Do you choose the past or the future?

One of the main weaknesses of mankind is the average man's familiarity with the word 'impossible.' - Napoleon Hill

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Before I turned 18 -- that is, before I became an adult in the legal sense --, I had already had 4 standing ovations. Two for academic excellence, and two for winning two literary awards (in 1986 and 1987).

I'm not mentioning this to brag because I know quite well I have severe deficiencies that came as a natural result of focusing too much on academics.

I'm mentioning this because strangely enough, I don't have the same conception of "impossible" that most people have.

So what happens is that in my life, I've tried things or pursued challenges that most people usually consider as "patently impossible." They probably secretly think I'm crazy!

People often say I'm an idealist, and unfortunately, they don't mean it as a compliment!

It is only recently that I discovered something that had eluded me all these years. I was reading a biography of John F. Kennedy, and the author described him as "an idealist without illusions."

I thought to myself, "What a powerful combination of words! This is the success secret I've been searching for!"

You see, I was an idealist WITH illusions. (Note: partly as a result of this realization, I slowly developed the framework for the BMW workshop to help first-time entrepreneurs FACE the reality of their performance --- details at www.businessmodelworkout.blogspot.com).

You might consider in which category you fall into:

1. You are an idealist WITH illusions (about yourself, society, the world, etc.)
2. You are a realist who has no illusions, but you have no ideal (something perfect and beautiful that you strive to attain or achieve)
3. You are an idealist without illusions (you have a clear vision of what you want in life ultimately, AND you have no illusions about the obstacles, fears, resistance, etc. that you have to face and overcome in order to realize your vision)

While thinking about all this, I suddenly remembered something that a Texan billionaire once said: "To achieve success, you have to clearly answer two questions: What exactly is it that you want? And are you willing to pay the price to get it?"

The first question, of course, refers to your vision of the ideal life. The second question has to do with your willingness to face reality, so that you can slowly get rid of all your illusions.

Indeed, I think the "price" to pay is not necessarily time or money. It is, rather, a chunk of yourself, a part of your biographical history.

If you are like most people, you are emotionally attached to your past. But I think we all come to a point where we have to choose either the past or the future.

People who choose the past over the future, will tend to repeat what they've always done before. As the saying goes, "Better the devil we know than the one we don't."

People who choose the future -- and there are very few of those people -- have made the courageous decision to let go of their past. They still respect their past, but they've learned the lessons they needed to learn, and have moved on. They are also moving toward an ideal future they have envisioned in their mind and heart, while being fully aware of their strengths, weaknesses and the obstacles to overcome on the way there.