Life is to be
lived and we win by continuing to play when we face certain defeat. Throughout
life, we get clues that remind us of the direction we are supposed to be
headed … if we stay focused, then we learn our lessons and we'll get
what we want.
Here are some beautiful words of wisdom inspired by the writings of
Andy Andrews.
Not
long ago, I finally told the story of when, at the age of
twenty-three, homeless and scared, I was given guidance in a most
unusual fashion by an old man named Jones.
What the old man told me did nothing less than changed my life and
my future. He said..."With a
little perspective you can live a life of permanent purpose."
When I asked what he meant, the old man answered with a question.
"Do you sometimes find yourself unconsciously judging your actions
by level of importance?"
Our actions are the best interpreters of our thoughts.
|
I frowned a bit, not certain I understood. "For instance," he
continued, "the time you spend with friends is important, but the
time you spend with family, is more important. You might rank an
hour fishing as very important, thirty minutes visiting a sick
friend in the hospital much more important than the fishing, and a
sixty second conversation with a convenience store clerk as not very
important at all."
The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks
according to his action. ~Confucius |
I nodded
my understanding and he returned to his initial point. "When you
know that everything matters - that every move counts as much as any
other - you will begin living a life of permanent purpose. A life of
permanent purpose will make you a better parent, a better spouse,
and a more valuable friend. Your productivity and financial success
will soar to new heights while the old days of uncertainty, doubt,
and depression fade into the past."
Of
course, that conversation with Jones changed me. But even more, it
became the guiding force that produced the kind of speaker and
author I have become. You see, I understand fully that my very value
as an author and speaker must ultimately be judged by the success
you achieve.
And as I consult with companies or speak to
organizations and teams, I am keenly aware that much of my client's
(your) ability to succeed beyond imagination depends upon my ability
to prove this very concept!
When a sales organization sees proof that casual conversations in
town matter just as much as an arranged meeting with a major
prospect.
When the second string right-guard sees proof that his every action
on and off the field, whether he plays or not, is as critical to the
team's successful season as everything the starting quarterback
does.
When a teenager sees and understands proof that every choice made in
leisure today will affect the choices that will be available to him
in more pressing times ahead. When one lives a life of permanent
purpose, sales figures soar, team chemistry thrives, and teenage
decisions become wiser and more cautious. And these are just a few
examples of what will happen...Simply put, when we understand that every
action matters, every result of our actions immediately improves!
I know you will find hope and direction for yourself, but I am most
excited that you will now be equipped to lead others to their own
life of permanent purpose! My hope for our families, our places of
worship, our businesses, our nation, and our world is an incredible
life of permanent purpose that can be achieved when at last we
understand: Every move we make and every action we take, matters not
just for us, but for all of us...and for all time.
By Tim Pedrosa
I
cannot believe that the purpose of life is merely to be happy. I think the
purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honorable, to be
compassionate. It is, above all, to matter: to stand for something, to have it
make some difference that you lived at all.–Unknown
|