Sequence 36

25-Recap Lesson

• We define success by stating our values.
• We commit to values by setting clear goals.
• We succeed by living with the right attitude. 
• We show our commitment to having “the right attitude” with our 100% commitment to the values and goals we set.

When I write about “aspiring,” I want to convey the importance of seeing the best possible outcome. Instead of dwelling on the pain we’re living with today, we can focus on what we’re going to become by adhering to our disciplined, deliberate adjustment plan. We need a program that will help us reach our highest potential. That plan will require us to put priorities in place. 

One priority may be to visualize success. We can project the future we want to live as Marcus Aurelius did. 

• Instead of seeing himself as a disadvantaged child in an orphanage, he saw himself as a community leader. 
• He trained himself to become a person of influence by learning from others. 
• In time, those aspirations led to actions that lifted him to become one of the most influential emperors of the Roman empire.
• He wrote a biography to help him stay on track, and to show others how to grow from struggle to self-empowerment.

To develop better critical thinking, Consider the following exercises to begin developing your release plan:

Respond to the following questions:

• Describe the future you see for yourself. 
• Write at least three persuasive paragraphs that explain the steps you’ve taken over the past month to move you closer to the success you aspire to become.
• Write how your actions over the past three months have put you in a position to seize opportunities over the next three months.
• How would people that you want to influence respond to the adjustment strategy you engineered?
• How would the people you admire most respond to what you’re striving to achieve?  

Our aspirations strengthen us and help us conquer challenges. They weaken the pull of anything that could potentially hold us back. When we aspire to create a better future that we can see, we empower ourselves to engineer a path that will lead us to where we want to go.

Leaders like Marcus Aurelius taught me that success is a journey, not a destination. The day we stop pursuing success, we wither. Over time, our values and goals will evolve, depending upon what we achieve. For example, immediately after my arrest, I only wanted the system to release me. 

After reading and learning from leaders, I started to perceive life differently. I wanted to build a record that would restore confidence and allow me to live a life of meaning, relevance, and dignity. 

Wishing to emulate Socrates or Mandela, I wanted to develop inner strength. I didn’t want to complain about my predicament. I made terrible decisions that put me in prison. I wanted to create a path that would lead to something better, pursuing aspirations that I believed would bring more meaning to my life. I wanted to make an impact on building a better society.

As I strive to show through the various modules of this course, my values and goals evolved during my adjustment. They always aligned with my aspiration of how I wanted to walk out of prison—and the life I wanted to lead once I got out. Our values and goals should harmonize with our aspirations. 

Questions:

Respond to the following questions:

• How will your values and goals evolve? 

• What will change with your values and goals as you advance through the stages of your confinement?

In what ways are you working to reach your highest potential?