For those of us with goals that burn as brightly as our sun, I offer another quote to help us create more of the results we desire. The quote is yet again from Robert Collier, who was an author, authority on the Law of Attraction, and motivational master. It is this: The strength of a chain doesn’t lie in its strongest link; but in its weakest. It’s easy to imagine a chain–pulled taut under great forces–snapping at a weak point. We, too, have such links.

What are our links? Character traits with the potential to hinder or break the outcomes we desire. For the purposes of this article, I’m going to rename them deciding links, which I believe is more appropriate. The three reasons: 1. The term is positive; whereas weak might imply a wrongness about us, which is not the case. 2. A deciding link–in much the same way as a weak link–often determines whether our efforts will be strong enough to meet with success. 3. A deciding link--at least in my opinion–is a trait that we, on some level, have accepted, either consciously or subconsciously. Great achievers do not accept their traits as fated inheritance; instead they decide how they will be in the world, and thereby create their own destiny.

And how may we discover our deciding links? To my knowledge, there is only one way: through honest introspection. If we’re unwilling to look deeply at ourselves, and remain open to change, our positive desires will almost certainly remain lifeless wishes. The process if not for the faint of heart, for it involves deliberate evolution. It involves choosing to look, rather than turning a blind eye; choosing to be courageous, rather than hiding behind our fears. The following is only a partial list of deciding links:

• Indecision: Perhaps the most important link. If we lack the ability to decide what we want, we’ll remain unable to move forward deliberately. I’m not suggesting that we should rush the process. Vague feelings of inward discontent often signal that we desire change; it may just be that we yet don’t know what we truly desire. We might remember that not deciding is actually a decision in itself, one that can keep us mired in the same place, wishing for life to get better of its own accord.
• Procrastination: When we delay performing tasks that could be done today, we are consciously or subconsciously delaying the achievement of our goals. An attitude of it-can-wait-until-tomorrow often creates the habit of waiting until never.
• Pride: If we’re unwilling–due to ego–to ask for help when required, we sabotage our dreams and goals. There are plenty of people who are willing to help, but we must be willing to ask. We do ourselves a great favour by stepping out from the shadow of ego and asking for assistance.
• Disorder: The opposite of discipline, disorder greatly limits our degree of success. We might also think of it as lack of focus or will power. When we are disciplined, we’re able to give ourselves a command and follow a task through to completion. Unlike disorder, discipline paves the way toward achievement.
• Indolence: A polite term for laziness, indolence literally takes us nowhere. If we’re unwilling to rise up from the couch of our own indolence and reach for our dreams, we would be wise to realize that a mythical servant is not waiting to hand their achievement to us.
• Impatience: Achievement takes time, patience, and persistent effort. Unless we’re willing to work and wait–faithful to what we desire–our greatest vision may well remain a distant mirage.

So there we have a few of our deciding links. There are many more. Every person has his or her own; we are all unique. Often we do not wish to accept such links; for we may view them as flaws, or aspects of ourselves that we would prefer to leave in the dark. However, it is when we bring such links into the light that we may change them. The decision to do so, of course, is up to us.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

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