Our series continues – Part 2 of 7 Keys to Personal Transformation – How has this talk inspired you? Do share, like and comment.
Send a child where he wants to go and you will see his pace – African Proverb
In our talk yesterday, we reflected on Usain Bolt’s personal transformation from a fearful, tearful 15 year old who had no faith in his abilities to beat other runners, to becoming a super-confident and almost unbeatable world-class athlete. We made the point that the first key to transformation is to believe that “It is Possible.” We’ll continue to look at Bolt’s transformation, both physical and mental for more keys on personal transformation. In the process, some of you will learn some new things about Bolt, which will inspire you on your own journey of personal transformation.
Did you know that Usain Bolt did not make it past the heats in his first Olympic meet in 2004, in Athens Greece? Yes, the “Big Man” did not make the cut. At that point he was not in his best shape. He ran with a torn hamstring and was eliminated in his first Heat. Sportscaster Ed Barnes says, “a lot of people would have been disappointed and never recovered but not Usain Bolt. His focus was fixed.” The obvious key here would be a reminder that transformation is never an overnight process but this is not the key for today. Let’s continue with the story.
Following the failure in Athens, Usain made a critical decision backed by a vision and a burning desire to succeed. He aligned himself with Glen Mills whose focus was the next Olympic games in 2008. Mills’s dream (vision) was to produce an Olympic Champion and he knew exactly how to make it happen. His focus became Usain’s mental and physical transformation. I won’t go much further in talking about Mills’s methods because that would reveal tomorrow’s key. Suffice to say, this was the turning point in Bolt’s transformation mentally and physically.
Decision shapes destiny, says noted Life Coach Tony Robbins, and the fact is, as Jim Rohn, my favourite personal development coach says, “We cannot reach a new destination overnight, but we can turn in a new direction immediately.”
Decision fueled by a burning desire and a vision of transformation is key to personal transformation.
This is a triplet key because they are inseparable. All success begins with a burning desire says success expert Napoleon Hill who studied over 500 successful persons for 25 years. The same is true of personal transformation. A burning desire is a desire for something not yet seen (a vision). It is a compelling urge that will cause you to make critical decisions and take action accordingly to fulfill that desire. It is like a thirsty man in a desert who must have water or die.
We all know what happened four years later in Beijing, China because of the decision made by Bolt to join Mills’s camp based on his burning desire for change. With three million people watching, the athlete who was eliminated in the Heats of his first Olympic games four years prior, became the fastest man alive! His physical transformation and mental transformation were on display for all the world to see, as he beat his chest in triumph across the line in 9.68 seconds.
Questions for Personal Reflection
Do you have a burning desire for transformation? What is that burning desire? Is it clearly conceived in your mind? What do you need to become… be changed into? What decisions will you make today?
Five years from now, if your life is spared you will certainly arrive, the question is where? Will it be an un-designed regrettable destination or a clearly designed transformed one? Where you end up will be based on the decisions you make today based on a clear vision of tomorrow’s transformation fulled by a burning desire.
Friends, transformation is possible and if Usain did it, so can you. Use these two keys to kick start your transformation process today. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s talk – Part 3 of 7 Keys to Personal Transformation.
