"Make No Little Plans. They Have No Magic to Stir Men's Blood"

So in an effort to appease the class after a difficult test, my Business Law and Ethics teacher made a SAEL event an option for extra credit. I did alright on the test, but I figured that I would go anyway. The event was a presentation on "Maximizing Your Unique Potential" by Craig Donaldson. It was pretty awesome. I alway love a good motivational speaker to get focused on goal setting and helping me realizing that I can and should be reaching higher.

He started off with a video clip where Les Brown talks about why people fail in life. He said "What we do and what we accomplish in life is only the tip of the ice burg of what we could accomplish." Later he said "Some people fail in life not because they aim to high and miss but because they aim too low and hit, or they don't aim at all."

Another good quote from the talk was by Devere Harris "Where you end up in life is bounded by two things. You will never end up higher than your dreams, and you will never end up lower than your standards."

He suggested a book to us: "Success is a Choice" by Rick Pitino.
I agree that so many things in life come down to our choices. Although it is true that things can happen to us that are out of our control, whether we succeed or fail is up to us. Our goals, our vision, our standards and our choices will effect how our lives turn out.

"If it is to be . . . it is up to me" - I am responsible for my life.

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element" - Johan Von Goethe

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life,

or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”

                                    -David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens

"Compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake. We make use of a small part of our physical and metal resources" - William James

"Winning individuals do not leave the development of their potential to chance. They pursue it systematically and look forward." - John Gardner

He made another good point: If you don't make your life turn out the way you want it to, who will?
-What is the life that you have imagined for yourself?

"I have learned this... that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Henry David Thoreau


I am really glad that I went (and no, not just because I got free pizza). I have been thinking about my goals lately and what I want to accomplish. I have some thoughts of going after a Master's once I graduate, and a vague idea of where I want to be working. Once I get finished with these midterms I will take a few minutes and really think about the direction I want my life to go. So exciting!

Well I'd better get back to studying. I want to do even better on this test than the last one :)