There are powers inside of you, which, if you could discover and use, would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you could become.
Orison Swett Marden
I think most of us would agree that there is tremendous potential in each one of us. We have what it takes to realize our highest ambitions. Then why is it that many of us lead, to quote Thoreau, "lives of quiet desperation"? You know, I've often wondered what Thoreau meant by quiet desperation. Could he have meant that "the mass of men" (to use his words) are content to settle for a mediocre level of success, while secretly, in their quieter moments, yearn to reach for the things on life's high shelf?
I believe one of the best ways to stretch ourselves to grasp the things on life's high shelf is to educate ourselves by reading great books - books that will tell stories of what other people have done to reach the level of accomplishment to which we may aspire. Or books that are more prescriptive in nature, in that they give specific information, or concrete steps, to follow on the path to dream realization.
In my library I have a number of books in the first category. Some of my most favourite are the ones I have by the American author, Og Mandino. Many of his books, like The Greatest Miracle in the World, or A Better Way to Live, detail, through interesting anecdotes, the signposts to follow on the road to success. His stories are heart-warming, but, beyond that, they engage the reader in such a way that you feel a connection to his main characters.
In terms of books that are like corner pieces to the puzzle called "life," my humble library contains the following three titles: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven R. Covey; Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill; and The Magic of Believing, by Claude M. Bristol. Reading these books, and many others like them, literally changed my life.
I was fortunate to be raised in an environment whereby the power of believing in myself, and pursuing God-fearing values, was instilled in me. But reading books like the aforementioned deepened my understanding of human nature and human relationships. They were, and still are as I re-read them from time to time, links in the chain of enlightenment. The distilled wisdom in this type of literature can create a master plan for anyone's life. The nuggets of knowledge contained inside their covers, if acted upon (and that's the key), can open the floodgates on a life of tremendous value and achievement.
On the importance of taking action towards our dreams, here's what Mandino says in one of his books: "My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action."
Action, combined with belief, creates an incredible force in our life. It fuels our desire for the object of our dreams. In the words Bristol: "The keener, the more urgent the desire, the sooner its consummation."
Leonard Quilty is a teacher with the Centre for Learning@Home in Okotoks, Alta. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]
