“It's nice to be the best, but not
when being the best brings out the worst in you.” Rodney
Dangerfield
If you find honey, eat just enough-too
much of it, and you will vomit. Proverbs 25:16
Intemperate: “having or showing a
lack of self control” New Oxford American Dictionary
In 2007, Scotts, the large manufacturer
of gardening products, sued a small company name TerraCycle, because
its packaging was too similar to their Miracle-Gro brands packaging.
You may think that such a large company could destroy a small
startup, but that was not the case. According to Tom Szaky, one of
the founders of TerraCycle, it was “the best thing that ever
happened to [them].” The suit against TerraCycle meant their name
appeared all over the news, and when word got out about TerraCycle's
high quality products and responsible manufacturing processes, their
sales went up 122 percent, leading to company growth and new product
lines. Admittedly, I don't know all the
details of this case. And I don't want to wrongly accuse Scotts of
any injustice. However, it goes to show that, sometimes being too
big and too successful can lead to downfall. We've all seen large companies try to protect their brands
by attempting to damage new companies or other brands. However, in
most cases, people see through their schemes to
maintain power, reject it and reject them. In the pursuit of our
dreams, let's remember to be temperate in our success. Success at
the detriment of others is no success at all. When we were kids our
moms always taught us to share, right? And guess what sharing did?
It taught us to play fairly and with others. And through sharing our
toys, other kids were more likely to share theirs. The result was,
more friends to play with, and more toys too. Success is no
different. Success, like a toy, is a blessing. It's not the result
of our efforts solely. It's a blessing too, and blessings are meant
to be shared. Otherwise they can turn into curses faster than any of
us want to think. So let's protect or investments, belongings, and
blessings against theft, but use discernment in doing so. After all,
if those of us who possess many blessings were more willing to share
them, I wonder if the rate of theft would decline?
Daily Journaling Questions:
- How did I help someone in kindness today?
- What did I learn today?
- What am I thankful for?
- Who did I love today?
- What am I dreaming of?
- What about today do I want to remember?
- What are my goals for tomorrow?
Thanks for reading.
Jake
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