On the Wings of Motivation

Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you. – Thomas Jefferson

There is a story told of a very rich man who had one beautiful daughter. It got to a time when he wanted to publicly give out a vast portion of his estate. So he called for a huge party and at the end of it he called out, “Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make.” Everyone’s attention was captured the way it usually is when a rich man calls for attention. “I have a very special gift for a special person and that person can be you. I will give out any one of the following to the young man that can pass my test: He can have all my fertile lands in all the mountains of our city, or all my gold and silver, or he can have the hand of my one and only beautiful daughter and become an heir to my entire estate.”

“What is the test?” Many-a-young men muttered to each other.

“All the lucky young man needs to do is to swim across my wild crocodile infested pond and meet me on the other side.” No sooner than he ended his speech, a young man was in the pond and swimming exasperatedly toward the end of the pond. The folks with in the party watched with unbelief as he swarm all the way and jumped off the pond.

The moment the ovation of the crowd deadened the rich man asked this hero, “What do you want for your show of courage? Do you want all my fertile lands in all the mountains of our city?”

“No,” answered the young man.

“Well, do you want all my gold and silver?”

“Not at all,” he responded.

“Then I must assume that you want the hand of my one and only beautiful daughter and become an heir to my entire estate.”

“No, I do not,” responded the still panicky young man.

Bewildered the rich man asked, “You took the deadly plunge into my pond and swarm bravely all the way. What then do you want?”

“I just want to know,” slowly began the young man, “the name of the nincompoop that pushed me in.”

As the crocodiles were to the young man so it is with you. If you would achieve much – every single time you try – you must be motivated. If you lack the motivation you will not accomplish your goals.