Be Unstoppable: The Eight Essential Actions to Succeed at Anything by Alden Mills

Author:Alden Mills [Mills, Alden]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Cadent Publishing
Published: 2013-10-31T14:00:00+00:00

The Kanji stone

The oblong stone that the master and commander placed in front of the young captain was blue-gray and perfectly smooth on one side. Tim noticed it had something carved into it. “What is this?” he asked, running his fingers over the markings on the stone.

“Those are Japanese words called Kanji,” Peter said. “This stone was given to me by a Japanese master and commander.”

“What does it say?” Tim asked, still admiring the smooth stone.

“Ah, great question. It says, ‘Before you can achieve, you must first believe.’ It’s an important message, and I keep this stone on the third shelf of the display case so that I will see it every time I walk into the wardroom. I never want to forget this message.”

Tim nodded while repeating the passage quietly to himself and reaching for his notepad so that he could write the words down.

Peter continued, “The Japanese master likened one’s power to believe to a river that will conquer any obstacle in its path. It can flow over some obstacles and go around others by gradually carving its own path. This stone is an example of such an obstacle; it came from the famous Fuji River that flows from Mount Fuji to the sea. The river followed its own course, and even the hardest stone couldn’t stop it. It was the relentless flow of the river that made the stone smooth.”

The hardened skipper lowered his voice and focused on the younger captain as he emphasized the word “relentless.” After pausing for a moment to allow the emphasis to sink in, he continued. “The power of a river isn’t created in an instant; it builds as it continues to flow. This makes a river unstoppable, and your ability to believe in yourself must do the same thing over time. It must keep flowing—and you must always believe in yourself. Like the river, as you continue to believe in yourself, you will be able to conquer all obstacles in your path.”

The young captain nodded, squinting with one eye as if the sound of the last statement had been painful. “So, all I have to do is believe and I can achieve anything I want?” he asked.

“Ha! Tim, if it were only that simple!” Peter responded. “First, you need to recognize a reason to believe. And that will come from the small successes in your life. These successes will compound and build your confidence, making you feel empowered to try bigger and bolder tasks. For instance, do you feel ready to steam across the ocean with me tomorrow morning?”

Tim’s face turned white and his eyes bulged from their sockets—he didn’t have to say anything for Peter to understand his answer.

“Exactly. Of course not,” Peter said. “You’re not ready to make that kind of voyage … yet. But you are ready to navigate back across the bay to Hardwork Harbor.”

Tim wasn’t so sure; he had butterflies in his stomach just thinking about it. Peter sensed his apprehension and said, “Tim, you must and you will cross that bay.

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