The Power of a Made-up Mind

He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it. — James Allen

To achieve a worthwhile dream, there is an essential element needed — a “made-up mind.” In other words, there is power in a made-up mind!

One should never underestimate what can happen when we make up our mind to do something. A mind made up, is a powerful thing.

Too many times I’ve started something but when the going got tough, I decided that I didn’t want to do that after all. On the flip side, I can think of times when I had a made-up my mind and it made all the difference. Let me tell you about Erik.

Erik Weihenmayer and his made-up mind

Erik made up his mind to climb Mt. Everest.

The reality is, lots of people have climbed Mt. Everest since Sir Edmund Hillary first did in 1953. The difference this time, was that no blind person had ever climbed Mt. Everest. Until Erik Weihenmayer.

What made the difference and this climb possible? The power of a made-up mind. Erik made up his mind to climb Mt. Everest long before he ever stepped foot on the mountain.

“He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it.” — James Allen

Blind at age 13, Erik learned to deal with his blindness and not allow it to kill his dream to climb Everest. He saw in his mind what he wanted to do. He saw where he wanted to be and who he wanted to become, in spite of the challenges he knew he would face to get there.

Erik’s climb up Mt. Everest was anything but easy (find out more here). It began with him stumbling into Camp 1 bloodied, sick and dehydrated, with 9,000 feet to go. But Erik had cherished and lived with his vision for years and would not be denied. His made-up mind was described as him being “blind to failure.”

What was the result of Erik’s made-up mind? He puts it this way, “After three months on the mountain and a half a life time of preparation; with the help of a great team and with 1000’s of blind people cheering me on, I’m finally here.”

Three keys to experiencing the power of a made-up mind

1. You need to define your goal.

Some dreams or goals need to be dropped and aren’t worth locking onto. Others, however, are part of your destiny and purpose and need you to declare your intention to achieve.

2. You need to determine your plan.

3. You need to develop a support system.

A made-up mind needs a plan and support to be achieved. Worthwhile goals are seldom achieved in isolation from others. Erik had a whole team helping him. You and I need to do the same.

Now go and declare your goal, make up your mind to achieve it, and reap the rewards…eventually!

What goal do you need a made-up mind to accomplish?
What’s your plan and who will help you?