Mid-week Inspiration,

Vince Lombardi once said,  "The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." I believe he is right, success rarely shows up except through a lot of hard work.  Yet I believe success takes more than hard work; if it took just hard work more people including myself would be ‘successful’.

I believe success takes a constant vigilance to our thinking, it takes a constant willingness to think anew and to act in new ways.  It takes a willingness to do what we are most afraid of.  Willingness does not necessarily mean that we must do those things we fear yet still we will as they show up to be done.

Success also takes doing the little things repetitively. Stephen Covey in his classic self help book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” points out that there are only a few things that successful people do that make them successful.  By doing those things and repeating them we create effective habits.

In my past life as a juggler I learned that my success depended on me learning to make a few basic throws and catches to a level of monotonous perfection, only then could I perform without dropping the balls.  In any field identifying those few things and making habits of them is the key. 

There were certain things I never mastered as a juggler because I could not identify the correct body movement there were other things as a performer I never mastered.  I was unwilling to do what was necessary; travel where I needed, to find the help.  My level of success was determined by my willingness. 

Another aspect of success is ‘luck’ where luck is nothing more than the point that inspiration meets opportunity.  Sooner or later with determined action the right ingredients will show up.  I called my brother the other day at supper time; he was having grouse for dinner.  The morning before a grouse flew into his window killing itself. My brother had already developed the skill to dress meat.  He had the inspiration; the grouse for him was the opportunity.  I’m a vegetarian, for me I haven’t the skills developed by inspiration to take advantage of my brothers’ opportunity.  He had a moment of luck.

Often the biggest challenge of success is identifying what it is for us.  So many of us carry an image of the wealthy neighbour and feel success is ours when we have what they have.  One of the great Philosophers of our time, Ralph Waldo Emerson, said in his poetic way: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded.”  His measure has nothing to do with property; it is completely the essence of mood that we identify with the wealthy neighbour that he has captured.