The power of commitment
December 7, 2009The following quote is a Stickie on my desktop:
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans—the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.”
W.H. Murray
Scottish Himalayan Expedition
There are people who would have you believe that positive thinking will make all your dreams come true. There are enough self-help books pushing that message to sink a container ship.
The theory is great, but translating theory into practice rarely shows you where the potholes are. And just thinking it doesn’t make things happen. You have to choose. You have to act. You have to work at it.
What gets you through is the commitment. Not hanging on out of pride, but the knowledge that not everything will go according to plan, that there will be setbacks and mistakes, and that is precisely the way things are supposed to unfold. You stumble, you learn, you move forward. Or sideways. Or say, “Damn, this isn’t what I want to do at all,” and have the courage to admit it and dig into what really makes your engine run.
Providence, however you choose to define it, moves when we decide.
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Stacey, you said, “Providence, however you choose to define it, moves when we decide.” That is a great quote.
I have spent lots of hours thinking positively. I hated my work. It wasn’t until I acted that I discovered what I love to do. I’m still not a pro, but I love helping other people, learning, and getting paid for doing something I enjoy
Thanks for the great article.
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Stacey Cornelius Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Thanks for the comment, Julie. It’s often tough to make that decision, never mind taking the first step, but the rewards are worth the risk.
It’s always great to hear from someone who loves what she does.
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Positive thinking is great and it will get you a certain amount of the way as will reading 1 or 2 self help books but as you say the best and only way I know is hard work. That means getting out of bed an hour earlier than anybody esle, staying up later, taking shorter breaks, working harder, pushing more and generally wanting it more. Once you follow those simple points you can pretty much achieve anything
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Stacey Cornelius Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Niall, I greatly admire your stamina. I personally require a good amount of sleep to function properly, so my hat is off to people who can burn the proverbial midnight oil.
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