Aim for the shore

If you give up on your goals, you are actually giving up on yourself

It was a fog-shrouded morning, July 4th, 1952, when a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island. She intended to be the first woman to swim the 21 miles from the island to the California coast. Long-distance swimming was not new to her; she had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. The water was numbing cold that day. The fog was so thick she could hardly see the boats in her party. Several times sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire. She swam more than 15 hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to swim on since they were so close to land, but when Florence looked, all she saw was fog. So she quit… less than one-mile from her goal. Later she said, "I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land I might have made it." It wasn't the cold or fear or exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail. It was the fog. Two months later, Chadwick tried again. This time was different. The same thick fog set in, but not only did she make it she beat the mens record by two hours because she said that she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind while she swam.

Reflection:

There are so many times in life where we fail, not because we are afraid or because of what others think, but because we lose sight of our goals. Without always keeping an eye on your goal, you could lose your sense of direction and very quickly want to give up without even realising how close you are. This is easier said than done and yes there may be days when you just want to give up, throw in the towel and just move on, but it is so important that you always keep your eye on the prize. If you give up on your goals, you are actually giving up on yourself and this is no way to conquer and achieve the things you set out to do. Imagine how great it will be as you accomplish every step and expect each success to materialise. Celebrate your successes in your mind every morning and evening, never stop and I assure you, you will conquer your goals irrespective of what is in your way.

May you have an Awesome week!

Darren Zwiers

"Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs. - Mario Andretti