This morning I was listening to the latest EntrepreneurOnFire episode with John Lee Dumas. His guest, Ryan Holiday (The Obstacle is the Way) shared this success quotation:
“Some lack the fickleness to live as they wish and just live as they have begun.” – Seneca
I continued my walk thinking about the word “fickle” and what the quotation means. “Fickle” is normally a negative term, with the dictionary describing it as a person who is “changing frequently, especially as regards one’s loyalties, interests, or affection.”
But what about in real life – is it a negative or could it be positive? How many times have you seen a person who has been successful at something and so now they feel obligated to continue? How many college grads do you know who now feel stuck working in the field they studied even if their enthusiasm is long gone? I know plenty of attorneys, physicians, dentists and pastors who would dream about changing careers but feel trapped by virtue of their “education.”
What if we instead allowed ourselves to live our lives in chapters – where we attained success in something and then took the principles that helped us there into a new field we had discovered. With a change we never start over. Rather, we take the wisdom that got us that far and combine that with the passion and enthusiasm we feel for a new challenge.
Maybe it’s time for you to be “fickle.” To live as you wish rather than just as you have begun.
Here’s a link to a live seminar on Wisdom Meets Passion – Listen In