What a different story men would have to tell if only they would adopt a definite purpose, and stand by that purpose until it had time to become an all-consuming obsession!
Napolean Hill from the book Think and Grow Rich
I’m reading the book again. For the fourth time. This quote is from chapter 1 titled, “Thoughts are Things.” And, it got me thinking; thinking hard.
Looking back on my life I see times when I had a definite purpose. But!
That awful word “BUT.” The “but word” got me. Or should I say, I let the “but word” get me.
I let obstacles stop me. I let the negative input of others slow me down, wear on me, stop my forward motion.
I let the dream stealers get to me. I let them stop me before I could reach that white hot passion required for any successful long term endeavor.
But, that was before. I’ve changed. Now that I’m older, I’m a lot less suseptible to the negative inputs. I hear them, but they don’t have as much power anymore. They don’t have the control they once did. I no longer give them the power I once did.
Oh, how my story would have been different had I adopted a definite purpose and then backed it up with a driving obsession.
By the way, one of my passions, my definite purpose at one time was to become a professional ice hockey player. I loved the game and I was quite good at it. But, I let the dream stealers get to me. I let my obsession for the game wane. I’m not sure I’ve ever really gotten over it …
But, there’s still time. I can still do it. There’s always time to set new goals, new sights – a new definite purpose. Then go after it with everything I’ve got. Why not? Why not get in the game and play hard? Why not pick a game and then play it like your life depended on it? Sounds like a great way to live. Passionate about something; driven about something; excited about something.
Beats the alternative.
Beats the boring – none purpose driven – life I used to lead when I had a JOB. Course that was my choice. But, it’s a classic example of a bad choice. I chose to be a cow; feeding from the trough. Show up for work every day, do what the boss told me to do – no matter how meaningless an un-useful – get paid, go home and feel miserable because I wasn’t pursuing my passions.
I was hitched to somebody else’s wagon, not my own. I was being carted around. Helping someone else achieve their dreams and goals; their definite purpose. Not exciting and not fulfilling.
How would your story be different? Are you developing a white hot passion for your definate purpose?