Peaks and Valleys

By Janet Walgren

“One of the greatest tragedies we witness almost daily is the tragedy of men of high aim and low achievement. Their motives are noble. Their proclaimed ambition is praiseworthy. Their capacity is great. But their discipline is weak. They succumb to indolence. Appetite robs them of will”.

~ Gordon B. Hinckley, 1979

 

What are you aiming for? Is your goal high? Nobel? Is your target even worth aiming for in the first place? Have you prioritized your targets? Do you even have a target that you are aiming for?

 

What is indolence? Have you succumbed to indolence?

 

Do you have an appetite for things that you shouldn’t touch? Perhaps you need to go on a diet and time limit some things that are OK in moderation.

 

What robs you of will?

 

I love my job. For quite some time now I have been interviewing multimillionaires, people who have made mega fortunes. Then I get to write their stories for a project. Interestingly, I have found that those with the greatest successes have started from the deepest valleys – places that few would want to go.

 

One of the women I interviewed this week made an interesting observation and comparison. She told me to imagine that I was lying in a hospital bed staring at the monitor watching it record my vital signs. She asked, “Do you want to see a flat line or peaks and valleys?”

 

The answer to that was obvious!

 

And such is life…

 

She taught me a new gratitude for the challenges, the peaks and valleys of life.