“Study while others are sleeping;
Work while others are loafing;
Prepare while others are playing;
and Dream while others are wishing.”
-William A. Ward
Take from this quote what you will at first; but this really speaks to the fact that success in any endeavour is nothing more than that little extra effort that 95% of the population is unwilling to give. Is your dream worth the struggle to victory?
The struggle does not feel worth it when we are immersed in the journey; be assured it will feel worth it when we take that last step to victory. It’s easy to look back on difficult situations we have faced in our life and whole-heartedly say, now afters years of growth, that that particular situation was very tough but we would not go back and change it for the world; for afterall, it carried us to where we are right now – which I hope you can be thankful for. However, when in the middle of that “sticky” moment, when we just want to throw in the towel, sit back and relax and just stop running, it is not so easy to see the “worth it now” feeling we will have in the years to come. The key to getting through these struggles and tough moments in life (rather than giving up and sacrificing our dreams) is to “Keep Stroking” or just don’t give up in other words.
First we are going to have to determine our dreams (use “goals” if dream is too much for you to handle…). What brings that tear to your eye? What makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up or what gives you goosebumps? What have you always hoped and wished for since you were a child? Maybe these questions are as tough for you to determine answers to as they were/are for me… so try: What would you do if you won the lottery, you have $1 Million and one week to spend it or it all goes back? It can’t all go to one place, you can’t save or invest it, you have to spend, spend, spend! Write the first five things that come to your mind down. (feel free to share in comments if you are comfortable!) Now think long and hard of the feeling you get picturing yourself in these moments. I don’t care if you are a 6’4” 250lb tough guy or busy mom running in ten directions, you’re feeling something. That is as long as you are human.
Second, make a plan of how to achieve these. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” (Orrin Woodward). Nothing great was ever achieved without a plan. Making this plan will not only provide us with the ground work for our journey, but also it will prove that our dreams are achievable and the only thing stopping it all from blossoming is ourselves.
There are tons and tons of amazing books that have been published in the last 100 years that deal with giving us a hand up in our journey to success. Perhaps it’s time to cut out 15 minutes of precious reality TV from our daily regime to develop a habit that will make all the difference when we sit back and reminisce two to five years from now and say “Those sure were some tough times, but I can tell you one thing, I am thankful now, I made the decisions I did sooner rather than later!”
Dream Big,
M
M
