The Secret Ingredient

This post is inspired by one of my brothers. Today is his birthday.

Last fall he accomplished something that astonished me, and probably not a few of his buddies.

After 22 years of smoking, he quit.

It's remarkable not because he quit, it's remarkable because of the years of trying some tool to quit, not experiencing success, he would again pick himself up, and try again.

Among the things he tried are patches, gum, other pharmaceutical products, hypnosis. It was the hypnosis that allowed him to see and really believe that he could quit. But in the end, he just stopped smoking.

You can call it persistence. You can call it commitment.

Either way, it's the secret ingredient to achievement.

The Miracle of Your Commitment

As someone who has sat on the fence, keeping all her options open, for decades, I am learning what it really means to commit. That probably has beent he greatest learning during this time of dissertation writing, especially as a distance student. I used to want to wait for the right moment, which often never shows up.

So, if there's anyone out there sitting on the safe fence, take a look at this:

Until you are committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiaive (and creation) thre is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment you definitely commit yourself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help you that would never otherwise have occurred.

A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in your favor al manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assitance, which you could never have dreamed would come your way.

This is from The Scottish Himalayan Expedition by William H. Murray.