On the surface, the components of achievement seem simple: you have a goal and you have a path. The goal is what you want; the path is all the things to have to do to get it. And which is more important? That’s not an easy question. But I did get at least one good answer to it in a surprising way.
My wife Wanda and I attended an enrollment seminar hosted by a company that does personal growth training. We sat listening to enthusiastic, heartfelt testimonials from people whose lives have been transformed for the better because of the trainings they took. They laughed and cried as they told their stories, marveling at the breakthroughs in growth and development they had experienced.
Wanda and I have both been actively involved in personal growth approaches for many years, and as I listened to the testimonials, I couldn't help noticing that the insights, the "aha" experiences, the realizations that these people described were so very like my own.
Many Paths, One Destination
The training techniques, processes, and methods the people were describing are nothing like the things I do. I am currently traveling down a path that looks and feels quite different. Yet amazingly, my path seems to have led me to the same place these people described.
What we’re all discovering is that it’s possible to be continuously happier and healthier, year after year. It’s possible to live a life that's more fulfilling; to have relationships that are more mutually rewarding; to do business with integrity as well as success.
In other words, if you work at it, you can have a better life. And it doesn't seem to matter too much what the work is, as long as you seek improvement while constantly honoring the value and dignity in yourself and every other human being.
Some people choose to follow a religious path. Others seek the truth through wide, eclectic reading and study. Still others never read a book, choosing to learn solely through their experience.
And guess what: it doesn't seem to matter. If you pursue your goal with diligence and integrity, you’ll eventually reach it. That's a very comforting thought.
Now, what do we do with that thought? How about this:
Take an objective look at the way you have chosen to grow as a person. Is it getting you where you would like to go? Never mind how long it's taking. Everyone's speed is different. If you find you're progressing, then stay on that path. If you're not, then look for another path that might suit you better. Nowhere is it written that you must make the same choices as someone else, nor that once you've made a choice, you have to stick with it forever.
When someone wants to tell you about another way, listen. If your way is working, politely decline an offer to change. But if the new idea sparks you, go with it. Remember, what matters is not the path, it’s the goal.
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