As you set goals for 2012, this is an appropriate perspective from the late Jim Rohn for you to consider. This is from his book “The Season of Life.”
“As I read and ponder and speculate upon people, their deeds and their destiny, I become more deeply convinced that it is our natural destiny to grow, to succeed, to prosper, and to find happiness while we’re here.
In a nation where opportunity abounds, it is within the reach of any human to find within his or her own life a personal realization of the very best of all that exists, including personal wealth. Contrary to the teachings of some religions, wealth is not evil-poverty is evil. For poverty (except in extreme exceptions)represses individuals, or groups of individuals who elected not to use their individual talents. They chose, rather, to allow those who have discovered and used their talents, to take care of them.
I am aware that it is said of those with divine authority that “the meek shall inherit the earth,” but where does it also say that in order to be “meek” you must also be poor? That is total folly…that is a gross form of rationalization used by the lazy to justify their voluntary lack of human progress. And by lazy I clearly include those who give up in the face of difficulty-even severe difficulty: those who make less than a total commitment to any cause, calling or occupation-and I most definitely include those who never eventry to advance their situation in life through effort.
Imagine Washington deciding not to try because it was bad across the Delaware. Imagine Lincoln giving up because he was embarrassed as a soldier, failed as a businessman, or was soundly defeated in the polls by his peers. Imagine John F. Kennedy deciding not to go to the moon-to make America first, both in our eyes as well as in the eyes of the world. And imagine a worldwithout the contributions of these and other great men who overcame adversity with talent, desire, and total determination to leave behind a world slightly better than they found it.
In the event that I have failed to make my point, let it be known here and now that God, or whatever power is behind our existence, did not intend for us to fail, or wallow in poverty, self-pity, self-martyrdom, or mediocrity in any form. Such is not the grand design for man. He is blessed with all those raw materials necessary for progress, such as imagination, ideas, inspiration, and undeveloped intellectual capacity…and that capacity is totally without limitation. The only limitation placed on our abilities is our inability to easily recognize our unlimited nature.
It takes effort to become aware of our staggering and limitless abilities. It takes effort to become enthusiastic over a cause, or an occupation. It takes effort to continue when our results-as well as our friends-tell us to give up trying. It takes effort to feel right about everything that happens-the joy as well as the sorrows of life. And it also takes effort to learn to love ourselves above all others, especially when we are so consciously aware of our failures, doubts, and tragedies. It does not, however, take effort to fail. It requires little else than a slowly deteriorating attitude about our present, our future, and about ourselves. It’s ironic that one of the few things in this life that we have total control over is our own attitudes, and yet most of us live our entire life behaving as if we have no control whatsoever.
By our attitude, we decide to read, or not to read. By our attitude, we decide to try or to give up. By our attitude, we blame ourselves for our failure, or we foolishly blame others. Our attitude determines whether we love or we hate, tell the truth or lie, act or procrastinate, advance or recede, and by our own attitude we and we alone actually decide whether we succeed or fail.
How incredibly unique that a God who would create the complex and immense universe would create the human race and give to those humans the free choice that would permit them to select their own achievement or their own destruction.”
For 2012…select achievement.
