The-Slight-Edge

102 The Slight Edge
Responsibility starts with the willingness to deal with a situation from
and with the point of view, whether at the moment realized or not, that you
are the source of what you are, what you do and what you have.
It is not “right,” or even “true,” to declare oneself as “cause” in the
matter. It’s just empowering. By standing for yourself as cause, “what
happens” shifts from “happening to you” to “just happening” and,
ultimately, to “happening as a result of your being cause in the matter.
— Werner Erhard
Don’t Complain About What You Allow
The people on the upper half of the Slight Edge curve are the cause of what
happens in their lives. They view all the forces that brought them to this point—
God, parents, teachers, childhood, circumstances, you name it—with gratitude and
appreciation and without blame. And they view themselves as the cause for what
comes next in their life.
Are you your own cause?
The people on the upper curve take full responsibility for all the choices they
make in their lives and in their work. Do you? It’s easy to do ... and just as easy not
to do. And if you don’t take full responsibility for your thoughts and actions and
circumstances right now, will that kill you today? No ... but!
But that simple error in judgment compounded over time will absolutely,
positively destroy you.
Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do:
they take full responsibility for how the Slight Edge is working in their lives.
Unsuccessful people blame the Slight Edge for their
lives not working. Successful people know that they
cannot afford that luxury.
Past and Future
Try this experiment: Take a comfortable, seated position and look down at
the floor; then, without changing position, take the next five minutes to think
about your life. Anything and everything, whatever that means to you, just
think about your life.
Go ahead and do that now ...