For some reason that old Tony Orlando and Dawn song, "Knock Three Times On The Ceiling" keeps going through my head. When my husband and I met, we lived in the same apartment building. I lived upstairs and he lived in the apartment directly below mine. We quickly became friends and came up with a system for letting the other know we wanted to talk (not sure why we didn't always use the phone). When I wanted him to phone me or come upstairs, I'd stomp on the floor three times. To let me know he got my signal, he'd take a broom handle and knock three times on the ceiling. If he didn't respond, I'd know he wasn't home. I know, it sounds silly now, but it was very effective.
Those thoughts led me to thinking about the many times we knock on doors during our lifetime. There are times when we knock and don't readily get an answer, or the answer we get wasn't the one we expected. Sometimes, we never bother to knock, because we believe no one will answer or we're afraid of the answer we'll receive.
Woody Allen is quoted as saying, "80 percent of success is just showing up." Yes, you must show up to even be able to knock on the door, but if you get there and never knock, what was the point in showing up in the first place? Futhermore, if you get there, knock on the door, but walk away in defeat when no one answers the first time, you eliminate the possibility of success. Success is more than just showing up. Success is showing up, remaining focused on why you showed up and not giving up until you accomplish your goal or shift your priorities (change your mind about the importance of your goal).
You see, as time passes, our priorities change. What's important today, may seem trivial in five years. But today, keep knocking. Knock three times, five times or whatever it takes. The key to success is, keeping your attention on intention.
Kennette Reed
http://www.kennettereed.com/
http://www.discoveringyourpassion.com/
http://www.stepsalongyourpath.com/
http://www.resiliencecoach.com/
