Napoleon Reflection

Build a stronger fire under your desire. Napoleon Hill from Chapter 9
Reading the great book again. Makes for a great read the 5th time.

What makes you build a stronger fire? Knowing. Knowing exactly what it is
you want. Picturing it. Picturing it in your mind so clearly that you could see
the color of the sky on the day that you go and get that which you desire.
So clearly that you could see the condition of your house, the smell of the
breeze and the color of your clothes. The mood of those around you.
Everything. When you could picture it so clearly that you can taste it and
you are not anxious about it, it when you are that many steps closer to
your goal. I always have believed that it is who you know not what you know,
since it always seemed to appear to me that way, but I am starting to believe
that those people that you need to meet appear when you mentally prepare
yourself to be in the position to meet that person. Did you ever notice that
the right people seem to appear when you are ready to meet them? They just
seem to come right at the perfect moment. Was it a plain coincidence or did the
attraction of your desire and the desire of the person to help coincide?
I dare to say the latter.

I can honestly say that as a child I was always singing and very dramatic, so
my Mom used to always say that I belonged on Broadway. I really never
gave it much thought since I knew she was saying it in a negative manner,
but today I believe she is right! I never really knew I could sing growing up.
I once had someone say, "You have the voice of a god! Can't you hear your
own voice?" and I truthfully tell them that really did not know. It was just
what I heard everyday and did not think twice about it. As a 10th grader,
I tried out for a play at school and made it to the call backs. I was thrilled.
At the audition, my good friend Gwen tried out too. I did not think she had
as good a voice as mine. She made it. I didn't. I sat.....for years...doing
nothing else. I allowed the auditioners decide my fate at that moment.
Not until after college did I get the courage to try again, this time, in church.
I walked up to the music minister and asked if I could cantor (a term we use
to describe a leader of song) and he asked me if I could read music. I told
him no, and he told me the same. Rejected again. So I settled for the choir.
Years later, someone asked me if I sang at Wedding Ceremonies. I told them
"YES!" (I never had before) It was a success. My Wedding business began.
Years passed by and we changed churches and to my surprise the very same
music minister appeared telling me I had such a beautiful voice. "Oh really?"
I said, "you told me I couldn't sing!" He immediately turned red and stammered,
"I did?" and I relayed the story to him of how he did not let me sing at the other
church years before. My persistence paid off! I wanted to sing and I kept on
trying until I succeeded.

One of my personal dreams is to be on BROADWAY so it was a curious thing to
listen to Napoleon Hill speak of a person making it on Broadway. He called it
the "graveyard of dead hopes and the front porch of opportunity." Wow.
What truth in that statement. Well, which is it? The graveyard or the porch
of opportunity? Only we get to choose. I choose the porch of opportunity.
It is not my job to worry about how the gate will open up onto the porch,
but instead it is my job to keep walking toward the gate,
know it will open and allow me to walk onto that porch of opportunity. Gosh,
I'd settle for a step...just to be close to the Great White Way. In the meanwhile,
I'm happy at whatever mic I could find wherever I could find it. That is my job
for today and I am learning to love it anyway.

All the Best,
Alicia