The Path

I’m sure you’ve heard this quote before

Keep your eyes on the prize

You might have heard that quote a number of times, or you might have heard this one by Russell Simmons from his book Do You

“I know some people say “Keep your eyes on the prize,” but I disagree. When your eyes are stuck on the prize, you’re going to keep stumbling and crashing into things. If you really want to get ahead, you’ve got to keep your eyes focused on the path.”

Effort

I think the wisdom behind both of these viewpoints is simply to have a vision of where you want to end up, but keep your mind focused on the now. To know your goals, and keep them in front of you. As Stephen Covey said, “keep the end in mind.” But remember, we only have power in the present, in fact, it’s all we ever have. If you don’t have a destination in mind you may end up wherever the current of life takes you. You are the architect of your life, but you only build that life by focusing on your present actions.

Don’t try to build a wall. Just lay a brick. But lay that brick as perfectly as you can and continue to put in that same effort day after day. -Will Smith