How To Succeed - Desire = Discipline = Focus

By Author: Brent Riggs
Total Articles: 22
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A lot of people want things, but few people actually make the changes in their lives that will result in the things they want.

When we speak of our wants, what we really are referring to is our desires. Just �wanting� something is not enough to cause that desire to happen. Desires will come to fruition only if we employ personal discipline to achieve them. To put it in other words, desire equals discipline. The following story explains what I mean:

A student approaches a teacher and declares, �I desire to learn from you.� The teacher responds, �Very well, follow me.� The teacher leads the student to the ocean and motions for him to follow into the water.

When they are about chest deep in the water, the teacher grabs the student and forces his head underwater. At first, the student is calm, thinking, �This is just part of some test. He will let me up in moment and I will impress him.� After a minute passes, the student begins to worry and struggle. Soon, he is desperately trying to surface and becomes frantic.

The teacher holds the student under ...
... the water to the point where the struggling ceases and the student almost passes out. Upon releasing him, the student angrily gasping for air shouts, �Are you crazy? You almost drowned me!�

The teacher gazes calmly in the student�s eyes and says, �Once your desire to learn from me is as strong as your desire to get a breath, then return to me, and I will teach you.�

A man who is drowning will do ANYTHING to get air. Real desire is proven by what you will do (discipline) to obtain that object of desire.

It requires real, undeniable desire if you want to find true success. A person may proclaim that he has a desire (�I want to start a home-based business�), but until he is willing to do whatever if necessary (discipline � making a plan, learning the internet business, executing the plan), it is only a statement of sentiment, not one of true desire.

Desire = Discipline

The authenticity of any desire you have is only as sincere and genuine as what you are willing to sacrifice to get it. What are you willing to give up? What will you need to re-prioritize? How will it change the way you spend your time and money? What choices would you be willing to make to get the object of your desire? Whatever the answer to these questions are for you, that is the true measurement of your desire.

In Part Two we�ll see how �focus� is the third vital aspect.