Everyday
Somebody once asked the industrialist Walter
P. Chrysler why he was so successful. He replied, "My
success has been largely a matter of luck; but, I find that
the harder I work, the luckier I get."The most obvious
things in life don't come quickly to some. That's why they
are known as "late bloomers." But even for many high
achievers, the intuitive nature of what they do eludes them.
For instance today, I was walking in the park
and began thinking about why some people are very successful
at what they do. I began to picture artists, politicians, writers,
sports figures and others who excel.
My karate instructor is the best fighter I have
ever known. He teaches even professional athletes, like hockey
players, how to improve their physical and mental skills. He's
not rich or famous, but he can kick anybody's butt. He really
understands fighting and how it works because he studies it.
He not only studies it, he practices it. And he does both every
day.
In my early twenties, a boyhood friend mentioned
to me that he had a great concern about having financial security
for his future. He built a multi-million-dollar company and
retired at the age of 50. He wasn't lucky. In fact, his net
worth dropped by millions before he finally sold out. He just
worked hard at his goal every day, until it was achieved. He
didn't get side tracked. He didn't try lots of new things.
He simply focused on building security until it was a reality.
It may seem amazing that this most obvious of
principles is so difficult to grasp. Willie Sutton, the famous
bank robber of the early 20th century, was once asked why he
robbed banks. Willie's reply was, "Because that's where
the money is!"
The goals of your life aren't achieved by only
dreaming. Many people will tell you they are "writing" a
book, but when you ask how far they have gotten on it, they
say, "Well, I'm not actually writing. It's just an idea
I've had to write about for a long time."
My kids are very happy. Every day they set out
to play and have fun. They are very successful at it. In fact,
their mother and I spend lots of our time helping them enjoy
the achievement of this goal. This kind of support comes natural
because humans enjoy the success of others and gain hope from
it. That's why sports fans are so enthusiastic.
If you want to be a writer, you should write
something every day, even if it is a letter to someone. Job,
the Old Testament complainer, said, "Those things I have
feared worst, have come upon me." If you fear life, it
will overtake you. It's karma. That's how many people live
their lives. They wait for the worst to happen and eventually
it does. It is because achieving the worst becomes their goal.
If you want to succeed at something positive,
you must think about it, focus on it and practice every day
to accomplish it. The pianist Pataruski said, "If I go
one day without practicing, I notice it. If I go two days,
my critics notice. If I go three days, everybody notices."
Even if you don't end up rich and famous, you
can have a rewarding life. A life of achievement is simply
this: setting goals and achieving them. To achieve your goals
you must work on them every day. Only then will you experience
the fulfillment and joy of accomplishment. It is this joy that
makes life meaningful.
Many famous artists, business people, athletes
and civic leaders throughout history were miserable when they
weren't working. When they would experience temporary interruptions
in their ability to practice, many committed suicide or turned
to substance abuse to escape the pain of not being productive.
Notoriety and fortune were not even enough to sustain them.
You must pursue your dreams actively, every day.
To be physically fit, you must exercise every day. To accumulate
wealth, you must put a little away every day. It's the methodical
that wins the race.You must think about what you want and find
a way to accomplish a small part of it each day. If you want
to love your kids, you must make contact with them every day.
It doesn't matter where you are or whether you're with them.
You need to let them know you love them every day. Focus on
what you can do rather than on what is not possible.
Whatever goals you want to achieve, remember
this: every day, think about them; every day, work on them.
Little by little you will find that the fulfillment of accomplishing
them is as rewarding as the result itself. You will find this
to be true, every day.
Thomas Fee
tomfee@procentral.com
