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Today's
quotation:
"Where
there is a will there is a way" is an old true saying.
The person
who resolves upon doing a thing, by that very resolution often scales
the
barriers to it, and secures its achievement. To
think we are able, is almost
to be so-- to determine upon
attainment is frequently attainment itself.
Samuel
Smiles
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Today's
Meditation:
Achievement is an area in which we have to stay
vigilant to make sure that we maintain balance. We
live in a society in which achievement has been made
ultra-important, and many of us feel that constant
achievement is the only way to live a happy or fulfilling
life. But the human being needs down time, and we
need to be able to do some things just for fun, and we
need to give others the opportunity to achieve, also,
sometimes at the cost of our own achievement.
We can achieve what we need to when we put our minds to it
and dedicate ourselves to doing so. Once I decide
that I truly want to achieve something, I will do so as
long as I put forth the effort necessary. Many
people fall short of achievement because of setbacks on
the path that they consider to be impossible to
overcome. But almost any obstacle can be gone
through or around-- and our ultimate achievement usually
isn't just the thing we set out to do, but also the
obstacles that we've overcome in the process.
There are many things in life worth achieving, and
achievement can add a great deal of richness, pride, and
satisfaction to our lives. It's important that we
not convince ourselves that we can't do something before
we even try it-- and that we not give only half an effort
to do it when we start to work on it. I can achieve
anything I want in life, I'm sure, that's realistic-- I
could climb Mt. Everest if I really wanted to, but since I
don't have the slightest desire to do so, I won't even
try. I'm also well aware that I'm not able to play
the piano well, so I'm not going to try to achieve the
status of concert pianist. On the other hand, there
are plenty of things that I can do and that I enjoy doing,
and I'll set my sights on goals that fit within my
limitations and abilities.
But let's not get so caught up in achievement that we
forget to enjoy life and living. Let's not fall into
the trap of thinking that we should be working towards
achievement with every waking hour of our lives-- that's
simply not true, and we can make ourselves miserable or
terribly stressed if we try to do so. Achievement is
beautiful, but as with everything else it's best in
moderation.
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