Three Brief Orison Marden Quotes For Overcoming Obstacles And Creating A Successful Life
Orison Marden published scores of books, each containing insights which are often quoted today, a century after the peak of his popularity as an author. This success article takes three of his most famous sayings relating to overcoming obstacles - and offers a personal interpretation of their real value.
1. "Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them." The point being made is that the hardest part of a task is simply deciding to get it done, and then taking the first small step. Whenever you feel vaguely uneasy because of something you have hanging over you, just spend just a few quiet minutes looking at it like this. See it as if it were happening to someone else.
Whatever the problem is, explain it to this imaginary person in a simple, single statement (not a question). You will then be able to see it in context, without the gut-churning emotion that can block you from taking action. So, you might find that the "nameless dread" that has caused you to wake in the night, or the restless feeling that stops you concentrating at work might because of a looming loan repayment - and you can't see past the problem to look for a solution. Once you write it down as "The bank loan for £20,000 falls due on December 1st", you can start to look constructively at finding the money.
2. "We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out." First, Marden is telling us that we have to know exactly what it is we want to achieve. Once again, writing it down using simple language is an enormously important step. We also have to know, deep down, that we are capable of achieving the goal. This confidence has to be built through being mindful of all our small victories in similar circumstances. Reminding ourselves of our past accomplishments is especially important when we have a moment of doubt.
Try this: whenever you hear yourself questioning your ability to do something, immediately recall a time where, in similar circumstances, you obtained the result you were aiming for. Make the memory as real as possible - including the feeling of elation at your accomplishment. Then make the connection - "I did that. I can do this, too."
3. "Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if
they can. If they see you are afraid of them... they are liable to spring upon you;
but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight."
I think that what Orison Marden is telling us here is that our imagination can run riot with what we see as problems and make them appear far bigger than they are. A cold, hard look at what's stopping us from getting to where we want to be, can prove inspirational. Again, I think the simple act of condensing our concern into a single statement makes it more manageable. Better still, trying to see it from a distance, or from another person's perspective, or as if looking back on it from a year from now, will show us a truer context and get past the fear responsible for so much of our inactivity.
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If you want to know more about Orison Swett Marden and how his works inspired Napoleon Hill, W. Clement Stone, Norman Vincent Peale, Anthony Robbins, and many others then visit http://www.MardensKeysToSuccess.com where you can also gain FREE access to Brendan McKeogh's mini-course on Marden plus a FREE copy of the first chapter of "Marden's Keys To Success."
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