came to the U.S. she no longer believed in the “Don’t work too hard,” slogan. She believed in taking risks, in doing whatever she could to make life better for herself.
At one time she held three jobs. She worked part-time in three different restaurants. She went to school at an Adult school to learn English. Later on she attended a junior college to learn more.
And she encouraged me to take risks, to write books, to give seminars, to increase my income and so on. She never said, “Don’t work too hard” to me AFTER she moved to the U.S.
Years later, when I began teaching Psycho-Cybernetics and Zero Resistance Living on this website, in my products and at LIVE coaching programs, Zhannie dived into the subject with enthusiasm.
From me she learned that the key to success is proper use of your imagination and something I call the Law of Practice.
Dr. Maltz called it “practice, practice, practice.”
But not hollow practice.
Enthusiastic practice. Putting your body, mind and soul into what you’re doing – but doing so in a relaxed way.
All great achievers do what they do in a spirit of calm and relaxation. They may pay lip service to the slogan, “It’s ALL HARD WORK” – but the reality is that when you work hard and are not relaxed – you’re not very effective.
The best of the best understand this. So next time you hear “it’s all hard work” coming from the mouth of the champion athlete or successful businessman – ask for video footage of him in action.
While watching him, you’ll discover an amazing fact: Even in the heat of battle, even when time is of the essence, even when your life may be on the line – the winners are those who make what they’re doing look easy.
Two summers ago I watched a man in Xinjiang Province in China walk a tight rope. I also watched him run on the tight rope. And I watched in awe as he stood upon a chair. He made the seemingly impossible look easy.
How?
First, he imagined being the tight rope walker he became.
Second, he practiced more than anyone else until he became that person.
Relaxed, enthusiastic practice is the key to greatness.
Are you relaxed? Are you enthusiastic? Are you willing to practice more than anyone else?
Then nothing can or will stop you from becoming a successful human being.
Matt Furey
P.S. BTW, the world famous Zero Resistance Living Course will teach you how to relax, imagine and put enthusiasm into all you do at the highest level possible. Order NOW and make a quantum leap forward.
