“If you have something to do that is worthwhile doing, don’t talk about it, but do it. After you have done it, your friends and enemies will talk about it.”
George W. Blount
Talking about action and worrying about what others might think are activities with low ROEI (Return On Energy Invested). Instead, channel every precious ounce of the finite energy you have into creating meaningful action.
Nike has it right, “Just Do It…”
“We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.”
Omar Bradley
I recently spent some time in Montana, and the brilliance of the stars in the night sky was simply incredible. It was indeed one of the most impressive things I have ever seen.
I remember looking at the stars early one morning and seeing a moving “star” across the sky. It wasn’t a star at all but merely a satellite, something that was bright and moving but impermanent and gone in just a few moments. As soon as it was out of my field of vision, my focus returned to the stunning constellations and bright stars that people have viewed for millennia.
It can be so easy to shift attention to the newest shiny star in the sky. But those aren’t stars at all; they are merely distractions from the path. They are satellites that move and are gone from view. Focus on the stars instead.
“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose — with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
Admiral Stockdale indeed spoke from a place of deep personal experience. If you don’t know his story, I highly encourage you to click to learn more about him via the link embedded with his name above.
Rather than write about my thoughts on this quote, I’ll simply share the ‘Stockdale Paradox’ here. Those words say it all.
James C. Collins related a conversation he had with Stockdale regarding his coping strategy during his period in the Vietnamese POW camp. When Collins asked which prisoners didn’t make it out of Vietnam, Stockdale replied:
“Oh, that’s easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart. This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
Collins called this the Stockdale Paradox.
Are you willing to embrace the brutal facts?
“Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.”
Abraham Lincoln
The words “thank you” will never be enough to convey the depth of appreciation and respect I have for those who have served our country and defended our freedoms. It isn’t enough to say the words or even make donations and attempt to assist those who have served. The ultimate way of honoring those who put their lives on the line to provide for our freedoms is to live in such a way that honors their sacrifices every single day. So what can you do every day in appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy?
“Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.”
General Douglas MacArthur
Look back on your life and think of a time when you quit something that you now regret. What did you learn from this experience? Does it serve as motivation to carry on and persevere today when faced with challenges? The beauty of age is that you have earned the wrinkles formed by good and bad experiences. If you choose to accept the lesson, you get to show up today better because of what you have learned.
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
My favorite part of this quote is “it is the result.” Success is the outcome of the inputs necessary to create it. It isn’t predestined or absolute; it is what comes after you put in the effort.
How hard would you work if you knew you were guaranteed success? Would you be willing to put in the extra effort, the “over the top” input necessary to make a difference? Would you be ready to learn from failure if you knew the outcome was absolute?
Are you preparing to do the hard work and, if necessary, learn from failure? Only then can you achieve the desired results…
“Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one’s superiors; care for one’s crew.”
Veteran’s Day is later this week, and to help honor the contributions of all of our Veterans, the quote from every day this week will come from a military leader.
The beauty in this quote is the interpretation of what loyalty means for the different constituents. If you don’t demonstrate these behaviors, you certainly won’t receive loyalty from either group…
“Grit is the grain of character.”
Edwin Percy Whipple
It is easy to forget that the only way we can grow is to face and overcome adversity.
Relish the setbacks.
Learn from the challenges.
Embrace the suck.
Five years from now it won’t matter, because you’ll be better…
“A bar of iron costs $5. Made into horseshoes, it’s worth $12. Made into needles, it’s worth $3500. Made into balance springs for watches, it’s worth $300,000. Your value is determined by what you are able to make of yourself.”
Author Unknown
Do you see yourself as raw materials or finished goods? Are you a component in something greater, or do you view yourself as the complete and finished thing?
Maybe the more important question is this. What are you working on right now to grow and improve? How are you seeking to add value to both yourself and the world?