Determination Defined

As defined online, determination is a firmness of purpose; resoluteness.

Determination means you are intent on achieving a goal or as some people say, “Doing what needs to be done even when you don’t feel like doing it.”

With determination, anything is possible.

With determination, doors will open up that were previously closed.

With determination, greatness abounds!!!  

Yah!! Yah!!! And the heavens shall open and a ray of light shall shine upon you! So o.k., maybe not that great. And Wow! Big claims right!

I know, I know… you may be wondering, “is it really true?”

Well, you probably aren’t because you already know it’s true.

What you’re really wondering is, “is it really true… for me?”

Isn’t that what most people are wondering?

If I’m determined enough, will it work for me?

If I’m determined enough, can I achieve success?

If I’m determined enough, will things get easier?

How determined do I have to be?

Will miracles occur and millions come pouring into my life?

Will I find the perfect spouse? The perfect job? The perfect life?

And the answer of course is maybe or it depends.

Kinda sounding like an attorney now ain’t I?

Well, it all depends upon what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and of course, how much effort you’re willing to put into it.

The best way of understanding this of course is to look at some examples.

The Little Engine That Could

So let’s start with the Little Engine That Could. If you’re old like me, you may have heard about this story. It’s been around for quite some time and has motivated millions across the country to push forward with the moniker, “I think I can; I think I can; I think I can!”

If you haven’t heard it, you can google it and here’s the short version…

A long train that needs to be pulled over a mountain breaks down.   Seeing the difficult task ahead, the large engines all say no and don’t want to pull the train. A little engine decides to take up the challenge and he starts pulling the long train constantly repeating to himself, “I think I can; I think I can; I think I can,” as he rolls along the tracks and up the mountain. As he finally achieves the peak and starts heading down the mountain, he then starts repeating to himself, “I thought I could; I thought I could; I thought I could!” And all the big engines are in disbelief as he accomplished something incredible even though he was a small engine.

See It For Yourself

You can read along in the book with this Youtube video: The Little Engine That Could

This fantastic American fable taught the values of hard work, optimism, and determination to kids all across the country for decades. Although released in 1930, it was so popular that Disney even released a version of it in 1976 – over 4 decades later!

So if you haven’t seen it yet, go check it out. It’s probably streaming on Disney Plus right now!

Excuses, Excuses

Failures, lack of money, lack of time, lack of knowledge, lack of courage, lack of whatever… these are all excuses that people use to STOP doing things. These are all excuses that people use to QUIT at whatever it is they’re striving for because they simply just aren’t determined enough to push through the challenges and achieve success.

Some people are determined, committed, and driven to do the impossible. It’s just that sometimes, their friends, family, and others keep telling them to give it up.

They keep hearing people telling them that they’re crazy; it’s impossible; give it up; save yourself the pain; just quit while you’re ahead;

It’s like this anchor pulling them back…

All these voices telling them the CAN’T do it when they know they can! So much so that many of those people start believing in what others are telling them.

Many of those people quit before they even begin because their determination waivers. They start to believe the TRUTHS OF OTHERS instead of their own truth!

And that is why they fail when others succeed.

Changing Reality

Let’s now talk about a real-life example about determination.

Ever hear about a guy named Banister? Roger Bannister?

Well Roger, literally changed reality for thousands of people… nay, millions of people.

Can you believe it? One man who was determined to do something great, ended up changing reality for millions of people around the world! And just how, pray tell, did he do that?

Well, if you know who Roger Bannister was, you know that he achieved the unachievable on May 6, 1954. Roger Bannister was the first man to ever run faster than a 4-minute mile.

Before that time, thousands upon thousands of people tried to run faster than a 4-minute mile and it was simply impossible. It just couldn’t physically be done. The previous world record of over 4 minutes had stood for over 9 years and no one could break it. As Roger put it, it was, “a barrier that still some felt was unbreakable and that we could actually be risking our lives to achieve.”

Journalists, sportswriters, and even sports physicians and medical journals all said that it was physically impossible to run faster than a 4-minute mile. No one had ever done it before. They said that the body wasn’t capable of it… not enough oxygen could get to the lungs after running for such a prolong period… tendons would tear, muscles would strain and potentially even pull off a piece of bone.

It just can’t be done. It’s impossible. You CAN’T DO IT!

And if you listened to all the news, media, and everyone around you saying it’s impossible and your determination wavered and then you believed it in, the you’re right. It can’t be done.

You’re Right!

One of my favorite quotes of all time is a by a fellow named Henry Ford. He said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Put another way, “What you believe to be true is true for you.”

Fortunately, Roger didn’t listen to other people. Roger didn’t believe in the hype. Roger was determined to break that 4-minute mile. So he worked his behind off in order to do it! And on May 6, 1954, on a less than ideal weather, cloudy day, Roger Bannister became the first man in recorded history to break a 4-minute mile.

It took him over 2 years from the time he decided to do this until he actually accomplished it. Now granted, he was already a top athlete and a British record holder and it still took him 2 years of working, pushing, and striving in order to achieve his greatness!

And while the feat itself was… well… impossible, what’s even more amazing is what happened afterwards.

What happened?

Well, Roger made the impossible, possible.

The Impossible Is Possible

For hundreds of years before him, no one was able to run under a 4-minute mile. Around the world, at all the races, Olympics, competitions, etc., no one could do it. It was physically impossible remember?

And then, he did it. He run under a 4-minute mile. And it made the impossible, possible.

And once everyone knew it was possible, they started doing the impossible as well.

John Landy, an Australian runner, broke the insurmountable barrier again, with a time of 3 minutes 58 seconds, just 46 days after Roger did it! Remember that it couldn’t be done for hundreds of years prior to Roger and then just 46 days later, it was done!!!

A year later, three more runners broke the four-minute barrier in a single race. And since then, thousands of people have done it including high school students!

Roger changed reality for everyone.

What was impossible, became possible.

People started thinking, “If he could do it, so could I!”

And then they did. “What you believe to be true, is true for you.”

Roger’s commitment, hard work, and determination to succeed at all costs changed reality, made history, and inspired millions of people around the world.

Your Turn

What can your determination do?

What can your determination achieve?

What can your determination change in your life?

Do you want to do something great, something beyond your current means, something worth achieving – for you, for your family, for your community?

A STRONG sense of determination is a MUST.

You want success?

You want greatness?

Or maybe you just want a simple win once in a while.

Then grit your teeth. Dig in your heels. And fight for it.

Fight with the determination with someone who will Never Retreat, Never Surrender!

Be determined and the world will open up for you.

Be determined and you’ll change reality.

Be determined and create the life of your design.

Only you can do it.

So what are you still reading this for?

Quit reading and go and make it happen!

Celebrate Life!

Chaffee-Thanh Nguyen