Hannibal
There are always going to be people that will say it cannot be done. The naysayers, the disbelievers, the ones with no drive or ambition are the ones that try to dissuade others from accomplishing something special. There is society and life in general that seem to stand in the way of progress, possibility, logic even. Sometimes it may even seem like fate and the universe are against you, holding you back and subverting all you efforts. And for the pessimistic personalities, it could even be said that existence itself is against you. Well, sometimes that may seem very true.
But it doesn’t have to be. Finding a way to make the impossible possible is hard, extremely hard. Achievement takes original thinking, imagination, courage, resolve. I can’t really imagine what went through Hannibal’s mind when he realized that to keep Carthage free he had to defeat Rome. That would have been a tall order for anyone. Now I’ve never had to invade an ancient military superpower, but I’ve had some pretty difficult obstacles to overcome. Being completely broke, alone in a city with no friends and family, and yes, even homelessness. To say it was hard to come back from that is an understatement.
How hard is it to start over? I can tell you it was stressful, disheartening, and painful. However, as it turns out, starting over and making a new way was not as difficult as giving up would have been. I’m not one to quit, I don’t think I know how. It’s really just a matter of understanding what is really important, what really matters and what I really want. If you know those things, finding a way, or making a new way is not so impossible as you might think!
Myeccentrictees.com
There are always going to be people that will say it cannot be done. The naysayers, the disbelievers, the ones with no drive or ambition are the ones that try to dissuade others from accomplishing something special. There is society and life in general that seem to stand in the way of progress, possibility, logic even. Sometimes it may even seem like fate and the universe are against you, holding you back and subverting all you efforts. And for the pessimistic personalities, it could even be said that existence itself is against you. Well, sometimes that may seem very true.
But it doesn’t have to be. Finding a way to make the impossible possible is hard, extremely hard. Achievement takes original thinking, imagination, courage, resolve. I can’t really imagine what went through Hannibal’s mind when he realized that to keep Carthage free he had to defeat Rome. That would have been a tall order for anyone. Now I’ve never had to invade an ancient military superpower, but I’ve had some pretty difficult obstacles to overcome. Being completely broke, alone in a city with no friends and family, and yes, even homelessness. To say it was hard to come back from that is an understatement.
How hard is it to start over? I can tell you it was stressful, disheartening, and painful. However, as it turns out, starting over and making a new way was not as difficult as giving up would have been. I’m not one to quit, I don’t think I know how. It’s really just a matter of understanding what is really important, what really matters and what I really want. If you know those things, finding a way, or making a new way is not so impossible as you might think!
Myeccentrictees.com
Thanks for all these great posts. Very good reading and really appreciate all the good words.
ReplyDeleteThanks too for following my blog!
www.astridland.blogspot.com
Thanks for reading Astrid. Love your designs, they look incredible!
DeleteHello, Doug. Thank you for sharing these thoughts as well as honestly sharing from your own personal experiences. I can relate first-hand with what you've written. As for me, I'm poised to "find a way or make one," myself. With that in mind, here are a few quotes from the book "Dr. No" by Ian Fleming. (Dr. No is having a conversation with Bond when he said these things.)
ReplyDelete"Concentration, focus - that is all. The aptitudes come, the tools forge themselves."
"All the greatest men are maniacs. They are possessed by a mania which drives them forward towards their goal ... What else but a blind singleness of purpose could have given focus to their genius, would have kept them in the groove of their purpose? Mania ... is as price-less as genius. Dissipation of energy, fragmentation of vision, loss of momentum, the lack of follow-through - these are the vices of the herd."
I feel that developing this focus is the key.
Best wishes,
Gary
Gary,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I think your quotes are quite apt. I haven't seen Dr. No in a very long time, but now it would seem I should re-watch it!
Thank you, Doug. I'm also inspired by the song from the movie "Thunderball". Here are some excerpts:
ReplyDelete"He always runs while others walk;
He acts while other men just talk.
He looks at this world and wants it all"
"They call him the winner who takes all"
"His days of asking are all gone;
His fight goes on, and on, and on.
But he thinks that the fight is worth it all;
So he strikes like Thunderball"
Again, it speaks of a man who has passion (though, unfortunately, it's evil in nature).
Though yesterday and today (the first days of my new beginning) were productive, I didn't feel in touch with my underlying passions. As a result, I decided that to succeed long-term, I need to reconnect with these daily. Without this, in my opinion, comes "Dissipation of energy, fragmentation of vision, loss of momentum, the lack of follow-through ... the vices of the herd."
Yes, it's not enough to simply have motivation and passion. It needs to be directed in a positive and effective manner. That's yet another element of creativity that can take a life time to master.
DeleteDaily contemplation on goals, success and the direct you are headed are all great ways to remain focused.
Thanks for posting!