Thanks, Dad, for teaching me how to cast, reel, catch, and release.
Cast
What separates the fisherman from the fish -- the cast. What separates us from our desires - the cast. Without the cast, there is no catch -- there is no success. To cast: to throw forcefully in a specified direction. Ever seen a fisherman cast with no force? What about forcefully casting into a tree? A great cast requires the right force in the right location; success requires the right action in the right direction. Mastering the cast is a path filled with broken lines, branches, seaweed, and lost lures; the path to success is filled with drawbacks, losses, failures, and mistakes. But each of these embarrassing moments is an opportunity to learn -- and to laugh. Remember that time when I dropped my fishing pole in the water? Still embarrassed about that one.
The cast: where opportunity meets desire.
Reel
A bite. "Fish on!" my dad says. Time to hustle. Opportunity knocks once, and if you open that door, it is work that answers -- especially if it's a 30-pound King Salmon. Reeling is as exciting as it is exhausting, much like pursuing goals. The determining factor in achievement is whether you let the excitement, or the exhaustion, get to you first. That's what separates the catch from the loss, the winners from the losers, the achievers from the complainers. Keep the level of excitement and ambition above the exhaustion by having monster goals -- monster fish. How can you get excited about an average fish? How can you get excited about average, safe, or S.M.A.R.T. goals? Forget the small fish, reel in a Gigantor.
The reel: where ambition meets opportunity.
Catch
It's in the net. It's in the boat. The catch -- the result of an ambitious reel. It's important to stay humble, but even more important to internalize success. Parallel in importance is understanding: what went right, what went wrong, what could I improve, what's the next level? Improvement is a constant process of selectively choosing the rights against copious wrongs. Could you improve the cast? the lure? the bait? Improvement ensures that you're always moving forward. It avoids stagnating, or even worse, retreating. Ever seen a fish swim backwards? Forward motion is the most natural movement for any living organism.
The catch: where improvement meets amibition.
Release
Release the catch. Thank those that provided you with knowledge, tools, and resources. Return the fruits of achievement back to the network that enabled your success. Share what you learned so that others may do the same -- multiply success. Most importantly, provide future generations with the same, or better, opportunity you were given. Keep the lakes, streams, rivers, and seas clean.
The release: where desire, opportunity, improvement, and ambition is multiplied.
Thanks dad for teaching me how to:
Cast into lakes, streams, rivers, and seas of opportunity.
Reel in monsters with relentless ambition.
Catch success and make improvements.
Release and multiply.
Happy Father's Day.
