Early one morning I looked out of my window and saw a beautiful day.
Too nice to be inside – I grabbed my camera and my coffee and went out to capture some photos. Within the hour, I was sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial watching our nation wake up.
As I looked out over the reflecting pool, I noticed a young man running along the gravel path that was alongside it. He was running at a really fast clip and seemed to have a destination to his route.
Sure enough, up the steps he ran until he was standing almost in front of me. He seemed to be looking for something. It was almost simultaneously that we both realized that I was sitting right above where he was meant to be – the step with the engraved destination (above).
I watched as he stood looking out over the National Mall with an abundance of energy that was palpable. After a few minutes (which seemed like an hour because of the intensity of his concentration and visualization), he took off running back down the steps and along the path from which he had come.
There was no doubt in my mind that whatever this young man wanted to achieve, he would be able to accomplish his goals based on his speed, determination and vision.
Definitely not an “I kind of have an idea” type of guy.
This experience brought me back to a time in college when I was in the spring semester of my senior year. I was taking a class in Perception and Psychophysics that was not an easy course for me. Additionally, as my professor had written our textbook, comprehensive knowledge of the material was crucial.
I decided to camp out in the corner of the library that overlooked the stage where graduation was to be held. Whenever I struggled through a chapter or needed to study for an exam, I would start by looking out of the window to visualize myself graduating. Sure enough, I passed the course easily, obtained my degree and went on the graduate school.
Wayne Gretzky once said “skate to where the puck will be”. You’d be amazed at what can happen when you apply his wisdom to your life.
I’ve found this is true not only with individual goals but with life experiences as well. We decide what the important lessons will be from the experiences we have and how they will shape our lives. And we can use these lessons to propel us forward – to skate to where the puck will be.
Are their limits to your potential?
How have your experiences shaped who you are?
Where do you want the puck to be?
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