Aiming at Heaven and Earth
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
~~ C.S. Lewis ~~ (1898 - 1963)
I only partially agree with this quote. While it’s important to aim high, the aim should have a reasonable chance of getting achieved. The trouble with aiming extremely high is that most people will give up when they find themselves no where near their aim in spite of their best efforts. Aiming extremely high or pursuing an unattainable goal may turn out to be nothing more than day-dreaming.
A good example of an aim that is unlikely to be achieved is Ralph Nader’s efforts to become president of the United States of America. This is his fourth attempt and his chances of getting elected this year or in the foreseeable future, if he decides to try again, are next to nil. This doesn’t mean that he won’t make a good president if elected; indeed he might make an excellent president. But the political reality is that his aim is unattainable.
I don’t think anybody in this world ever really knows where exactly they want to go. However, one can charter one’s journey of life as to what direction one wants to go. That can be done with setting a reasonable and realistic aim or goal, persistently working towards that goal and overcoming any problems that will inevitably arise.
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