Motivational Stories: Learning to Charge!

Scott, a successful author friend, created a whole series of motivational books on the rhinoceros. He just loved everything about those huge, lumbering creatures. From his lovely home in the Laguna Hills, California, he told me this story.

"The rhino might have limited brain-power, just one-third the size of a human brain, but when its six thousand pounds head lowers its head and charges, few are going to stand in its way! Its sheer momentum becomes unstoppable."

"What a neat idea," I said.

"Before I discovered rhinoceros success," he began, "I was confused. I had, and still have, shelves of books promising the 'secrets of success'. Some said the secret was to have motivational written goals, some said to dress for success. Others advised winning friends and influencing people and some preached ridding yourself of bad habits, such as drinking liquor."

"Well, I had and did all those things and I was still getting nowhere! Worse yet, I finished up working for a thirty-year-old millionaire who had absolutely no written goals and he dressed like a big, sloppy kid. He had the foulest language I had ever heard and he was no tee-totaller. But do you know what he was, Dave ?" Of course, I had no idea. "He was a full-time charging rhinoceros!"

Since I recognized that trait in him, I have unfailingly found it in every successful person I have ever come across. Now I firmly believe that if you are a rhinoceros, you are almost guaranteed success!

I encouraged him to elaborate more on his unusual observations. "Think about this Dave. Rhinoceroses charge with a singleness of purpose. All their energies and motivation are directed towards attaining their one burning desire.

The reason they are so dangerous is because once they set themselves charging at something, nothing can distract them! You can never charge two things at once. You concentrate on reaching your first target, then you fix your concentration on your next goal. Never spread yourself thin." We laughed a lot, and the more we did, the more examples Scott revealed.

"Tell ya what, Dave." Another example was about to surface. "If you notice, rhinos are always alert. You have to be alert in the jungle. You don't find cows and sheep in the jungle, they couldn't survive!" Such outrageous examples, yet so perfectly accurate.

"You see, in the jungle the rhino's sharp eyes miss nothing, and his ears scan the area like a radar to detect the slightest noise. He can feel vibrations through his sensitive feet on the ground, and his nose picks up any foreign scents. His whole being is on the lookout for an opportunity to charge. He is like a cocked trigger waiting to be pulled.

"So what made your rhino get up and charge?" I asked laughing.

"I asked myself, 'What is it, exactly, that turns a lazy, contented, do nothing cow into an energetic, powerful, charging rhino?' There must be something responsible for the transformation, something that perhaps we can isolate, analyze, and use to our advantage. What would cause a rhinoceros to charge, sometimes against seemingly insurmountable difficulties? And what keeps that rhino charging? Why doesn't he quit raising a ruckus in the jungle and relax in the quiet pasture like a cow? What is it that drives him?"

"Keep going buddy, I'm hooked!" Scott was prowling around the room like a rhino!

"The answer is BELIEF! Cows don't believe they can achieve anything and so they don't even try. They don't even give it one good charge! They see all the opportunities floating by them, but believe the lucky breaks are for some few, handpicked rhinos."

"They say, 'We are cows, we cannot charge. There is no use trying!' Cows will tell you that that are being realistic. But we know the truth. Either they are plain ignorant, unmotivated, lazy, or just plain 'daft'!"

Scott was such a fun guy and I am so grateful to him for teaching me to charge!

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