I once heard Brian Tracy said that the number one reason for the failure of most people is fuzzy goals.
If
you think about it, fuzzy aim is incoherent and as such will logically lead to an
ineffectual end.
Because
clarity is sine qua non to living an extra-ordinary life, I want to share with
you an interesting poem by the prolific English poet, Edgar Albert Guest which
he titled, “Equipment.” This, I hope will
help you—like many greats—make a better decision in an important area of your
life.
Clarity
is perhaps the most important tool for greatness in all walks of life.
Here
it goes:
Figure
it out for yourself, my lad,
You’ve
all that the greatest of men have had,
Two
arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And
a brain to use if you would be wise.
With
this equipment they all began,
Do
start from the top and say, “I can.”
Look
them over, the wise and the great,
They
take their food from a common plate,
And
similar knives and forks they use,
With
similar laces they tie their shoes,
The
world considers them brave and smart,
But
you’ve all they had when they made their start.
You
can triumph and come to skill.
You
can be great if you only will.
You’re
well equipped for what fight you choose,
You
have arms and legs and a brain to use,
And
the man who has risen great deeds to do,
Began
his life with no more than you.
You
are the handicap you must face,
You
are the one who must choose his place,
You
must say where you want to go,
How
much you will study, the truth to know,
God
has equipped you for life, but He
Lets
you decide what you want to be.
Courage
must come from the soul within,
The
man must furnish the will to win.
So
figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You
were born with all that the great have had,
With
your equipment they all began.
Get
hold of yourself, and say: “I can.”
DECIDE NOW
The parts I want to stress in that beautiful poem
are: “You’re well equipped for what fight
you choose.” But, “You are the one who must choose his place.” Still, “You must
say where you want to go.” Now with absolute clarity, “Figure it out for
yourself, my lad.”
And
Benjamin Stein, the American lawyer and writer, agreed firmly when he said:
"The
indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want."
However,
know thyself enough to allow yourself to want what you truly want; that is, what
you are zealous about; and what taps your innate characteristics.
This is the
key indicator of the kind of fight you can win and sustain for life. Any other
choice may lead to an enormous loss to you and the world, as American artist
and poet, Kurt Cobain wisely asserted that: “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are.”
Imagine if Bill Gates had pursued
lecturing instead of what he actually did with computer and if Steve Jobs had
left Silicon Valley for something else; the loss would have been an immense
waste of who they truly are.
Finally, in your decision process, please
keep this powerful question, written by the notable British author and entrepreneur, Richard
Koch , at front, center and the back of your mind until you are crystal clear
of your great hunt. He says:
“What could you achieve that would
make you proud, that no one else could do with the same ease?”
If you can keep that in mind, then you
can win the first important battle that is lost by most; the primal battle of
clear-cut and appropriate decision for your chief aim in life.
