I was thinking of a track and field race the other day when I was encouraged with the following stream of thought. You know what I mean a race where the stands are filled with people and a group of individuals approach the starting blocks to launch into an explosion of energy and compete against each other. The great thing about a race like this is the reality of each individual that they have spent thousands of hours training for a race that usually only lasts moments. Imagine all that effort and the pressure to come in first so that you may prove the time invested is worthy of a rewarding outcome. Imagine even more the dreaded fear that comes with the possibility that after all of that hard work, training and people who believed in you that you may not do well!
The Pressure to perform is at an all time high just as you approach the blocks and the gun is fired! How different is this from life? We spend our formative years learning what is expected of us, creating a mental image of who we are to become and then follow all the steps we are told will make us the person we should be and then off to College for an intermediary between growing up and being on your own. College years are the years in every ones life where we make choices to conform, not conform, apply ourselves, not apply ourselves, dream big, not dream at all... These are the years that everyone faces at 18-24 years old when we are setting patterns for who we will become. The real question during these years is not "who should we be?" as much as "who are we?"
I love the speech that Steve Jobs gave at Stanford's 2005 graduation ceremony where he looked upon a group of 22-24 year old's and told them that the greatest gift he could give them was to let them know that they were going to die someday. This sounds like quite a morbid thought for a college graduation ceremony, doesn't it?
Actually if the message was heard it was the greatest liberation they could have had bestowed upon them by a man who had run the rat race and by many standards had won big!! The greatest part of his story if you have read the new book on Steve Jobs was how many of his decisions would be deemed inappropriate or not fitting the "Standard" of what society expects. I heard a quote recently by Mignon McLaughlin that read like this "Every Society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers" In observing Steve's life story it is easy to see how he certainly had some troublemaker in him, a great lack of conformity but still a complete awareness of the race he was in. Yes I started with the analogy of a race because whatever we put our hearts desires to becomes a race or a contest to achieve it. Run it slow, run it fast, refuse to run it at all but it still exists and its up to us to choose the way we want to use the talents we have been given.
Imagine for a moment if you are standing in those blocks and you are feeling that pressure to become who you were destined to be.
Are you a winner?
Are you OK with just placing as long as you are not out of the medals? Is good enough good enough?
Are you so trodden down with what you have experienced in life so far that to complete the race alone sounds like a monumental task?
Here is the thought that was presented to me in the form of a question; Which comes first, The START or the FINISH? The question seems simple enough, right? I mean after all lets look at the race and it is obvious that the Start always precedes the Finish and that is why they call it the START!
BUT
The true answer lies within our desired out come for the competition we are entering. The reality is that those who win see the win before they ever enter the race. They have played out every step and drop of sweat in their mind over and over and over. They can feel the exertion of energy from each muscle as it struggles at each turn to win the competition they set their eyes upon. They feel the reward of the trophy being placed in their hands and standing on the highest riser to receive the medal they deserve. They can hear the crowd roar with applause and praise for a job well done and ALL of this they have been through before they ever approach the starting blocks of the race. So I ask again which comes first the Start or the Finish?
If you want to accomplish your desired goals you must be able to see the finish before you begin the race. The biggest challenge returns to Steve Jobs commencement speech in which he reminded us that one day we will stare death in the face and all of the baggage we were either given or picked up along the way in life's journey will not matter at all. All that will count will be our freedom to see the very best for ourselves regardless of what we have heard from others about our chances. Regardless of what struggles we have had. All that matters is our truest belief in ourselves to be unrestricted by the expectations of others and driven by the expectations and beliefs in ourselves.
Can you see you winning?
Do you see the finish and the outcome before you begin?
Or are you still dwelling on who you are supposed to be and the things you were taught which are preventing you from finding out who you really are and having the unadulterated freedom to chase it with all of your spirit! Wayne Dwyer has said many times "Do not die with your music still in you" This quote is one of my favorites because it drives us to consider the gifts we have been given and the way in which we are CHOOSING to use them.
A few simple steps to success today;
Realize your Gifts and Talents
Have Dreams and Goals
Be free enough to let go of the past and chase the you of the future
Be willing to be diligent in creating the Dreams you have
Be Caring enough to help those around you do the same thing
These 5 things executed will give you anything your heart desires!!
