Weekly Thought – September 25, 2018
Fred maintained keeping longer goals was one of the secrets to vitality in the aging process. He said, “when you start shortening your goals, you are giving yourself permission to die.” He laughingly told of getting new carpeting in their home and insisting on a 30 year guarantee. He and Mary Alice was were in their late 70s at the time. Even when physical limitations curtailed much of his activity, he kept on stretching mentally.
Keep On Climbing
So many people settle for a lower, comfortable plateau than they could attain by maintaining attention to achieving a higher plateau. High achievers rarely are deterred by the desire for comfort. The force that pushes you forward can be seen as 1) the tension between where you are and where you should be. This is negative tension for it produces guilt. Or, 2) It can be seen as the tension between where you are and where you could be. This generates excitement.
True achievement is not a straight line upwards, but one with staggered steps. It is a process of forward movement and then plateauing for assimilation. This process is repeated over and over and continues throughout a productive life.
In the Christian life most of us settle for a lower level than we should. I asked one of my favorite theologians, Ray Stedman, “what are you going to teach Sunday?” He replied, “I am going to tell my people to stop praying for what they already.”
In business I have seen the sad case of very talented individuals who aren’t discovered until too late. In a major corporation the President was regretting that the talent of one of the middle managers was not seen early enough to move him into top management. Some motivational speakers say, “It’s never too late!” The fact: in my experience, it can be too late. Young people should be encouraged to start as early as possible on their upward climb. It is always more profitable to work now and play later.
Unfortunately, our society has encouraged young people to waste the richly productive years in pleasure. If they could understand the value of deferring leisurely gratification, the payoff would be much more robust. And if they could see the benefit of pressing on without settling for comfortable plateaus, they would accomplish much higher levels in the climb.
This week think about: 1) Where am I in my climb? 2) What keeps me from stepping out on the next ascent? 3) Who can I encourage to put aside comfort and press forward?
Words of Wisdom: “True achievement is not a straight line upwards, but one with staggered steps.”
Wisdom from the Word: “Now David achieved success in all he did, for the Lord was with him.” (1 Samuel 18:14 NET Bible)