Desire is...

That is my profile for this month – Desire is… I was inspired by words written by my beloved brother, my mentor, on his profile on a social media page. He wrote: DESIRE IS THE STARTING POINT OF SUCCESS. The first thing that will contribute to reaching your goal is that you simply want to reach it badly enough. You must learn how to desire with sufficient intensity to be successful. Although these words inspire me, I haven’t had time to digest them. I have been hanging on to my initial thoughts, hoping by writing this blog article I will have further insight into those words. Individual words/combinations jump out at me – 1- starting point; 2- contribute; 3- goal; 4- badly enough; 5- sufficient intensity; 6- successful.

1-     ‘Starting point’ is where a journey begins. Imagine a race, the starting point is the point at which the change in velocity is highest because the runner is moving from a zero speed to some speed. It is an essential point in any journey because it sets the pace of the rest of the journey. It is you picking up that first book that will eventually lead you to a degree 18 years later; making that first step towards a girl you admire who will eventually be the woman besides you when you are 80; it is picking up your pen to write that letter of motivation that will eventually set you up for the position of CEO… It is deliberate, focused and purposeful.

2-     ‘Contribute’ means something is adding its effect on something else to produce a result. It is not just the energy that the runner puts into his/her first step – there is floor resistance, traction, and other factors that come together to make a good starting point. In as much as you may count on your ability to sell yourself at a job interview, remember the interviewer may be wondering why you are wearing a yellow tie over a grey shirt.

3-     What’s the point of starting anything if you don’t have a ‘goal’ in mind? The goal is the result of efforts and contributing elements and their impact. It is hardly ever objective, because it is framed in our individual minds and will not necessarily be the same conclusion another person may want given the same circumstances.

4-     ‘Badly enough’ is a metaphorically expression of strong yearning – it is desperation at its extreme, for something or a goal you have set for yourself. This again is subjective, how ‘bad’ is badly enough? What are your measuring units to that craving? Does it reach a state of extreme deprivation that you feel your life depends on it and you can’t go on, literally, if you don’t get it?

5-     Who determines the sufficiency of ‘intensity’? Simply put – where is that point where energy and other contributing factors propel you to your goal?

6-     Does reaching your goal mean you are ‘successful’? Is success ultimate or stratified? Can you quantify or qualify success?

I have mentioned in previous articles things get done in my life before the deadlines I set for myself, most often with less effort and lesser contributing factors that I envisaged at the starting point. Does that reflect how much I desired those things? Did I desire with sufficient intensity and wanted it so badly that forces of nature combined with spiritual forces thrust me to my goal at a speed faster than the change in velocity at my starting point? Is this what is called luck? Then I have had more lucks than I deserve. Were those my 15 minutes of charm? Then 15 minutes in H Jackson Brown Jr’s world is like 15 years in mine.

‘You can get by on charm for about 15 minutes. After that, you better know something’ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

It must have been DESIRE –

“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.” Napoleon Hill

There is one thing I desire this month, I’ll let you know when I get it.