The Winding River of Personal Growth

May 14, 2008

The young man had done well during his first two years with the company, but he began to feel anxious. He wasn’t sure where his career would take him, if indeed it would take him anywhere. He wondered what he’d be doing after two more years. He questioned the wisdom of remaining in a job that sometimes seemed more like a treadmill than a staircase.
So he knocked on his manager’s office door and was warmly received. He explained why he was frustrated and asked, “What should I do?”

After a long, thoughtful pause, the manager said, “Imagine a winding river — very swift, but very long. It runs for miles and miles, through a steep-walled canyon. Can you hear the roar of the rapids and see the high cliffs above?”
“Sure,” the young man said.

Then picture yourself in a small boat, running that river,” the manager continued. “You’ve got your hand on the tiller, so you can avoid the rocks and boulders and the canyon walls. But how far downstream can you see?”

Not far,” the young man replied, “because the river winds through the canyon.”

Right,” the manager agreed. “You can only see up to the next bend. And when you get there, you can only see to the next one, and so forth. And that’s where you are now, in that small boat. The river is your life. You can’t see the end! You can only see to the next bend. But I’m flying in an airplane high above, and I can see a beautiful, placid lake at the end of that long winding river! So relax. Don’t let yourself be anxious. Enjoy the trip and do three things starting right now.”

After hearing those three things, the young man immediately felt a great sense of peace. That was almost 40 years ago, and the journey has turned out to be much more enjoyable and rewarding than any he could have mapped out for himself. By the way, that young man’s name was Joel Weldon, and his manager was Mr. Vernon Cavill.

Here’s what you can do: You can do the three things Vernon said many years ago “as you’re going down the river of personal growth” which represents your life in that small boat and your current job:

Don’t look back. The river of your life runs forward, not back. Learn from your past but don’t focus there—focus ahead.
Concentrate on your boat—your present job and whatever it is, do it exceptionally well. Don’t think of the next step in your career. If you do, you’re not focusing on the current job. Be amazing at what you’re doing now!
Just make it to the next bend in the river. Don’t focus on the ten, five and one year goals. Focus only on the next 30 days! If you have a long range goal—great! Just divide it up into 30-day goals and take action now! Long range goals can give you direction, but it’s the 30-day goals that produce action. Also, with all the changes in the world, you need to be flexible and adaptable.

So as you go down your own Winding River—relax, enjoy the ride and MAKE it fun!