Intent/Effect
"I don't care about intent. I care about effect."
Someone said this to me the other day, and it stayed with me.
The basic truth here pertains to our efforts in the gym, to our interactions at work, and to our personal relationships with family, friends, and lovers.
How many times do we find ourselves staring at the wreckage of life and saying, "But I meant well" or "I really wanted that to go right"?
It doesn't matter what your intent was if you flipped the car.
The results are still bruises and dents and scars and changed lives.
It doesn't matter that you didn't intend to break her heart.
You broke it. Now you have to deal with a million jagged pieces glittering all over the emotional landscape.
It doesn't matter that you wanted that lift to be perfect.
You failed. And now you must assess your faults and try again.
Intent can mean everything to you, and nothing to the world.
What the world sees is results. What most people see is the effect of your actions, not your heart behind what you did.
That's okay. Once you learn to wrap your head around this concept, you can start working toward greater achievement.
Buck up.
Stop licking your wounds.
Start ditching the excuses.
Be righteous in your intent and your effect.
Now you're on the path to becoming a kick-ass human.
"Don't you think that you've had enough? Ain't it time to get a different view?Can't just wait around for what you want. It's all about the way you choose. Ain't nobody else that can make things right. Baby, it's down to you." — Bonnie Raitt, "Down to You"