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PERSONAL
GROWTH |
Decision
and Action
By Chuck Gallozzi |
"When
all is said and done, more is said than done." (Lou
Holtz)
Three frogs were sitting on a log. One decided to jump
into the pond. How many were left? Did you answer
two? Think again. You see, I didn't say one jumped in; I
just said one DECIDED to jump in. It's not a technical
point that I'm debating, but a sad fact of life. For
there's a big difference between deciding to do
something and actually doing it.
How many New Year resolutions did you decide to make
that never came to pass? How many items on your To-Do
list have just been lingering there, but never brought to
life? A decision without action is no more powerful than
indecision or no decision.
Decisions are powerless unless we follow through. And
when we follow through with action, we will be greeted
with success. In fact, the etymological meaning of "succeed" is "that
which follows," for
success is what
follows action.
Decisions without action are preparations for living
without living. We need to act to experience life. We
either make things happen or let things happen to us.
Here's how Edward Rickenbacker (1842 ~ 1914)
expressed why follow through is important, "There's a
six-word formula for success: Think things through, then
follow through."
Some people live as though their life credo is "Ready,
Aim. Aim. Aim." But once a decision is made, it is time
for action. For as Theodore Roosevelt (1858 ~ 1919)
said, "In any moment of decision the best thing you can
do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong
thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." After
all, if we do the wrong thing, at least we can learn
something from our mistake. But inaction teaches us
nothing, other than regret.
Often, the cause of inaction is the fear of failure. But
isn't it better to try to do something and fail than to try
to do nothing and succeed? Consider for a moment the
life of a lobster. When it grows to be about a pound, it
faces a crisis. For it has grown too big for its shell. To
continue living, it'll have to shed its shell and grow a
new one. But this takes about two days. So, until then,
it remains vulnerable to attack and being eaten. Yet,
there is no choice. To continue living, it must risk life
itself. We are no different, for life is synonymous with
growth. To develop, we need to shed our limitations
and grow new powers. To refuse to act doesn't protect
us, but suffocates us.
Our decisions are the clay we use to make bricks. And
our actions are the bricks we use to create ourselves.
We also choose the material to work with. Whether it's
shoddy or high quality is up to us.
Consider this story
(author unknown) that I'd like to share with you:
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his
employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-
building business and live a more leisurely life with his
wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the
paycheck but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and
asked him "if he would build just one more house as a
personal favor". The carpenter said "yes", but in time it
was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He
resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior
materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated
career.
When the carpenter finished his work the employer
came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door
key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my
gift to you".
The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had
only known he was building his own house, he would
have done it all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time,
often putting less than our best into the building. Then
with a shock we realize we have to live in the house we
have built. If we could do it over, we'd do it much
differently. But we cannot go back.
Maya Angelou wrote, "A bird doesn't sing because it has
an answer, it sings because it has a song." We, too, are
birds that have a song. Our song can be melodious,
sweet, and jubilant or screechy, savage, and vapid. It
all depends on our actions, for they are the notes of our
song. Our song should be rapturous not only for our own
good, but for the good of the world, for the world needs
us.
Here's how Martha Graham (1894 ~ 1991) elegantly
makes this point:
"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is
translated through you into action, and there is only one
of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you
personally
block it, it will never exist through any other medium;
and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your
business to determine how good it is, not how it
compares with other expression. It is your business to
keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel
open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or
your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to
the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No
artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at
any time. There is on a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a
blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us
more alive than the others." And I'd like to add that we
should behave as if our actions make a difference
because they do.
One of the complaints we usually make is that we do
not have enough time to do everything we would like
to. Of course, it's true that time is limited. But here is
an interesting paradox: the more we do, the more we
can do, and the busier we become, the more free time
we create. If you experiment with this premise, you'll
quickly discover how true it is .
The American Founder of Atari Computer, Nolan
Bushnell, summarizes today's topic this way, "The
critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing
something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have
ideas, but there are few who decide to do something
something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have
ideas, but there are few who decide to do something
about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But
today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer." So,
don't sit up and take notice, but get up and take action, for
the secret of getting ahead is getting
started.
© Chuck Gallozzi,
http://www.personal-development.com/chuck |
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