The Play of Your Life

When we think of a rehearsal we think of a practice. But have you ever considered that what we think is only a rehearsal.

The Play Begins When
The play only begins once we take action. We can think and think about things for a long time, but if we don’t take action, our thinking is only a rehearsal. Unfortunately some people come up with a great idea but it stops there. They do nothing more, they take no action and of course, the idea dies.

Easy To Talk
The same applies to talking. It is easy to talk about what we are going to do, but it doesn’t mean anything until we take action and make it happen. I have a friend that is an expert at this. He talks and talks, has great plans, but where he lacks is putting those plans into action. He is quick to criticize others and put down the way things are being done. But yet when he has an opportunity all he does is talk, and then the opportunity passes him by.

Far too many people assume that they only have to take a few steps to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes work, and usually there are setbacks and challenges that have to be overcome. There is no such thing as a great rich quick scheme and anyone who goes down that road will find more failure than success.

The fact of the matter is that sitting on a couch watching TV, or drinking, or playing a sport just cannot help towards success. It is a matter of being able to take action after action and never be dissuaded from moving forward by obstacles. It is giving up some of your free time to make you dream come true. In other words, short term pain for long term gain. Some people have this confused they want long term gain with short term work.

Stepping Stones
Obstacles crossed are simply stepping stones onward. Nothing is ever accomplished without some sort of challenge or obstacles. How you view the challenges that you face will determine your success. If you view them with determination, in that, you will find a way around them then in most cases you will. A challenge or an obstacle could be looked at as simply a test to see if you have the “will” to overcome them. Or they can stop you in your tracks. It is all dependant on your attitude.

The Real Test
The real test to what you want to achieve is how easy it is to give up. Or, more often than not, it is only a matter of finding an available excuse to quit. A great saying to remember is: “Quitters never win and winners never quit” believe and live this and you will succeed where others fail. Sometimes, people give up way to soon. The solution was just around the corner, however, when we give up it might as well be a mile down the road.

What Is It You Want
What is it you would like to achieve?

So, you have an opportunity to write your own play, a play where you can be in the lead role and there are thousands sitting in the audience applauding. The first thing to do is to sit down and create a play that ensures that there is a strategy where every move, every action, and each chapter is written in a clear dialogue that can be completely understood and followed. This will mean that your opening chapter of the play sets the scene so the main character in the play, this is you, knows where to go and what to say. Each chapter must be as clear and focused as the last and must lead into the next chapter without any gaps in what to do.

There will be times in the play that you might find that you have to somewhat rewrite your chapter because of small snags, or your props for the play must be redesigned. This is not an unusual occurrence so you must set out from the beginning realizing that a rewrite either small or large may just happen. There are no guarantees that every chapter unfolds just the way you originally intended.

As you know in any production, there is a reason to have a trial run or several rehearsals. This is a sound idea because this is the time where you can find that certain readjustments are vital if the play is to succeed. One of the best ways to rehearse your beginning play is to invite a small but critical audience of the best advisors you can find. These are not just a few people that you pick willy nilly but are people who know quite a lot about the total play having either witnessed first hand a similar kind of play, or have actually been in a production that accomplished the same end that you want.

It is the feedback from this rehearsal that will allow you to rewrite critical elements of the play so that mistakes or poor flow can be corrected before the opening night. After your rehearsal and all appears to be set properly, this is the time to go into full production. There is no better time than right now to set the stage, bring all parts of the play into reality, and go for that ear splitting applause.

Think About It
Think about what it is you want. Then, set realistic goals by asking yourself whether your goals are consistent with your own values? Communicate your goal. Write it down. Put time lines on your action plans. Verbally share it with someone you trust and who will support you.

Then, take action! The most critical part of success is not the idea, not the writing, not the talking, not the support you have, but the actual action you take! Start working toward your goals today.

Don’t let your ideas and goals be just a rehearsal. Take action and let them be the play of your life! There is a saying that goes like this:”Every life is a story, let yours be a best seller.” A great saying to remember as you move towards making your dreams more than a wish, you can make your dreams a reality!

Inspirational Quotes for Reflection:
“Never give up, and you will find that your success is just around that corner.” Batya Shevich

“Willingness to get going, concentrated effort, persistence and resilience in the face of obstacles all are crucial to success in achieving life goals.” George Harris

“Everyone chooses one of two roads in life – the old and the young, the rich and the poor, men and women alike. One is the broad, well-traveled road to mediocrity, the other road to greatness and meaning.” Stephen R. Covey

“If you keep your mind active, regularly take on mental challenges, and continually think about the right things, you will develop the disciplined thinking that will help you with whatever you endeavor to do.” John C. Maxwell

“Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them. . . they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.” Orison Swett Marden

“They who know how to employ opportunities will often find that they can create them; and what we can achieve depends less on the amount of time we possess than on the use we make of our time.” John S. Mill

“Life’s ups and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want.” Marsha Sinetar

“Remember that goals are not aspirations – they are not wishes that you want to have. They are things that you have to do.” Robert Gardner

“Achieving the life and success we desire is straightforward. It’s simply a case of understanding what we need to undertake to arrive at the required destination.” Dasrim Hasik