Eject Eject!

Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a type of death. -Anais Nin (1903-1977), French author.

GOLDEN

So what does it really mean to be three feet from gold and miss it. How does that happen? I suppose we could always revisit the story of the Darby brothers as told be Napoleon Hill. How they followed a string of gold in a mine until it suddenly ran out and they sold the property only to find that the new owner with some simple assistance from the right engineer struck riches!

So what’s the real lesson here? People just give up too soon, they quit too early and often. We all know the feeling especially as we look back in the rear view mirror and wonder why we just didn’t stick it out longer. Unfortunately we seem to realize it only after someone else has realized our dreams. Perhaps even worse is that we feel contempt for people like that. We make every excuse we can fabricate to explain away why circumstances were against us and for them.

LADY LUCK

Now certainly timing and luck do seem to play significant roles, but doesn’t it make sense that those who persevere seem to have more luck and better timing. It’s really true with most things in life…the more we do them, the better we get. More importantly, consistent doing of the “thing” brings more tiny distinctions to light that lead to clear advantages and perhaps tilt the scale of lady luck in our favor.

So the real tragedy is that most people never get to the point where they realize those distinctions, because they come with a price. Sure we’re willing to pay big bucks to enter the arena to see the best of the best do their thing for an hour or so and then retreat to our own worlds and marvel over the God given abilities of peak performers and how they are just naturals! For a short time it seems to be the right medicine to make us forget our own shortcomings, but eventually it catches up with us. Somewhere deep inside it really hurts when we realize that we have never really put up a good fight!

RESIST

So what to do; well simple really. First we must figure out what our dreams are, not somebody elses’ that we perceive to be so wonderful. The biggest life throwaway would be to travel a path that we have zero interest in or any natural inclination to follow. Be bold and choose your heart’s desire. Endeavor to chase your dream. Then make a pact with yourself to do whatever it will take and however long it might be; even if it takes your entire life time.

Have faith and take comfort in the fact that pursuing what’s important to you will come with struggle no matter what the arena. Challenges and obstacles are there to build your strength and character. A battered and weathered spirit is a prerequisite for success. Success is a private concept that we feel as happiness and is only truly measured internally when we know we are after the right goal for us. So the next time you feel panicked and the call is to eject, course correct, run away…resist and move forward, for it’s in that moment when perhaps your gold is only feet away!

Tags: Anais Nin, Inspiration, Motivation, Napoleon Hill, Self Improvement