Open The Roads: Wisdom From The Wright Brothers
When reflecting on the future of aviation, Wilbur Wright of Wright Brothers fame remarked -
"It is not really necessary to look too far into the future; we see enough already to be certain it will be magnificent. Only let us hurry and open the roads."
And thus my thoughts today focus on the delicate "balance" that is having a vision and taking action. Dreaming vs. doing if you will...the belief I hold is that while both vision and action are important, we should err on the side of taking action, and agree wholeheartedly with Wilbur's take on the subject more than a century ago.
This is a quote I have lived by daily during my six years of coaching swimming & diving here at Liberty, and I share this concept often with the women on our team. The accomplishments we have earned thus far in our short six year history...the records we have set...the meets we have won...all will be eclipsed in the future, by better teams and faster student-athletes. I work hard and push our women knowing that we play a small role in the future success of our program, and I strive daily to open the roads for said success. I love the building process, and find great joy and excitement in working the process.
I believe we should take more action then. Do. Create. Work. Train. We should set aside time to plan and dream...yes. I do consider vision a form of creation as well, but far better is a vision steadily realized through process driven action steps than remaining locked away, floating aimlessly in the minds of mankind throughout time.
What an exciting era it was for the Wright Brothers back then, and they instinctively knew they were on the forefront of a technological revolution that would change the course of history for all-time. How blessed we should feel to be in a similar position today, knowing that our contributions now, our action steps taken now, will "open the roads" for future generations and leaders in our respective fields.
Whether it be sport, business, education, construction, the arts...whatever your profession, whatever your life's cause, work today knowing that you are paving the way for future greatness and Excellence in your craft, and attack the here and now with the same ferocity that Wilbur and Orville showed in the infancy of aviation. Imagine if we all took this concept to heart...imagine if across all industries and all professions, every American worked with the vigor seen in Wilbur's charge to "hurry, and open the roads." Action. Take action. Imagine the cumulative effect this attitude, if said attitude once again took hold throughout this great nation, would have across a multitude of disciplines. The future is bright indeed, and we must make haste Now, Now, Now, in order see said future in all the splendor of its fullest potential.
Some questions to ask daily -
1. Do I have a vision for my professional life? My personal life?
2. Do I have an action plan? Have I listed some detailed steps to take to achieve the aforementioned vision?
3. Have I taken action today to move me in the direction of my goals, dreams, vision?
4. Am I attacking my goals and visions with the fanaticism only seen from the Giants throughout history?
5. If Wilbur Wright were my life coach, how would he grade my actions and output today?
