by Denis Waitley
Two of life's greatest tragedies are:
Never to have had a great mission in life; and to have fully reached it so there is no challenge remaining. Are you going where you want to go, doing what you want to do, and becoming who you want to become? These are the questions we must ask ourselves. Set some quiet time aside after you have finished this program and see the two you's in the mirror of your mind:
1. There is the reflection of the person you are today.
2. There is the image of who you will be in the future.
Looking at my own life, I am incredibly different in many respects from the person I was ten years ago. As you reflect on your past and anticipate the future, understand that virtually nothing you have experienced has been wasted. It all blends together into wisdom and knowledge, and creates your own unique brand of cultural diversity.
Action Idea:
In your professional life, what is most important for you to achieve in the remainder of career?
In your personal life, what is most important for you to achieve in the remainder of your life?
Find a close friend or associate you trust and network with often, and challenge each other to continuously strive to reach these objectives.
As you consider your mission in life, you may want to use this final action step, Number Twenty-one, as your guidepost for the 21st Century: Chase Your Passion, Not Your Pension. Passion in your purpose will help you take control of your life, and also give you one other advantage that is not widely recognized: About ten more years of life, on average. Pursuit of a goal wears out very few people. But they rust out by the hundreds of thousands when their pursuit of happiness turns into a geriatric park.
A job is something you do for money. A career is something you do because you have an inner calling to do it. You want to do it. You love doing it. You're excited when you do it. And you'd do it even if you were paid nothing beyond food and the basics. You'd do it because it's your life.
