Great achievers in the world do not always make sense. They make progress and achieve results. A great warrior, Hernán Cortés faced a situation making it necessary for him to make decisions that insured his success on the battlefield. He had to send his armies against a powerful enemy, with men out-numbering his.He took his soldiers onboard in a boat, sailed to the enemy’s country, unloaded the equipment while the soldiers disembarked and he gave orders to burn the ships. Addressing his men before the first battle, he said, “You see the boats going up in smoke. That means we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice-We Win or We Perish”. They WON. Every Person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. It is in doing this that you are assured of maintaining the burning desire to win which is essential to success. The starting point of achievements is a burning desire. Not hope; not wish. This burning desire thriving within you is what pushes you to reach out for your goals because at that point, nothing can stop you. We often tell ourselves that certain things do not make sense and mask our fears behind that phrase. However, in the eyes of the world, you don't have to make sense. Great men do not always make sense; they make progress and achieve results. It would have “made sense” for Cortés to keep a ship or his entire fleet. But Cortés was on a mission and knew that the only way to keep himself or his men from quitting was to take that option off the table. What Cortés did was force himself and his men to either succeed or die. Retreating was not an option. I believe that to truly achieve the level of success we desire, there are times we need to “burn the ships." Most of us know what needs to be done to live a life of abundance, joy and happiness but do not do them. We read about how great people achieve greatness but fail to do what they did. This happens because we lack reasons to harness the power of our decisions. The moment we decide to change our situation, the change begins. It is only imperative that there is a driving force behind that decision. Anthony Robbins explains this when he says "Many people in life know what they should do, but they never do it. The reason is that they are lacking the drive that only a compelling future can provide." The only way to get this drive is to set lofty goals. The kind of goal that gives you unusual energy to succeed when others fail. The kind that sparks within your soul and sets you above. There is a distinguished difference between successful and unsuccessful people. Successful people are motivated by lofty goals beyond them. They have goals that are bigger than themselves; they have something that constantly keeps them. They are out of their reach and yet believe that if they work hard enough, achieving those goals would be a reality. Unsuccessful people are only motivated by today. They are not tomorrow thinkers and do not look beyond themselves. They have no plans beyond their circumstances. Their lives are void of meaning and inspiration. Whatever life brings their way, they accept. When committed to do anything, it comes with a scourge of complaints and excuses. We do not fail because of big problems or failures. We do, because of small and uninspiring goals. Setbacks and disappointments do not defeat us. It is small goals that crush us. Lofty and inspiring goals are necessary to compel you to become the person it takes to achieve them. They help you make necessary preparations to achieve them. ZIg Ziglar resonates this as he says "What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” Great success ultimately begins with an idea, but what makes ideas become reality is the fuel of human desire. In isolation, ideas give you temporary feelings of inspiration. But burning desire gets you through the perspiration necessary to overcome inevitable obstacles. When 100% committed to reaching your goals, a transition occurs from hoping to knowing. When desperately in need of something, quitting is never an option. You are caught between finding or making a way. You pay the price irrespective of what it takes. YOU CANNOT BUILD YOUR FUTURE ON HOPE, YOU MUST BE CRAZY ABOUT IT. As you step into this new week, let nothing hinder you from achieving your goals !
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