I came across a quote that caused me to pause and reflect about the way I’m living my life and conducting my business affairs.
“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” — Wayne Gretzky
As I tried to put these words into personal context, my mind flashed back to days of watching small kids play soccer. For those who haven’t seen such a sight, imagine a clump of 10-15 kids chasing a soccer ball in a seemingly random fashion. In a game it’s amusing — in life, it’s tragic.
I came to the conclusion that a “chase the puck” approach to life is a major contributing factor to an unsuccessful, stressful, unfulfilled life. The alternative is to make a habit of intercepting the puck. That is, to observe the puck’s speed and direction, choose a spot in the puck’s path, and get to that spot as the puck arrives. If you believe Mr. Gretzky’s quotation is an apt metaphor for life, you might draw the same comparison I did regarding tell-tale signs that someone has been chasing the puck rather than intercepting the puck.
| “Chasing The Puck” | “Intercepting the Puck” |
| Dwells on the painful past | Envisions and dreams of a better future |
| Never has enough time | Has time enough for what matters most |
| Lack of money, growing debt | Budgets, saves, invests, delays gratification |
| Bitter about mishaps | Thankful for blessings |
| Reactive – waits for things to happen | Proactive – influences what happens |
| Pessimistic | Optimistic |
| Results: limited success, stress, regrets | Results: Abundant success and personal fulfillment |
Success Starts With a Dream
“Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I’ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I’ll give you a stock clerk.” — J.C. Penney
Success is a Daily Decision
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas Edison
“This is as true in everyday life as it is in battle: We are given one life, and the decision is ours whether to wait for circumstances to make up our mind or whether to act and, in acting, to live.” — Omar Bradley
“Change before you have to.” — Jack Welch
Success Requires the Proper Mindset
“Either do or do not; there is no try.” — George Lucas
“I’ve never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation.” — Mike Todd
“Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s levels of aspiration and expectation.” — Jack Nicklaus
Success Requires Knowledge
“In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future.” — Eric Hoffer
“Instead of waiting for someone to take you under their wing, go out there and find a good wing to climb under.” — Dave Thomas
“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.” — Galileo Galilei
Limits to Success
“Every man dies. Not every man lives. The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the “buts” you use today.” — Les Brown
God Bless,
— CC
© Copyright July 2008, Clancy Cross. All rights reserved.
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