by Douglas Clark
Have you ever heard anyone say “I want to get second place”,
“I’m working toward being mediocre”, or “My dream is to be average”? Probably
not in a serious way you haven’t. It reminds me of a Monster.com commercial
that’s pretty funny. Nobody consciously decides they
want to be just another face in the crowd, not without giving up first. You see
the thing is, most people try, experience difficulty, muddle through, and then
find a certain amount of equilibrium with their environment, situation and
circumstance, but then never really break through and excel beyond the status
quo. This is where people become apathetic.
You can’t counteract apathy though. Think of this from a
different perspective. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say “Aim High”, heck the
Air Force used to use that as a tag line in their TV and radio commercials for
years. Or maybe you’ve heard the saying ‘reach for the stars’, or ‘the sky’s
the limit’. The common theme here is striving for something just out of reach,
pushing yourself to achieve something slightly beyond your abilities or just to
experience something new. What’s the point though?
The goal here is Success. Success does take an extraordinary
amount of effort though, and it starts with something even more important. Thinking Big. That’s right. Putting your
mind and thoughts on the right track, allowing yourself to believe what you
dream is possible, and accepting the possibility that you might just be able to
make all you want possible is the first step in achieving your dreams. It does
not matter how you characterize or quantify success. Reaching your goals, and
accomplishing your mission requires being positive. Sometimes I lean toward the
negative, pessimistic side of things. When I feel that type of thing seeping
into my thought process, I counter it with positive, sometimes grandiose daydreaming
and proclamations. They’re designed to refocus my mindset, forcing me to accept
the possibility that the great and wonderful things I want to achieve are at
least thinkable, let alone possible. That’s why I still believe I’ll be a world
famous writer one day.
You’ve got to want it. Thinking that you will be the best,
achieve the highest goals, win the most prestigious awards, earn the most
money, be the most famous; it all starts with you thinking big. Daring yourself
to simply imagine the great possibilities of ‘what if’ is the first step on
your journey to greatness. Take that step!
Thanks for reading
Questions and comments are welcome.
