There are several men in the history of mankind who were tagged as great and successful.  These men have experienced failures along their journey but did not become complacent.  Neither they were bothered by past failures nor lost focus in life.  They succeeded because they had a good sense of dissatisfaction, direction and determination.

There is a threefold principle men can follow in order to reach the finish line and win the prize – their ultimate goals.

• Disclosure of discontent.  Self-satisfaction is the death of progress, whereas a healthy discontent with past accomplishments brings great works. An army general assigned one of his officers the task of capturing a strong fortress.  After days of hard and demanding conflict, the officer returned to the headquarters.  Rushing to the camp, he rode on his tired horse to meet the general.  Upon seeing him, he saluted and announced, “General, I have taken the fort”.  The officer waited for a compliment from the general, expecting him to say, “Very good, now you can rest”.  Instead, his commander briefly ordered, “Go take another”.

• Shuttered past.  Forgetting what is behind.  Forgetting does not mean deleting the memory of the part but a conscious refusal to let it absorb attention and impede progress. A certain businessman was known for saving almost everything that come across his desk-especially correspondence.  One day his secretary asked if she might dispose of all the old, useless materials.  The man was reluctant, but finally said, “Well, all right, but be sure to make a copy of everything before throwing it away”.

• When people continue to lament failures in the past, it means keeping “copies”.  The past cannot be changed but it can change its meaning in anybody’s life.  The power of the past can be broken by living for the future which should be the direction.

• Intensify effort.  The winners are those who concentrate, who keep their eyes on the goal and let nothing distract them.  Concentration in the secret of power.

Reach the finish line and win the prize by having that sense of determination.

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