A thought crossed my mind as I walked gracefully through the Huntsville airport wearing a winter jacket. The thought wasn’t that I looked good, which I did – virtually dazzling, as I glided to my gate, captivating the ladies in the process. But no; it wasn’t that thought. This was the thought that hit me: “we can tell a thing or two about a traveler’s destination by how they’re dressed.”
A person wearing a winter jacket in Huntsville looks weird until you realize they’re traveling to Detroit in the middle of winter. In the same vein, a person wearing summer shorts and slides in Detroit in the middle of winter looks absolutely ridiculous, until you realize they’re headed to a beach in Hawaii! I realize this is hardly a novel discovery; it’s common sense. But it hit me hard!
We can tell a thing or two about where your life is headed by the decisions you’re making today. How you use time – including your downtime; how you treat people; your outlook on life; and how you prepare for the future you envision. All these readily tell us how you’re expecting your life to unfold.
The individual who drives the same used car for 10 years in order to save up money to buy their first real estate property is certainly “wearing a winter jacket in Huntsville”. Especially if his friends were buying new cars, and “living large” while he saved. He probably would’ve had to defend himself and his decision over and over. But the appeal of his plans would fuel his discipline in the process of accomplishing his objective.
The habits of excellence which lead to greatness are mostly not “sexy”. We must continue practicing them with every opportunity we get. Even though others might think we’re crazy, we know that we’re dressed for where we’re headed; not where we are.
So, watch yourself! The way you’re living today is tangibly influenced by the future you see for yourself.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ugo is an energetic and dynamic youth leader and the president of the nonprofit NEU Gen Leaders. He is the author of 2 books – Secrets of Academic Excellence and The NEU Era. He can be reached at [email protected].