Day 2: 18.0 miles/1:09 Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together
“Confusion is the pieces of a puzzle strewn about the floor. Solution is all those pieces in their place. None of this would be possible without a visual image of what the solution looks like.”
Whenever, I picture myself in a successful situation there are two images that I see. The first is me entertaining and engaging large crowds of people. I see myself inspiring and laughing with them. I enjoy speaking and am energized by the powerful connections that can be made with people during a presentation. The other image is the water and the sand on a Caribbean island. I have a visual image of me spending the better part of November through January in the Caribbean writing, relaxing, riding my bike, and recharging my batteries. When someone asks me what success looks like these are visual images that I can easily connect to.
Having these images offers a great deal of power. It provides definition and clarity as to how and where I am going to apply my gifts. It also creates a clear and defined outcome of my activities and my accomplishments. With these two images, I can now use them as a benchmark for defining and planning my daily activities and tasks. It offers me a decision-making criteria for all priorities in the form of a simple question — “how does this support me to achieving my goals and commitments?” Without a defined image and defined path, I have no clarity for my life or my daily activities. It is the clarity of my images that gives me the defined direction I need to get on and stay on my path.
Life can be a very big puzzle. As some wander through life, they are caught by surprise when they discover another piece missing that needs to be figured out. Part of that is the result of not having a clear image of what our life, in success and accomplishment, looks like. Note that these images do not necessarily mean material or financial. In fact, I think much of these images would be more powerful if they weren’t. Regardless, the better the image, the more focused our efforts.
That 1,000 piece puzzle would never come together if it weren’t for the image on the box. Our life is the same way. We all have goals and dreams and unique talents. Until there is a visual image of how we can successfully use them to celebrate achievement, we will be going through a great deal of trial and error discovery. Take the time to clearly create your picture of success and allow that to influence your life, your decisions, your behaviors, and your attitude on a regular basis.
