The Ouk-rra-i-nah Story by Warren Metzler Table of Contents
7. No guarantees in life
Then the following thoughts appeared: An agreement of exclusivity was really a form of a guarantee. It is an attempt to ensure future problems don’t occur. No guarantee tells you what destination to pursue, nor what actions to take, nor on what aspects to focus, which are the only three phenomena that direct any one project toward success. Hence, in regard to what leads to success, a guarantee is worthless.
I’ll expand. In this project, my destination was importing vodka into the US. I also had to take many actions; examples being to obtain an importer’s permit, send the purchase price to the Zhitomir factory, establish a contract with the Zhitomir factory, arrange for the container to be shipped to California, visit retail establishments to sell the product after it arrived, obtain invoices with which to write up my orders, and arrange for a warehouse in which to store the vodka once it arrived in Los Angeles. And as the process unfolds I had to focus on certain aspects; examples being ensuring I act in a proper manner, that I communicate my views clearly, and that I hear all that others present to me. No guarantee, including having exclusive import rights, is involved in anything I’ve mentioned in this paragraph. Each guarantee is just an attempt to eliminate certain potential future problems.
Now some clarity began to appear in my mind. I remembered that years prior I had discovered and implemented the following principle, never pursue or accept a guarantee. But before I describe how I developed that principle, I need to describe my view of a principle.
In every activity of each day, every single human being follows certain directives; as in she uses certain directives to determine how to process that activity: which destination to pursue, what actions to take, on what to focus, and at what point to conclude the activity is over. I propose that all the directives humans follow can be placed into one of four categories, each of these four categories being defined by a certain level of reliability. Here’s a description of each one:
(i) Guideline. Each guideline moves you in a specific direction; but could lead to failure or success, so possesses minimal reliability. An example is “make sure you earn a living”.
(ii) Rule. Each rule guides you in a particular direction; one that ensures the final outcome will be viable, but provides no assuredness any quality will appear during the process. (Each quality is a moment of pleasure.) So each rule offers a fair degree of reliability. An example is, “don’t lie”.
(iii) Standard. Each standard directs you in a certain direction, one that certifies you eventually arrive at a successful outcome that contains qualities (you have several moments of pleasure as the process unfolds). These provide a considerable degree of reliability. An example is “when you work do your best to be productive”. (To be productive is to produce a viable result effectively and efficiently).
(iv) Principle. Each principle instructs you to take a set direction, a direction that ALWAYS leads you toward the optimal outcome for that activity.
(An optimal outcome is one that contains an excellent result, and each participant thoroughly enjoying that process. Be advised, there is one —AND ONLY ONE— optimal result for each activity humans do; the identical outcome for every human who does that activity.)
Since each principle leads you to the optimal outcome for some (or many) activity, each one offers total reliability. An example is “always pursue resolution each time you and another person disagree”.
(Each resolution process involves dialoguing until you and the other person are both clear about each other’s view; and then continuing until neither of you can think of anything relevant to add to the issue you’re discussing.)
That defines how I perceive a principle. Now to describe how I developed the principle “never pursue or accept a guarantee”.
Over a many-year process I learned that no guarantee actually exists. Yes, there are papers on which guarantees are written. But no guarantee ever actually provides protection from a future problem, if that predicted problem does appear. Whenever a problem appears, if you attempt to use a guarantee to solve that problem, worse problems will soon manifest. I propose it always works this way, even though most people ignore this phenomenon.
I also learned that each limitation (think problems) I experience, or any other person experiences, can be converted into a benefit if it is properly processed. Because every limitation experienced by a human was sent by God as discipline, and all His acts of discipline are designed to take a person to a glorious outcome.
I, often without realizing it, avoid a development opportunity (avoid a situation in which my personal development would increase if I processed it optimally). And since God wants me to take advantage of each such opportunity He sends me a limitation(s); which is always a message: “Wake up here Warren, you’ve been missing a great opportunity, get out and there and start looking.” Each time I heed the message and begin to seek a new opportunity, I soon find one. And after I’ve mastered that opportunity, God removes my limitation and my life improves. Further, any discomforts I experienced, money I spent, or inconvenience I suffered as a result of processing that limitation(s), I soon recognize was a reasonable tuition fee for me to pay to arrive at the increased quality I now have in my life. Once I realized all I described in this paragraph, I never again attempted to protect myself from a future problem.
To summarize: At some point in the past I learned that guarantees don’t actually work, and also learned that all limitations lead to future successes if properly processed. And once I learned this information, I committed myself to never again pursuing or accepting a guarantee.
As I sat there in the director’s office, contemplating the unavailability of an exclusive import agreement, and then realized my desire for such rights was a desire for a guarantee, I immediately knew I could not continue to press for such action. I had to continue the project without import rights. I was sure God had set me up in this project, and sure he would have it turn out for the best.
If at some time in the future, the company so appreciates my results and efforts that they offer me exclusive rights for the US, I will accept them. But I will not seek for nor require exclusive rights to begin to import that company’s vodka to the US. At the first break in the conversation between Mr. Gertz and Igor I described my new position to Igor, and asked he inform Mr. Gertz, which he did.