Have you ever watched the show "Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" If you have, then I’m fairly sure that you come to the same conclusion that I do. YOUR NOT! Now, granted the show is set up to make us adults look like complete jack asses, which it does very successfully by the way, BUT don’t over look the pure knowledge and innocent wisdom the young’ens can teach us. Here is a small example of a Childs wisdom at work ignoring the possible existence of any barriers, real or imaginary, producing immediate quantum growth. I was skiing last weekend up in Vermont with my 10 year old son Patrick. This was officially only his second time on the mountain. He’s at the point where he has reasonable control and can usually stop before crashing…usually. Needless to say, we’re skiing the easier slopes but we are going all the way to the top of the mountain. Really cool! On the way up the chair lift, he spots the Park. The FREE STYLE PARK. Grinding rails, half pipes, boxes, table tops, massive launching ramps…EXPERT skiers…I think your getting the picture. And then I here the exact words I was expecting. "Dad, I HAVE to go down there.” My mind quickly evaluates all the crap that is about to happen. Crash on the grinding rail, crash on the table top, get run over or run some one else over but who am I to step in the way of all that fun? ”SURE” “Dad, I want to go over one of those big jumps. “Sure, but if you’re going to go for it, don’t be afraid just do it!” (What else could I say at this point) So sure enough, only capable of moderate control of the fiberglass sticks strapped to his feet, Patrick lined up the first tall ramp he saw and went for it..and sure enough he pulled it off. It wasn’t pretty. As a matter of fact it was pretty ugly but he DID IT and out of this comes the wisdom from which we all need to learn from. Patrick pulled this off for one reason and one reason only. He focused on the END and not the Means! Open minded, goal focused, believer in experimentation and completely VOID of methodology (the means.) NO EXCUSES! He locked in on his objective and let the goal determine the methodology…the means or the how. Adults, on the other hand have it all wrong. Way wrong. We can’t seem to determine a freakin goal until we have first completely evaluated and researched all our resources and skills to see what goals we can even consider! That’s PATHETIC! Our methodology then, determines our goals, which to some may make sense until you throw in the fact that our methodology is based on our PERCEPTION. The perception of what’s available to us, not the reality of what is available to us. Uur perception is EXTREMELY lacking peripheral vision and extremely narrow minded. After all, how can we possibly know how high we can reach if we haven’t reached for it yet? This ‘over thinking’ trap lowers expectations, empowers doubt and will slam the door on your massive potential! Nevermind, validate all your LAMO excuses. Any rational adult, if given time to think it through, would have advised Patrick against going down the freestyle park to begin with, nevermind launching off the first massive ice ramp he spotted AND would also have denied him of a massive break thru and a new plateau conquered! G lad I sit just south…OK WAY south of rational! Define your goal first and stop worrying about how you will get from here to there. The technique, method and process you need to follow will come to you. Just make sure your crystal clear on your goal. Open your self to the unexpected and now proceed. You absolutely don’t have to know how you’re going to get there as long as you know exactly where it is you want to go! For the inquisitive minds, NO, I did not participate in the launching exercise my 10 year old, 2nd time on ski’s, hardly a beginner, BARRIER VOID son did. But, you know what? I did learn an important lesson and I WILL NOT wimp out next time! Patrick H Precourt Thepreforeclosuredailygrind.com Nsehomes.com