I do not believe man has even begun to realize who he is or what he can become. So far he has been playing it by ear, following paths of least resistance… – Louis L’Amour, Education of a Wandering Man
Regular Thought for the Day readers are familiar enough with Louis L’Amour, so we won’t bother with the introductory paragraph, though we will say it is a typical L’Amour quote because he followed paths of significant resistance and withdrew every possible benefit from the talents he was born with.
I do not believe man has even begun to realize who he is or what he can become…
The sentiment in today’s Thought has shown itself in various forms throughout history. Inventor Thomas Edison said us humans would astound ourselves if we did what we were capable of. Comedian George Carlin said our species could have been so great but instead we settled for salad shooters and shoes with lights on them.
… following paths of least resistance.
It’s human nature to take the path of least resistance, to stray from the life we were meant to live. It might seem easier but, really, though, a life on your path has the least resistance. It may not seem like it at first. You have things to accomplish and after the first hopeful, optimistic moments pass you are faced with a mountain that must be climbed and the courage and patience required to reach the summit seem daunting. The specter of both failure and success await you.
But once you muster the courage to go and climb and you find the patience to stick with it, you will find that all things will come to you, that what was meant to happen in your life generally will happen. You will look back and realize that everything you wanted was and is on your path. All you had to do was to go and get it.
Those who say we really have no idea what we can accomplish are right. We may not live down the ages like Thomas Edison. Or we might. It’s of no particular consequence. What matters is that we answer the calling that is inside each of us.
The biggest obstacle to this generally looks us in the mirror every morning. If we can overcome that obstacle and make our time serve us, the results we get might astound us.
The Thought for the Day runs regularly. Quotes are from Gaylon’s private stock.
