Life happens
to be a marathon although many of us see utter urgency in everything we
do. We see a weight loss goal in January
that needs to be seen through by May. We
open a business or work with a company we believe in and contemplate that we
should be millionaires overnight. We
draw off ideas of others and ponder that we can absolutely do it better
immediately. We become protective or
defensive of our vision because we think our effort has been paramount and must
deserve results.
Let me ask
you a question. I am going to set up an
automobile race and the winner is “amazing”.
There will be two cars involved.
The first car is a 1967 Chevy Camaro in perfect condition. The second car is a 2014 Toyota Camry. Visually circle your choice below:
1967 Chevy Camaro 2014 Toyota Camry
90% of
people will circle the first car. The
1967 Chevy Camaro. That would be great
except for that I did not tell you how the long the race will be. The race is from NJ to California. The Camaro gets 12 Miles per gallon. The Camry gets 42 on the highway. Pretty much no speed that can be counted on
for long periods of time could beat a car that has to stop 1 time for every 3
times you have to stop in your muscle car.
There are 2
lessons learned here. The first is to
always evaluate how realistic your goals are and how to attain them, before
starting a journey. The second lesson is
not to make emotional decisions and select ego and bright lights impulsively over something that
is newer, evolving, and more consistent in its approach.
Whether it
is a fitness goal, a nutrition goal, a financial decision, a business angle, or
a personal decision, educate yourself.
When you think you made the right call, find people around you who you
believe have expertise in these areas.
Find ways to help them and allow them to help you. The moment you believe you are perfect is
exactly when you or your decision will start to unravel. Be careful of who you consult as well,
because “degrees” cannot buy experience.
Empires
crumble because those who lead them believe their leadership is wiser and
better than the people they serve on any level.
The more you overvalue what your worth is, the cheaper you become. The more generous you are to the world, the
more gracious the world will be to you.
Be wise, be patient, be careful, be courageous! Win the race!
