Set Your Sail to the Wind If you have started this awesome journey at Day One, your new journey has truly begun. You are 33 Steps along The Path. You have moved from there to here, literally and figuratively. Maybe this e-course is a refresher; you may have heard of or read some of the concepts and ideals presented in the previous e-notes. Or perhaps you have gleaned one or two new tidbits – things of which you never gave any real thought – or so you thought. As I have presented my writings over the past 33 days, I have received feedback along the way. Many of you have provided feedback and appreciation for my venture into the lesser-appreciated realms of race, politics, and religion. Thank you for sharing your various views. Please know that my primary intent is not to garner a reaction. My intent is to offer an opportunity to look intently at those things we often use to intensely describe our self. In other words, I am hoping we become more aware of how we choose to identify and represent our self to the world. Because, as much as we would like to think we are the ones who have defined our own self, we actually choose to allow and empower so many other things to define and shape us. On Day 26, I discussed fear, and the ironic fact that fear is created and destroyed within our mind. Fear can also be a thunderously powerful architect in your life – if you create it and give it a home. Notice I make the clear distinction that you are the one who creates fear and gives it a home. In fact, in all of the last Seven Days, each two-word title is meant for you… no one else. Yes, you are one lone vessel in a virtual sea of souls. There are billions of people in this world. In addition to the earth's current living population, consider the billions of souls who have lived long before you, he, she, and me. When we give the enormity of that fact some serious thought, we can begin to realize the significance of our insignificance – or the insignificance of our significance (take your pick). However, as big as the world may seem, and as small as we may appear, the Absolute Truth about you is that you are the most important person in the world -- to you. You are the one who drives the vehicle that holds your soul along the path in life. You are the only one who is ultimately responsible and accountable to chart the only path you will ever know – YOUR path. Yes… when it comes to wading through this vast sea of humanity, YOU are the one who sets your sail to the wind. And like the little tyke that stands up and falls, only to stand, fall, and stand again… on his way to falling forward into one solid step – and then another… YOU are the only one who steps forward, once more, into the great unknown we call The Future. You are the captain of your soul. Accordingly, you must be the one who makes your way. Get overwhelmingly clear about your intentions. Confront and conquer your real and imaginary fears. You simply must make way along your charted course… one day at a time. And if you encounter that tempest of a storm, continue making (your) way. "Make way," in this context, is a nautical term that describes a ship's travel and progress through water. On the other hand... Stopping "dead in the water" amidst a storm in life is the last thing you should do. "Dead in the water" is also a nautical term - one that describes a ship that is not going anywhere; it’s just sitting there, dead in the water. And though being dead in the water is not necessarily always a bad thing, when we are there for an extended period of time, being DIW can be truly dead… in the water. It’s not just the lack of movement that’s the imminent killer; it’s the constant tossing and battering caused by the wind, waves, and other weather. Moreover, when the serious winds kick in, a ship not making way is likely to capsize, which is to say "turn upside down" and drown the occupants who do not escape the interior of the ship. So what must we captains of our very own souls do in this vast sea of life? Shall we just keep making way? The easy answer is “Yes.” The two-word answer is “Yes, and…” The best answer is... “Yes, and continue making your way.” What’s my point? In our darkest nights, amidst the stormiest of circumstances, sometimes we think the best we can do is to keep our head above the swirling waters of life. We begin paying more and more attention to the storm, and we begin to assimilate (yes… assimilate) into becoming part of the storm. We become less concerned about our path, and we become more satisfied – and even happy - with the mere fact that we have not yet gone under. We pat ourselves on the back for having made it this far. But this far is not your intended course… and it’s certainly not your destination. So let’s rethink how we will choose to respond to the storm. Continue making way… just make sure it’s your way. How? Start by reviewing Day 26, Day 27, Day 28, Day 29, Day 30, Day 31, and Day 32. And remember this: A little bit of faith goes a long ways. Why is this important? Well, if we are going to set our sails to the wind, we are going to have to learn to either harness the wind, trust the wind, or both. I suggest we opt for the third option: do both. And trusting our soul's vessel to the Source is definitely not a bad thing. Trust me on this one. Your mission for today: MAKE WAY! How? (1) Review your dreams, your goals, and your loosely made plans (chart your course) (2) Meet yourself in the mirror and say:
Feel free to pray along... Please don't just play along. This is real life. Aloha, John John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: |
My purposeInspiring a worldwide community of optimistic realists. Archives
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