The Clog from OzIncentives for Michael Phelps
August 18th 2008 10:35
'My middle school English teacher said I'd never be successful.'
Revenge is sweet. Of course the word 'revenge' is far too strong for the by now famous words once uttered by Michael Phelps' teacher, but there is no denying that some things people say to us - many times as nothing more than an offhand remark - can linger somewhere in our mind for a very long time, and will only disappear once we have used them as an incentive for further action.
While the person who has said these words usually has forgotten about them the next instant, we can't get rid of them. Roughly speaking, the effect can be twofold. The words can become an obsession and as such hinder us in our achievements, thereby only causing more frustration. The opposite happens when they inspire us, more for ourselves than for the person who uttered them and doesn't have a clue what he or she has set into motion.
Of course, we can be obnoxious and cause someone to speak words that may hit us like a hammer. But whatever the cause, when we take in what has been said, think about it, reflect, and set ourselves a goal with dedication, we avoid the path of obsession and can only grow much stronger, in whichever way that may be.
Revenge is sweet. Of course the word 'revenge' is far too strong for the by now famous words once uttered by Michael Phelps' teacher, but there is no denying that some things people say to us - many times as nothing more than an offhand remark - can linger somewhere in our mind for a very long time, and will only disappear once we have used them as an incentive for further action.
While the person who has said these words usually has forgotten about them the next instant, we can't get rid of them. Roughly speaking, the effect can be twofold. The words can become an obsession and as such hinder us in our achievements, thereby only causing more frustration. The opposite happens when they inspire us, more for ourselves than for the person who uttered them and doesn't have a clue what he or she has set into motion.
Of course, we can be obnoxious and cause someone to speak words that may hit us like a hammer. But whatever the cause, when we take in what has been said, think about it, reflect, and set ourselves a goal with dedication, we avoid the path of obsession and can only grow much stronger, in whichever way that may be.
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