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“The smallest action always surpasses the greatest intention.”

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2017-03-07) from his book, No Limits: Blow the CAP Off Your Capacity (p. 226). Center Street. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

I wake up five days a week with the intention of finding a thought that will make a difference in your day.  Now it is not the intention that gets it done, it is the keeping at it till it is done that makes it happen.    

 John says, “Life is not a dress rehearsal. There are no do-overs for days, weeks, or years that we waste. We get only one shot at life, and whatever we fail to do will be left undone. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to finish life with a bunch of regrets. I’d like to live in such a way that I create a list of hundreds of failed attempts rather than a list of regrets for things I’d failed to attempt. I am determined to make a difference in the time I have on earth.”

He goes on, “How can you make sure you don’t end up with a long list of regrets? Be deliberate. Too many people think that good intentions are enough to make a difference. They’re not. Good intentions are overrated. The smallest action always surpasses the greatest intention.”

He then says, “When I was a kid, one of my dad’s favorite riddles was this: “Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump into the water. How many are left?” What do you think the answer is? If you said one, you missed the point. There are still five. Deciding isn’t doing. You need to act— deliberately— to accomplish anything.”

Earlier he said, “People usually don’t quit striving for their dream because the dream isn’t worthy. They quit because they aren’t willing to pay the price. They’re not willing to follow through with the daily disciplines needed to achieve the dream. To be successful, we need to do what we should, even when it hurts. Self-discipline is the fuel that keeps you going.”


So, what do you intend to do today to help make your dream come true?
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