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Do you remember a time when you had a
big and lofty dream? Maybe you wanted to be a movie
star in art house films, an organ transplant doctor,
or a world-class triathlete. Perhaps you dreamed
of crossing the ocean in a sailboat or chiseling sculpture
out of mountain rock. As a youngster, you may have worked
hard toward achieving that dream. You talked about it
with your every acquaintance and most distant relation
whenever you had the opportunity. But slowly you drifted
away from your heart's desire. What happened?
The answer is easy: You got distracted! You got confused.
Your friends enticed you into joining their parade.
You were no longer in rhythm with who you are.
The law of momentum in physics says that a body in motion
tends to remain in motion until an outside force acts
upon it. Distractions. Your friends or family members
acted upon you by overtly discouraging you, or by encouraging
you to follow a more "sensible" path. So you
stopped practicing, stopped studying, stopped working
toward your highest ambition. All those distractions
and "sensible" decisions competed for your
attention. Your grand dream gradually became just a
footnote in the history of your life.
Have you ever heard the truism that says "used to bees make no honey"? Do
you know people who are always talking about what they
used to do?
They usually say, “Someday I will pick it up again.”
But that's a weak excuse for avoiding the risk of living
your dream. The time is now! When you have a worthy
goal—something that is worth going after, you have to
apply the law of critical success to your life. This
law says that you should always be doing something that
moves you closer to your goal. Question: What are you
doing today that is drawing you a little bit nearer
to accomplishing your dream?
Shakespeare wrote, “This above all, to thine own self
be true.” Bravo, Mr. Shakespeare! Being true to yourself
means that you do what matters most to you, regardless
of what else is competing for your time. Our deeds and
achievements are the only yardsticks we can use to measure
our integrity, and the only evidence we can use to judge
whether we have been true to our selves.
From now on, why not put the law of momentum into action?
It is said that motion creates emotion. When you take
action toward that which you most desire, your self-confidence
will soar. Distractions shift you off-course or slow
you down; actions accelerate you forward along your
chosen course. Every action strengthens you to take
another. You will become unstoppable! You will liberate
yourself from guilt and self-pity. You will become the
envy of the world. Many people never commit to anything.
They have interests and hobbies, but no passion or driving
ambition. I believe that you are one of those people
who can commit;
otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article.
Life is like a bicycle. The moment we stop pedaling,
we start losing momentum. If we coast for too long,
we fall. Resolve to press on in spite of all your distractions.
Here is what you can do to get whatever you want in
life: First, identify your distractions and move away
from them. By doing so, you will become effective rather
than merely efficient. Being effective means doing the
right things, while being efficient means doing things
right. It's nice to be efficient, but it doesn't do
you any good if you're not doing the things that will
move you toward your dream. Focus first on being effective;
let efficiency come as it may.
Second, write the word MOMENTUM in big letters and hang
it somewhere that you will see it often. Do something
daily that will bring you closer to your goal.
Third, make a public commitment by asking your friends—those
who are positive and encouraging—to hold you accountable.
Talk about your dream with them to begin edging it into
the world. Speak of it as something that you are
doing, not something that you think
about doing.
Finally, learn all you can about the lore of your passion.
If you are not, at the least, more knowledgeable than
the average person about the subject of your dream,
you are fooling somebody—yourself.
So, my friend, live your finest ambition. Do it because
you must. You probably won’t find any help when you
begin. You will, however, get all the help you want
when you are already there. So be true to thine own
self. Honesty is the iron string that vibrates within
every heart. Let results be the measure of your integrity.
Work hard at it. Do more than is expected, more than
is common. Keep the momentum going!
I
wish you incredible success!
Rene Godefroy
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