Andrew
Hunt for Greatness
Milton Kamwendo
Mr Henry Twells (1823–1900) penned a living and enduring poem entitled “Time’s Paces” that chronicles how time speeds up as one gets older. The poem was first published in Twell’s 1901 book entitled: “Hymns and Other Stray Verses”. The poem reads:
“When as a child I laughed and wept,
Time crept.
When as a youth I waxed more bold,
Time strolled.
When I became a full grown man,
Time RAN.
When older still I daily grew,
Time FLEW.
Soon I shall find, in passing on,
Time gone.
O Christ! wilt Thou have saved me then?
Amen.”
Such is the nature of time. You cannot store it, stop it or fight it. The best you can do is to use it or lose it. Time is the most vital resource in life and business. Those who do not value time do not value life. Time is a friend to those who have exciting and challenging visions and goals; while it is an enemy of those who procrastinate and consign everything to tomorrow. Wishing for greatness and doing nothing about it will not move anything forward.
Invest your time because it is your life. Use it wisely and diligently. Make every moment count by counting every moment. Never be caught by the illusion that you have a lot of time or the deception that you are indispensable. Live everyday like your time is just about to run out. Live everyday of your life as though it is the last day because one of these day it will truly be the last.
So what do you do with the time that you have?
Take time to think
Busy is good, but it has its snares. Sometimes we are so busy doing and doing and doing, and never take enough time to think. Thinking is what digestion is to eating. Take time to think strategically. Thinking in terms of the short-term, and the long-term. Take time to think methodically.
Take time to reflect and project. Take time to think creatively and examine different perspectives to issues. The popular and pedestrian view is not the only view. Take time to challenge your own assumptions and views. Take time to doubt your doubts and affirm your power-beliefs.
To aid your thinking consider asking questions that matter. Consider have a thinking schedule. Lay aside a few minutes everyday just to think. It could be a few minutes but those minutes will mean a lot for you in the days to come.
Consider recording your thoughts in a journal or as voice notes.
Take time to reach out
Relationships are the social glue that keeps life moving forward. Take time to reach out to people and build bridges and not walls. Build, establish and extend relationships, while taking time to refresh the current ones. Take time to write, call or speak to someone that you have not spoken to in a long time.
Relationships are build through an investment of time and effort. Relationships growth in the soil of time, and nutrients of attention. They require time to build and grow. Take time to remember the special times that others value. Take time to fellowship because it refreshes the soul and opens new frontiers of thought and understanding.
Fellowship is that amazing feeling of community and friendship that people get when they are talking, sharing, doing or experiencing something together. Investing time is fellowship and relationship building replenishes your soul.
Take time to read
Reading expands your world and does so much good for your mind and life. One of the hidden pleasures of life is reading. Investing time into reading will accelerate your greatness and save you a lot of time and wasted effort. Reading allows you to compress time and borrow time from others.
He that does not read has no advantage over he who cannot read. Take time to read something meaningful and inspiring. Make time daily to read and expand your world. After formal school some people never read more than a book in two or years. Some people do not even remember when they last read a book. That is regrettable because reading is an accelerator of greatness.
Great leaders are great leaders, because they are always investing their time in the search for ideas. One powerful idea can transform your life generationally. They take time to read widely and deeply. Read in a way and format that works for you.
Wherever you travel always make a point to visit a good bookstore. When you visit a friend, ask to see their bookshelf. The quality of your life is related to the quality of your reading. Take time to share with others what you read and to think about what you would have read.
Eric Hoffer, a man whose life was transformed through reading cautioned: “In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” Do not be left behind because you are hung up on old irrelevant ideas. You will have wasted you time.
Take time to recreate
Play is the essence of creativity. Take time to play, recreate, break from the routine and creatively play. Take time to do things that replenish you. Take time to laugh and enjoy life. Life is not what is going to happen, but what is happening now.
Remember the old adage: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. All play and no work makes jack a mere joke. Take time for self-care and personal balancing. We must always take other people seriously, but we must never take ourselves too seriously.
Play is good for the mind and perfect for the body. Take time to enjoy life and make the most of every moment. The reason why young children are rarely depressed is that they take time to play.
One of Mr Stephen Covey’s 7 habits related to self-renewal and its called: “Sharpen the Saw”. Covey says: “Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have — you. It means having a balanced programme for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, you create growth and change in your life. Sharpen the Saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. You increase your capacity to produce and handle the challenges around you. Without this renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it?”
Take time to be aware
You do not have the luxury to sleep-walk through life. For some people, life passes by while they are wish for a special moment that never arrives. This moment of your life is happening perfectly. Take time to be in this moment. Take time to be present and be aware of the beauty and lessons of this moment. Take time to smell a flower and enjoy the hot coffee, or a glass of water.
Love this moment and enjoy all of it. Take time to make the most of now. You can not be in yesterday because that is gone. Do not live in the past when the present is here.
You can be in tomorrow because that has not come yet. The best moment of your life is now. Be present and aware. Be willing, engaged and motivated to live your best and give this moment your best. Greatness is not coming, it is already here. Live this day like a day of your dreams because it is a special moment that others wished for and could not experience.
Take time to do great things!
Committed to your greatness.
Milton Kamwendo is a leading international transformational and motivational speaker, author, and a virtual, hybrid and in-person workshop facilitator. He is a cutting-edge strategy, team-building and organisation development facilitator and consultant. His life purpose is to inspire and promote greatness. He can be reached at: [email protected] and His website is: www.miltonkamwendo.com
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