Years ago (which always sounds weird to me when I say it given my age- but it’s the truth) in my Disney days I stumbled across a really cool piece in an Art of Disney store. It was a collection of quotations by Walt Disney that were etched onto glass which was shaped like a cut rock. There were like 3 or 4 different quotes, but one of them immediately struck me.
“You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world…but it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
Since I’ve always been passionate about training and development, this quote has continually and perfectly captured a piece of my soul- that without great people, nothing else matters. It was a beautiful desk piece with an even more beautiful and profound message.
I should have bought it.
I don’t know why I didn’t right there on the spot- but I didn’t. To this day I cannot remember what ridiculous reasoning would have led me to that dumb decision. But even without the piece, the quote and its spirit have remained with me forever.
And that’s profound- because rarely in life can you find the perfect combination of words that says so much with so little. That ideal phrase that simply and elegantly explains great depths of thought and principle. Like a true work of art- the words are beautiful at a glance and masterful as they are studied. No wonder you would want that sitting on your desk everyday- keeping your mind focused on what’s right.
Which is why for years in my training and coaching when someone says something truly profound I have often responded “put that on a rock on your desk.”
Because when you can find a simple statement that can capture so much and keep you so centered, you want it to feel permanent. And you want it there every time you look up, reminding you of what really matters.
This year my tireless efforts and relentless pursuit of Walt’s words have paid-off as I am now in a job where every day through training and development I am impacting the people I work with to make our company better. That rock on the desk of my mind has kept me focused in my pursuit of my dream and the rewards are really starting to materialize.
And then, last weekend at a charity yard sale, sitting half-covered in bin full of knick-knacks,
I found that rock.
When chasing a dream it’s important to have a constant focus. So ask yourself this question-
What would you put on a rock on your desk?
If I did this my desk would likely look like a quarry. That's how much focus my brain needs.
ReplyDeleteI've always been partial to the following quote:
What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
-- Robert Schuller
It reminds me that I am more often the biggest barrier to my own success. I find when I doubt my ability to succeed at something, this phrase brings into focus that it is better to fail for a lack of ability than it is to fail for a lack of trying.