Letting Go of Success
by Steve Goodier
I want to make the most of every day. And, like most people, I’ve discovered
that the best way to do it is to let go of past failures.
But that’s not all. One can never fully enjoy today while dwelling too much on
past successes, either. People never succeed while resting comfortably on their
laurels. As Ivern Ball has said, "The past should be a springboard, not a
hammock." The fact is, sometimes our successes hold us back more than our
failures!
I once heard a story about the actor Clark Gable. A friend paid Gable a visit
one afternoon at the actor’s home. She brought along her small son, who amused
himself by playing with toy cars on the floor. He pretended he was racing those
cars around a great track, which in reality was an imaginary circle around a
golden statuette. The small statue the boy played with was actually the Oscar
Clark Gable won for his performance in the 1934 movie It Happened One Night.
When his mother told him the time had come to leave, the little boy asked the
actor, "Can I have this?" pointing to the Oscar.
"Sure," he smiled. "It’s yours."
The horrified mother objected. "Put that back immediately!"
Giving the child the golden statue, Clark Gable said, "Having the Oscar around
doesn’t mean anything to me; earning it does." The actor seemed to know that
past success could be a comfortable hammock upon which he may be tempted to
rest, rather than a springboard launching him to the next level.
Biblical wisdom says, "Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what
happened long ago." You may have learned to let go of past failures and mistakes
in order to free the present. But will you loosen your grip on past successes
and achievements in order to free the future? Will your past be a springboard or
a restful hammock?
"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past," said
Thomas Jefferson. I agree. After all, the future, not the past, is where the
rest of your life will be lived.
Steve Goodier
Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional speaker, consultant and
author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information, or to sign up for
his FREE newsletter of Life, Love and Laughter at
http://LifeSupportSystem.com.