Aspire
Got a pep talk from The Grasshopper yesterday. Like all his motivational speeches, it was short. His message was one we can all benefit from: “Your aspire needs fire.”
Was having a career conversation with my grandson last night and I offered him two pieces of input: Passion and Patience.
I first shared with him a concept I learned from Jerry Stocking – Where on the continuum your goal has to reside in order for you to find fruition.
Jerry indicated that the low side of the continuum represents the emotional component of “Nice to Have” (my words). The high side represented, “If I don’t get this, I won’t be able to breathe.” It was immediately apparent to my grandson, judging by his reaction, that he needed to be closer to the high side in order for his aspiration to appear.
I then told him my spit shinning story that resulted from my basic training days in the U.S. Navy. In order for your porous, cheap leather boots to shine like a black mirror on the toe portion, you have to constantly apply polish and water and rub in a circle in the same spot to get the desired result. It doesn’t happen on the first application and is still absent after the 30th. The sense is it will never happen and giving up is not an option. Your mentors insist on your success and their tactics seem heavy-handed, until that little spot of reflection begins to show itself. Then success feeds on itself until you have a shining example of your work.
To what you aspire needs fire, enough so that it brings stick-to-itiveness along with it.
Is your aspiration a talking point or a point of focus? It’s easy to find out; just measure the amount of talking versus doing that you do, then The Grasshopper’s message will become crystal clear to you.
I can’t help but reissue my favorite, ancient Chinese maxim for the umpteenth time – “Talk doesn’t cook rice.” It’s the difference between “carving out your heavenly slice” and chit-chatting about the elusive “nice.”
All the best,
John
Be Sociable, Share!