Get Clear

 

“It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.”_Jim Rohn

                       

Brian Tracy, the prolific author of self-improvement books once said that the number one reason for the failure of most people is fuzzy goals.

 

If you think about it, you will realize how accurate he is. Because fuzzy aim is indecisive, incoherent and weak, and as such, it will ultimately lead to an ineffectual end. Clarity is sine-qua-non to living a truly extra-ordinary life.

Now, let me 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.

 

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

Let’s 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.”

 

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." 

In a nutshell, get clear on what you truly want and then persevere until the end.