Reading 150, from The Greatness Guide
April 9, 2008
Powerful thought: Great achievement often happens when our backs are up against the wall. Pressure can actually enhance your performance…Staying in the safety zone — and coasting through life — never made anyone bigger…
I’ve never forgotten the story of the famed explorer Hernando Cortes. He landed on the shores of Veracruz, Mexico, in 1519. Wanted his army to conquer the land for Spain. Faced an uphill battle: an aggressive enemy, brutal disease and scarce resources. As they marched inland to do battle, Cortes ordered one of his lieutenants back to the beach with a simple instruction: “Burn our boats.” My kind of guy.
My notes:
I am just an ordinary person who is haunted by the possibilities of meaningfully changing my own life first and then impacting others. How do I follow the Saints I quote from? How do I control my anger without smiling falsely? In short, how do I become more human, more humane and yet feel at peace? How can I have the God experience? Which is the Way? Is there a Way at all for us to follow? I do not know. I only know that others before me have excelled in so much, following her or his own way. But there seem to be some universal laws which thrust us towards greater inner-peace, greater self-actualization. And Robin Sharma’s counsel is one of them. Cortes is indeed also, my man.
Image: Thanks for the Image.
April 15, 2008 at 12:25 am
Cortes was quite a guy indeed! The only thing the solders could do was to fight and win OR perish. And History says that they won!
Do or Die. Interesting Thought.
But the intention of his ordering the ships to be burnt could have been less heroic.