“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”
I once asked my dear friend Thomas what he would do if his son was the boy depicted in the little story below. Thomas said he would be so proud of his son. I laughed so hard, but I understood why he said that.
A little boy was taken to church by his parents. They did not take him to children church as they ought to have, but for some reason, went with the boy to the main auditorium. As usual, the boy would be playful and hyperactive. (Hats off to mum who raised four guys-including me!) Anyway, the boy in his hyperactivity just could not sit down, no matter what his parents did. His actions kept distracting other people in the church service. His parents tried all the diplomacy in the world to make him sit, but they were not successful.
Finally, the dad in exasperation actually FORCED HIM PHYSICALLY to sit, and gave him a thorough warning that the repercussions would be catastrophic if he dared stand up from his forced locked co-ordinates! The dad heaved a sigh of relief seconds later knowing that he had won the war, only for the child to blurt out angrily, “Dad, I might be sitting down on the outside, but I am still standing up on the inside!” Bummer! Believe me, I would pay top dollar to have a glimpse on the look of his parents’ faces, I honestly would.
Relentlessness is so key in life today. Especially for a Visionary. Dreams, visions and purposes never take shape in a day. They are hatched over time. It is a Process Issue. You must understand and respect Process. As the process keeps going, you tend to come against odds, obstacles and all the reasons in the world not quit altogether and choose the path of least resistance.
To be relentless, you must stock up enough personal power inside of you. I have just been reading a story of Mother Teresa, quite inspiring. One thing is for sure, by the time the world came to notice that little nun in Calcutta, she had been so relentless against the odds over several obstacles.
You might think that now that you have a vision to fulfil, everything else goes in alignment with you. That might very well be true. It is also true that insurmountable pressure will rise up against you. This is where your dream and vision are tested to the core. The temptation to give up is so great. Our brains don’t like pressure. But you will have to stick it out to the very end. Remember this words? “write the vision down….though it delays, in THE END, it will come to pass”
The vision does not come to pass in the middle, or at the beginning, it becomes true IN THE END. The world is filled with so many starters and so few finishers. Relentlessness is a function of inner conviction that wont just go away. Yes sometimes you might be totally derailed. Sometimes you might not be living your dreams as you would intend. But I challenge you to keep the embers of your vision, the fire of your dream alive in your heart.
Do this one thing: Write your vision down, look at it every single day, whether things are bad or good. Keep it alive and burning. Choose to be relentless. Tell the world “I might be sitting on the outside, but I am very much standing on the inside”! Be relentless and strike back! Remember, “He who does not tire, tires adversity”.