"COAL TO A DIAMOND"

                               

                                               The Process of Reaching Goals

            How many times have you heard someone say, “like coal to a diamond?” Well, I’m here to bust this myth wide open because diamonds aren’t actually formed from coal, but do share some of the same elements, such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen to help the process along 

            Anyway, we get the gist. Because if coal really did form expensive gems, we’d have our own mine in the backyard. The point is reaching our goals is often like coal forming into a diamond.

            The whole diamond process might be impossible, but our goals aren’t. However, much like these precious stones we need some non-chemical elements to turn our dreams into reality.

            For one, vision. Most of us lack this part of the process. We hope and dream, but that’s really all it is without vision. The state of being able to see, it what vision means. You must see yourself achieving whatever goals you’ve set for your future. Don’t be intimidated by setbacks, criticism and overall negativity. No one else knows what you’re capable of better than you do.

            The second is lack of faith.  Having complete confidence in yourself is so necessary to goal setting and completion. Without faith in oneself, there is really no point in continuing. The biblical definition of faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

            Okay, I know this sounds contradictory of what I first said about envisioning your dreams. But really it isn’t. Instead supports this important truth of being visionaries. To see your dreams or whatever goal you’re trying to obtain, you need faith.

            Mainly because in life there are no guarantees, except taxes and death. Nevertheless, to support your dreams you must step out on faith, the substance of things hoped for, without any evidence it will come to fruition at the end.

            This takes us to our third step, determination. If you hold to the first two elements, then I have little doubt you can obtain whatever it is in life you’ve set your sights on. Staying resolute in your quest, although there may be obstacles along the journey, but holding steadfast to your goals will help to achieve them.

            Passion for your dreams is another key element in achieving your goals. Passion is a or the driving force behind any successful person or persons. It should be so strong that others can feel it without you ever voicing it. It is like the oxygen we breathe to sustain life, without it our careers choke and die.

            All goals require action for any of our dreams to come to pass. If you have vision, are passionate about those dreams, but lack action and do nothing to spur them along, then what’s the point. It’s the same as turning off the lights on all your goals and calling it a night. Some of the most powerful verbs in the English vocabulary are sometimes so small in stature, but pack a major wallop. If you ever need a boost, look up a few of them.

            Discipline is an equally essential element of reaching goals. It is the most important part of any driving force. You must learn how to focus, and maintain a willingness to endure. It is something achieved over time, like a diamond. That takes years to form, but is diligent until the process is completed.

            Support is the last element needed to help us on the journey to our dreams. We would like to say we don’t need anyone’s help. But the truth is you do. We all need people in our corner holding us up by way of a support system. Through encouragement, honesty and sometimes a good swift kick in the rear to help get us back on track.

            In the end, the process might take years before we see our dreams become reality, but remember, just like a diamond, we’ll come through shining brightly in the end.