This lesson is about FOCUS! We must all learn to FOCUS on the really important tasks that will have the greatest impact on achieving our happiness and goals in life. We just cannot afford to spend valuable time to aimlessly go through life doing the easy stuff that anybody can do. In order to accomplish meaningful goals we must FOCUS like a laser beam on what really matters at our jobs and in our private lives.
Our brains cannot think more than one thought at a time. Thus, we must think about, FOCUS on, and complete only the tasks that are most important to us right now.
Every GREAT accomplishment in life usually happens over a LONG period of time. For example, what if you came up with a great invention? You might spend a couple of minutes thinking about how great it would be and how you could become rich. But then you and those you discuss your idea with can spend hours coming up with all of the reasons why the invention won't work; why no one would buy such a thing, and then discard the idea altogether.
Greatness is not born in such situations. Greatness is born when a person is drawn to a goal that is MUCH bigger than he or she is right now, and then FOCUSES on that goal and moves towards it until they get there. It's not a few minutes of musings, but a commitment of months, years or perhaps even a lifetime.
Very few people think beyond the immediate moment and that's alright; they don't have to. But the results that they get will be consistent with that type of thinking. If you're the type of person that wants different results than what most people get, then your first job is to think LONG-TERM.
Search for what drives and motivates you. It'll probably be different than what motivates your family members, co-workers, or friends. They probably won't understand how you can be so motivated by your ideas and many may even attempt to discourage you because they can't see THEMSELVES accomplishing what YOU desire. All of that is alright, and is actually Nature's first test to see if you're serious. If your goal motivates YOU, then latch on. After all, YOU'RE the one that's going to have to do the work to reach it.
After you latch on to your star, begin to FOCUS. Since your goal is far away, you have a lot of thinking to do; a lot of questioning; a lot of planning; a lot of preparation. Many times a person will look at someone like Tom Hanks and think that he's lucky making millions per film. That person did not see the DECADES of struggle that Tom had to go through to eventually be worth millions in the marketplace. All of that is UNSEEN to the public, but Tom and his family know quite well about the struggles that were necessary along the way.
How did Tom, who dressed in drag in a sitcom called Bosom Buddies, become one of the top actors of all-time? My guess is by FOCUSING on his long-term goals. While Tom was dressed up as a woman, you can bet that his mind was FOCUSED on someday being more than a clown and perhaps being a serious actor who could be making movies like Forrest Gump and Apollo 13.
But in order to become a professional and polished actor, you have to first master scenes in Bosom Buddies. It would be very hard to dispute that Tom Hanks is not one of the most polished actors around. Thus, Bosom Buddies and everything that Tom did before he hit the big time was not done in vain. It served its purpose. Nature is no dummy.
On the way to your BIG TIME, whatever it is, be prepared to do your version of Bosom Buddies. But like Tom Hanks, stay FOCUSED on your version of Forrest Gump. If you don't quit, you'll get there, and then start to hear people calling YOU lucky. But you and your family will know what it took to make it.
The inability to stay FOCUSED on a goal is a major reason why so many never realize their dreams. Throughout your life, you've most likely heard the phrases, "Dream big dreams," or "Follow your dreams," or "You can become anything you want in your life." So why do so many NOT become what they want in their lives? Are these just things that you SAY? The answer is NO! They are all very true. You just have to stay FOCUSED on your end result. If you can do so, you'll make these popular sayings become a reality in your life.