Advice from a Guy Who Changed the World
Who do you go around quoting in your daily conversation? The newscasters? Somebody on this month’s top reality show? Or your brother-in-law, who has never achieved anything in his entire life?
Or do you find and remember quotes from high achievers, the people who set tasks for themselves, then follow through and get it done?
Do you spend your time trying to be like some bubble-head on the latest situation comedy show? Or do you fill your mind with more lasting thoughts from someone who has seized life and caused it to swerve in the direction they wanted to go?
This week’s guest writer Ariadne Roxas has something to say about how we fill our minds. In fact, you are herewith invited to take a closer look at…
Old Henry
By Ariadne Roxas
Aside from taking his place in history as an industrial titan, Henry Ford left a lot of inspiring quotes, as well as an enduring legacy.
“It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.”
“There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.”
We all have dreams and plans for what we want in life, and how we want ours to turn out, but not all of us are putting ourselves out there – working and hustling to make our plans bear fruit, or turn our dreams into reality. I know this. You know this. Doubtless we’ve all had grand plans that we drew up, all excited and eager, only to have them quietly die on paper, stillborn.
It goes like this: we’re intelligent enough and glib enough to come up with at least 3 reasons off-the-cuff on why it:
- never happened,
- would never have worked out, and/or
- was doomed to fail.
We ‘re crazy-smart that way.
But here are the reasons why you let your great plans wither on the vine:
- the dream didn’t really mean anything to you because
- it wasn’t what you really wanted,
- you just want it to stay a dream, because planning is more fun. (And when somebody asks, you can always say you’re still working out the kinks.)
- you don’t want to do what it takes to make it come true, or
- you were to afraid of what would happen if it did come true, if you did make it happen. That would prove that you would be responsible for making your dreams come true oh-my-lord-nooooo—
The saddest part in this mess is that we only learn in hindsight. This literal looking-back shows us in stark detail that what we feared was nothing to be afraid of. Afraid of what-might-happen, we turned what-could-happen into what-would-happen, so we let the dream go. We just blew the fear up in our heads until it blotted out the dream.
Henry had something to say about that.
“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”
~ Henry Ford
Many of us will be content to keep the status quo, afraid to rock the boat because, “Hey, dangerous times, right? We can start making changes when it’s more stable. There’s always tomorrow…” We bank on the potential rather than test ourselves, and probably fail. And you know what’s really ironic?
Potential – Currently unfulfilled capacity to improve, develop, and achieve impressive feats. From the Latin for “power”, potentia.
We’d rather rest on the untested, the unfulfilled, than try and see what we’re really made of.
Shel Silverstein gave us a perfect rebuttal to this attitude:
“All The Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas Layin’ In The Sun,
Talkin’ ‘Bout The Things They Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda Done…
But All Those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas All Ran Away And Hid
From One Little Did.”
Far too many will die without ever really pushing their potential into full bloom. Not all of us will have lived the lives we dreamed of, or be the people we wanted to be, and at the end will be haunted by thoughts of how we let small things stop us from being fully engaged to making our dreams and passions count. To make sure that our being here meant something.
But you have the choice, the chance, to change things. You have the potential. You have the power to act, and to fulfill your dreams. The choice, and the commitment is yours to make. You have only to act.
“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.”
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Back to Charles:
When’s the last time you visited a website that specializes in quotes? Here’s a starter list, but you can find lots more with a simple search at Google or Yahoo.
- www.brainyquote.com
- www.quotegarden.com
- www.quotationspage.com
- www.wisdomquotes.com
- www.quoteland.com
- www.thinkexist.com
- www.coolquotes.com
- en.wikiquote.org
- www.great-quotes.com
- www.coolnsmart.com
- www.quotemountain.com
- www.quotesdaddy.com
A good selection of quotes can give you nearly endless material for thinking, exploring and meditating.
Another good place to seek great material for filling your mind is www.Gutenberg.org. You’ll find classic books of all kinds that are no longer in print, but which were written by the masters of their day. These books still contain tremendous wisdom.
Filling your mind with strong, self-reliant thoughts has the potential for changing your entire life. Go give it a try. See if you don’t enjoy the process. A lot.
Cheers from warm and smiling Thailand,
Charles
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And besides, making the leap is just a LOT more fun!
Rich stuff! And a GREAT list of sources for quotes, Charles!
My personal favorite and one that I continue to work on, “I’ll be happy when…”
Oh, the time I’ve wasted and lost being stuck on this point. But you know, the Universe keeps sending me little clues and reminders letting me know that, “This is a GREAT starting point. Why don’t you WRITE OUT that perfect day!”
For the past few days, almost every thread I read in one of my favorite forums talked about this. During pillow talk, my wife encourages me to think MORE about the fun times we can share, and let go of the daily cares of kids and other craziness that infects our lives.
Hint, hint, hint. OK, Russy is a little slow sometimes.
So when you find yourself pissing and moaning, “I’ll be happy when…” as I do far more often than I should, take up the challenge. Use THIS as a starting point to write out that perfectly happy day. As you write, step into the moment and really FEEL it as if it’s happening NOW (because when you do that it really WILL be happening now!)
The Bible says, “”But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
And what is that ‘kingdom’ other than the state of happiness? It’s a Universal Law that like attracts like; you have to first BE happy in order to attract MORE of which will make you happy. “…all these things will be given to you as well.” Seems to be the perfect injection for life’s infections!
Oohh, there’s an article idea if I ever saw one!
All the best from Toronto,
Russ