Action is the key

A wise man once told me, the difference between stuck and satisfaction is action. When he first told me this, I must admit I did not fully comprehend what he was saying. However, as I have grown older I can see he was spot on with his statement.

I have seen it played out in many different scenarios during my half century plus on this planet. If you want to accomplish anything in life, you must first take action.

Nothing good or positive in life is ever handed to you. You must go get it.

You want to lose weight. You have to exercise and eat right. No magic pill or weight loss fairy is going to come and grant you a svelte physique. Is is unpleasant to do those things? Yes, but that is the only way it is going to happen. You can talk about it as much as you want but that is not going to make it happen.

You want to make more money. Work harder, smarter and longer and I guarantee you that eventually you will make more money. Part of that hard work may entail finding a different job but no one is going to just give you more money. Hard work is at such a premium in this country that it is recognized and rewarded more than ever. Why? Because fewer and fewer people want to take the action of working harder.

You want to have a good reputation. Do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it. I cannot tell you the dozens and dozens of repairmen I have talked with during my adult life that have promised to arrive at a certain time to do a job only to be late or not show up at all. This is extremely frustrating and I must admit colors my perception of their reputation to such a degree that in most cases I will never use them again.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone tells me “I will try.” I hate to hear that phrase. To me that phrase implies that the person is preparing me for their eventual and inevitable failure. As Yoda says, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

Ronnie Lott, the NFL Hall of Famer, said, “If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it.”

Mr. Lott’s statement is true but the bridge between the belief and the achievement is the action. I can believe that someday I will swim the English Channel but if I never get in the water, it is never going to happen. No matter how much I believe it.

Hard work used to be the foundation of everything we were taught in regards to success. Now it is almost as if people believe success is a birthright. People are taught to “follow your passion” and “live your best life now.” That is not how life works. Anything worth having is worth working for and any great accomplishment is always preceded by tremendous effort.

Now more than ever our world is in desperate need of hard workers. To those of you who give that effort every day, I say thank you. It may not feel like it often but your dedication is what holds our society together. You are truly appreciated.

“Well done is better than well said.”

– Benjamin Franklin