All of your adventures begin as a thought. Each new thought that you
think is the seed for a new adventure.
The thought behind the catamaran in this picture is speed. The
designer wanted a fast cat capable of sailing three to four-hundred
miles a day. Although this cat was based in New Caledonia, it regularly
sailed to New Zealand and Australia to participate in racing events.
The yacht is blazingly fast, having sailed from New Caledonia to New
Zealand in as little as three days.
I recently saw a picture of this catamaran without a mast. It had
capsized in Australia while sailing at high speed, and the mast broke
off just above the deck.
When I thought about catamarans, I didn't think about speed. I thought
about safety and comfort, and when we started our circumnavigation, our
cat ended up being safe and comfortable. That's what happens when you
use your mind in a constructive manner and think a sailing adventure
into your life.
It's exciting to realize that thoughts are the building blocks for
adventure. Anyone who can think has everything they need to make their
life into an unforgettable adventure. You build your future thought by
thought. That means, if you want to have an adventure, you will build
it thought by thought. If you really want to move in the direction of
your dreams, then you need to focus on the thoughts that take you
there..
God gave you a mind, and He expects you to use it to make your life into
what you want it to be. Think an adventure into your life. There is no
limit to how good your life can become.
THE TWO HARDEST THINGS TO DO IN LIFE
What are the two hardest things to do in life?
The first is to think an original thought.
The second is to discover true limitations - to describe the full
envelope of human possibility beyond which no one can go.
I don't think I've ever come up with an original thought. I have
been a physician for more than thirty years, and have traveled twice
around the world, and I'm still looking for my first original thought.
A couple of times, I thought I'd come close, but on further reflection,
my original thoughts turn out to be the rediscovery of ancient truth.
I've also never discovered any true limitations. Although I've
faced many difficult challenges, I've never come face to face with the
impossible. The envelope of possibility is exceedingly large, and I
always stop well before I reach my limits.
Limitations are my safe harbor from the storms of life. Once my
anchor is down in Limitations Bay, I have the perfect refuge from
my dreams. The battle is over and surrender's white flag flaps in
the breeze.
In the 1400's, sailors pulled up their anchors and hoisted their sails
embarking on voyages of discovery. The lived in a flat world full
of limitations, and they decided to sail off its edge. And when
they did it, they discovered that the world was round, and the only
place the limitations ever existed was in their mind.
I'm still working on an original thought, and as far as my limitations
are concerned, none are in sight. It's time to live as if my
dreams are possible and work each day to make them happen. It's
time to act as if I cannot fail.
Limitations are a test to see if I am willing to do whatever it takes to
make my dreams come true. I'm hoisting my anchor and raising my
sails, and I don't think I'll sail off the edge of the world
anytime soon.
