So what happens when you fall off your horse? According to John Maxwell, “Your own resolution to succeed counts for more than anything else.” (The Maxwell Leadership Bible, p. 910)

Hmmmmm….sounds something like having a burning desire doesn’t it? (See Building Belief with a Burning Desire to Succeed in Whatever You Set Your Mind To)

So what exactly does passion mean? I like this definition in Wikipedia:

“Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for anything and often requiring action.”

Passion couples emotion with action, the combination of which is essential to achieving success when going for any type of goal.

Removing emotion, feeling, desire, or enthusiasm from what I do makes me almost like a robot. I can work, work, work and completely burn out. There’s no spark to ignite that flame that becomes a blaze.

Removing action while keeping all the emotion makes me little more than a fan of my goals (a step above a mere spectator).

Last week I imagined myself being interviewed in the future. (See Handling Discouragement: Establishing New Goals)

Looking back from that time in the future…

What were my biggest challenges?

- Trusting myself enough to know I could accomplish what I set my mind to.

- Fearing what others thought; listening to my own “opinions” about that.

- Seeing myself as the person who could be successful at __________.

- Mañana syndrome…I can always do that tomorrow.

When did it turn for me?

- When I realized I had a purpose and a mission that involved others and went beyond myself.

- When I focused on where I was heading, rather than where I was currently at or where I had been before.

What did I do?

- I practiced looking 3, 4, and 5 steps ahead of me, instead of on that scary first step.

- I stopped questioning what others saw in me and began embracing it.

- I put others ahead of me always, focusing on how I could help them reach their goals.

- I became emotionally attached to my end result, my destination, my purpose fulfilled.

- I focused on what I could do today and then I did it.

“Your own resolution to succeed counts for more than anything else…”

Over the weekend I had dinner with a friend at a Chinese restaurant. I opened my fortune cookie today and read this message:

“You have the ability to touch the lives of many people.”

Uhhhhh…that was a clue, wasn’t it?

Several years ago I read an article by Robert G. Allen. A quote from that article has stayed with me ever since: “What if someone offered you ten million dollars to turn your life around right now? How much would it take for you to be motivated to perfect your relationships, to get in shape, to get your financial act together, to be a top salesperson, etc? What if you decided that YOU ARE THE BEFORE AND AFTER STORY?” What an intriguing

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