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Burn the Ships

jackiehamiltoncoac

Updated: Feb 6, 2022

In 1519, Spanish explorer, Captain Hernán Cortés, landed in what he later named Veracruz, a state of Mexico. Imagine his excitement surrounding this new conquest. Upon arriving, I believe the captain had a vision of what this new land could become. It would take tons of work, courage, and faith -- but it could be done. Ready to press forward, Captain Cortés had a plan to protect the mission:


"Burn the ships!" he ordered his men. Imagine the rumbling erupting from THAT crowd.


I'm pretty sure some of his men were thinking, "Say WHAAAAA?!? Burn our ships? What if we've bitten off more than we can chew? What if this task is insurmountable? It's going to take so much time and energy. Can we just give it a few weeks and see how things go?"


Others may have thought, "Wait, wait, wait. You're asking me to give up the only way of life I know? I'll have to leave behind my family and friends? Nah, this is a huge sacrifice. I should have stayed where I was."


And perhaps others were thinking, "Now, just calm down, Corty. It's scary out here. We don't know what's in those woods. We don't have what we need to make this happen. Our resources are limited. How will we survive out here? We're going to fail."


The captain knew if the boats remained, the soldiers would have been tempted to abort the mission and instantly look for a way of escape the minute things were too challenging. Returning to our old way of doing things feels familiar and comfortable. Yet when we choose to do business as usual, we remain stagnant in our doing and thinking. Just as Cortés did in the new world, we, too, must be courageous in our new conquests, plant our flags, and be all in when it comes to the mission. This is OUR territory -- every peak, plateau, plain, cave, and valley. There will be ups and downs - from glorious victories to times when we're going to want to throw in the towel. But it's a part of the journey on our territory.


We will not sit on the shores complaining and crippled with defeat. NO! We are called to cultivate, to work and keep this land. Yes, it will be tough, and there will be times we'll want to quit. Press forward. Yes, sacrifices will have to be made, but are we willing to remain where we are? Press forward. Maybe we feel like we need more time because the conditions are not perfect. The conditions will never be perfect - act anyway. Press Forward. And, naturally, we will have fears and doubts and a bit of anxiety in this new domain. But operating with fears and doubts is possible. Press Forward.


Declare that retreating is NOT an option. Work with the end in mind, see the possibilities of what could be with consistent and intentional work. Create good habits and strategies that will help to avoid returning to old ways of thinking, speaking, and doing.


Be fully committed to the mission - burn the ships!







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Jacquelyn Hamilton

@jackiehamiltoncoaching

@jackiehamiltoncoaching

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