The M.O.S.T. Program Seminar is a revelation in the area of personal development, peak performance, wealth attainment, and success conditioning.  It came into being through a profound and working knowledge of systems theory.  This is what truly distinguishes it from other similarly-styled programs.  Now, I’m not saying that you should toss all the other programs and seminars out there in the rubbish bin and that their philosophies and techniques are old, outmoded, outdated, overblown, overpriced, overwrought and  overcooked. There’s a lot of good stuff out there, taught by some extra-ordinary teachers who walk their talk and talk their walk, and I’m the first to say that there’s something to be gained from attending just about anything out there at any moment.

What I began to notice was that, after all the literally billions of dollars spent over all these years on programs that promise to reveal the true and hidden secret(s) of success; all the tens and tens of thousands of people over the years who’ve attended these programs, why so few have been able to achieve their dreams.  Now, I’m not putting the blame squarely on anyone’s shoulders here.  There are a plethora of inter-related, interdependent factors at work  constantly that determine, at any given moment in time, the level of success one is able to achieve.  And even that level is purely subjective, based largely on the definition of success that a person adheres to at that moment which, as we know, is subject to constant revision and fluctuation.  And there-in lies the heart of the matter.

Systems thinking is a pretty new way of thinking.  It’s a special language, not unique among systems thinkers, but among those who consciously and purposely use the maxims, axioms, and approaches of systems thinking deliberately in their work, decisions, goal-setting and strategic initiatives.

Systems theory was first proposed in the 1940’s by biologist Ludwig Von Bertalanfry.  His theory maintained that real systems are open and interact with their environments; they can and do acquire new properties through something called ’emergence’, which we will talk about later.  This emergence results, more often than not, in continuing evolution and upgrading.

We have at our disposal various methods of inquiry, of analysis, of figuring out how things work.  Children love to take things apart in an infantile attempt to understand the workings of something.  They think that by attempting to understand the parts, they’ll be able to understand the whole.  Trust me, you don’t have to be a child to depend on this strategy.  Hopefully, at some point or another, we grow out of it, if we really want to understand the workings of the world, including ourselves!

Common analysis, as described above, may provide answers as to HOW something works, but not WHY they work the way that they do!  Common analysis loses essential properties, because properties derive from and out of the interaction of a system’s parts, not the actions of it’s parts taken separately.  Essential properties, and/or behaviors of systems cannot be divided into independent parts; they can only be fully understand, and capitalized, only with an understanding of how the parts function within the whole, not by taking them apart.  This is called The Barbie Syndrome.  Parts sold separately!  A system is not the sum of it’s parts-it’s the product of their interaction!  The essential, or defining parts of a system are properties of the whole, which none of the parts have alone.

Earlier, we mentioned the property of emergence.  Here’s the definition: from the mutual interaction of the parts of a system, there are characteristics which cannot be found as characteristic of any of it’s parts taken alone.  Take water, for example.  A property of water that everyone has undoubtedly experienced at one time or another, is wetness.  But you’ll never discover that particular property by studying hydrogen and oxygen apart from each other, in isolation.  Wetness is therefore an emergent property of the mutual interaction of hydrogen and oxygen.  Do you see the implications of an understanding of this concept in relation to the quest for success?  This is why the Plus Ultra System, unique to the M.O.S.T. program, is founded on systems theory and the principles of emergence, or synergy.  The whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts.  Plus Ultra is a matrix of interdependent, mutually-enhancing factors, grouped in seven modules, that taken together, give the true formula for success!

What is a system?

A system is an entity which maintains it’s existence through, and this is important, the mutual interaction of it’s parts.  Something occurs between the parts, which results in either it’s continuing existence or evolution, or it’s gradual (sometimes not so gradual) degradation and ultimate destruction, extinction or, at the very least, compromising it’s utility in the larger sphere of things…getting pecked out of it’s evolutionary niche, sort of speak.

From a systems perspective, the key is mutual interactivity.  Something occurs between the parts that maintains the system.  This definition implies something beyond linear cause and effect, which is not to be confused with correlation, something we will discuss on another page.  A doesn’t just affect B.  B affects A, etc.  This works from the level of the atom to the level of Universe, and everything in between.

In the study of systems, we talk about open and closed systems.  There are systems which do not need to interact with their environments.  Others, by their very nature, must, to maintain their very existence.

Systems theory is about how things work.  In systems work, we go beyond events, and look for patterns, seeking underlying systemic inter-relationships that are responsible for the events we see, and, more often than not, believe exist in isolation to other events and underlying systemic relationships.  We go beyond linear cause and effect, in order to create positive, evolutionary and optimal changes within the system.

So, systems thinking is a way of understanding reality that emphasizes the relationships among the systems’ parts, rather than the part’s themselves.  In common, everyday analysis, a problem is broken down in smaller pieces to simplify the solution.  See Occham’s Razor.  The problem is that in a more complex system, like us, for example, this type of breaking something down to examine it in smaller and smaller parts, in isolation…something gets lost.  A lot gets lost.  Usually the optimal solution.  In the real world this has very serious ramifications, such as in symptom-targeted health care.

Systems Structure

The structure is that of a group of inter-related, interacting, interdependent parts that together, form a complex, unified whole.  It’s worth repeating:  a system is an entity which maintains it’s existence through the mutual interaction of it’s parts; a collection of elements or parts, or components that are organized for a common purpose.  Like success, for example.  Starting to get this?  A system is a way to see the world as a complex system in which everything is connected.  What does this all mean in terms of achieving maximal, optimal success?  The answer is everything!

Systems consist of inputs, outputs, processes, feedback systems.  It is said that all parts, or components of a system must be ‘available’ to carry out it’s purpose optimally.  Systems theory is based on a profound understanding of how things influence one another within a whole, or larger system.  The defining characteristic of a system in the interaction of it’s parts, not taking the parts in isolation to one another.

The M.O.S.T. System is based on a profound understanding of systems theory.  I’m hoping that you’re beginning to appreciate why this understanding is essential in the process of  positive action goal-setting, informed decision-making, and the design of optimized success strategies.