Walking In One Direction

Let's say that I've dropped you off in Kansas and told you that if you pick a direction and walk in that direction, you'll find the ocean. You would probably think I was crazy because there are NO oceans anywhere near Kansas!

But I've kept insisting that if you would just keep walking in one direction, you'll make it to some ocean: weather the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Gulf, etc. So, you trusted me, picked a direction at random, and started walking. Eventually, you ended up at the Pacific Ocean by Northern California. It took you a few months, but you made it! You didn't take a plane, train, or even hitch-hiked! You just kept walking in ONE DIRECTION until you found an ocean.

When it comes down to it, success is simply walking in one direction until you finally make it.

When we think about success, we think about how FAST we could get there. We want to hop on a jet to get to the coast as quickly as possible. But, that's not always possible. Sometimes, certain circumstances keep us from getting to our goals as quickly as possible. And because those circumstances became obstacles, we would have to take the long, and often DREADED route to our goal. However, as long as you stay on that route, you'll get to your destination.

North America, Central America, and South America are connected (well, you would have to drive over a bridge to get to South America because of the Panama Canal). No matter where I drop you off in the Americas, you will hit the oceans as the Americas are surrounded by oceans. It's guaranteed that you will succeed as long as you keep walking in one direction.

Sometimes, we get off course and start switching directions. We think we're on the wrong road, so we turn back. But then, we second-guess ourselves and turn back to where we were going in the first place. Then we find a way that we THINK might get us there faster. Then we find plenty of other directions that look good. But guess what happens? We get NOWHERE because we keep changing course.

So whatever your goal is, pick ONE direction that would get you there and stay with it UNTIL you hit that goal. Maybe along the way you might find someone willing to drive you part of the way. Maybe you might get to your goal quicker than you think. But just stay on that road. Don't get off. Don't lose focus. Don't get distracted. Just stay on that road and you, too, would find yourself by the ocean!

Don't be deceived by overnight successes. They are far and few in between. True, everlasting success happens over time and with many obstacles. But as long as you're walking in one direction, you'll make it!

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