I found a picture, a meme, that when I found it I had joy in my heart. Turns out I misread it: it happens to me dozens of times, that I misread something.

The meme says: “Lord grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish”

I thought it said …”that I may always desire only what I can accomplish”

Why? What is the problem with the first one? After all that is what they are telling you: shoot for the stars lest you end up with dirt in your hand…

But it is horse shit.

The problem is that you can only accomplish what you have capacities for.

You either have capacities, or you set your life up in a do-or-die fashion, so you are forced to activate capacities you don’t have.

There are only a few people on the planet who have the character to set up do-or-die situations. I know two of them… and, of course I am one myself.

A few years ago I was trying to teach how to set life up that way: I failed, utterly. Not one of the participants was willing.

This is how it works: You put yourself in a sink or swim situation, where if you sink, you sink. Then you vow that you won’t…

And you work your ass off. You tolerate pain, delays, overcome obstacles, grit your teeth, bear failures, ridicule, tiredness… because you set your eyes, singlemindedly, on the goal.

Few people ever set up real life situations that way, like my student who found herself in exile in a foreign country with her physician husband and her two children. Illegal to drive, illegal to work… and yet they worked and drove. It took all she got: she is the fighter in the family.

Another person: almost same story.

Do or die. Sink or swim.

But you can use integrity, declaration to set up the situation, like me: declared that “There is no way I’ll be anything less than magnificent” and have kept my word… this was 20 years ago.

If you don’t have what it takes… and the likelihood that you do is between zero and none, then your second best choice is to have me activate crucial capacities for you.

But unless you do, you’ll dream about results, accomplishments, that you are not prepared to produce… and you won’t even understand why. After all, if you were any good in school, if you can drive, read, you think you are smart enough.

But alas, to be able to do those, you only need seven capacities… to achieve big things, you need more than 30 capacities.

So dream about achievements you are equipped for, and raise the bar only if you have gotten more capacities…

I know you don’t agree. I know you don’t understand. But if you follow this guidance, you have a chance at fulfillment, happiness, and you’ll thank me for it.

Read the rest of the article: Your desires… should you desire more or less?