One of the blogs that I subscribe to is published by Israeli Krav International. The latest June 5th article was a short but relevant offering entitled “The Things We want To Do”. It voiced the same sentiment that I have been talking about over the last several months. As described in the article, too many people voice desires about things that they want to do “someday”, yet never take the necessary steps to bring such things to fruition.
If only I'd made money every time I’ve heard that statement, both from family and from friends. It’s sad in a way but I'm not the one to bring judgment upon these people. I am only now beginning to understand the difference between the “dream” and the “goal”. I’ve written about it here before. In the past I would have been one to opine regarding things that I wanted to do. Now when I hear this, I tend to listen to it somewhat differently.
I notice that such conversations are rarely approached from the perspective of accomplishments, to be achieved. They are, for the most part, only “dreams”. I do not recall a single person ever bringing up such conversations and then going on to describe the steps they are taking to reach these goals. It is as if there’s some psychological disconnection from ones current reality to their desires. It is as if they have already accepted that they will never actually realize such things and are now satisfied with using them as conversational filler material. Never has anyone ever presented such topics as a plan.
This perspective is severely flawed but it is also understandable. In a society which has become ever more instantaneous, very few individuals have any idea how to approach the problem of planning and achieving anything meaningful. It should come as no surprise that so few people are satisfied with their condition. They’ve settled for less than what they are capable and less than what they truly crave.
Even more tragic is that our society has conditioned these same people to accept as fate, the mediocrity that represents their labor. I recall a cartoon someone e-mailed me once. It was a dog drinking from a toilet. The caption said “It doesn’t get any better than this!” Not bad for a dog… but the joke should be obvious. I know that a lot of good people settle for far less than they are capable. One could argue that people get what they “deserve”. From the viewpoint that none deserve any more than that for which they are willing to work, I would agree.
I am hopeful that in my own case I will no longer settle for less than that of which I am capable. I “deserve” precisely what my level of dedication, planning and effort gains me. I honestly do not know the limits of my own capabilities. I do know that for a good portion of my life I have allowed myself to achieve far less than I am capable. So my station is effectively what I "deserve".
It has been said that anything worth having is worth working for. I think that the more accurate assessment is that anything worth having REQUIRES work. Not only because things of value carry their own intrinsic worth, but also because those things are what they are due to the work required to gain them. This isn't only represented by physical property or possession, but also by the wealth gained by the act of the accomplishment.
People who strive, fail & then succeed are far stronger individuals than those who are never tested. Those who become accustomed to ease of life are the ones who will fail when they are tested. They will also have little appreciation for anything they have. They will have no respect for their benefactors. They will have no respect for the property or the lives of others. They will have no respect for themselves.
Inexplicably, I'm becomming one who wishes to rise to the task. I'm beginning to surprise myself. Ultimately I wish to be ready when the things that I desire come into focus to meet the challenge. I certainly don't want to fall short due to lack of planning or metal.
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