Never Lose Sight of the Rabbit
I once heard a story that goes like this..
There was a young boy who wanted to be all he could be and reach his full potential. He heard about an elderly man who over the years had never lost his love for life and lived life on purpose. The little boy decided to pay the elderly man a visit. When he arrived, the elderly man was sitting on his porch with his dog.
The young man pulled up a chair and asked, “Sir, I’ve been told you sought after your purpose for many years and people tell me your love of life is evident through your relentless pursuit of your purpose. Tell me, why do so many people chase their purpose for a year or two before falling into complacency and turning their life into a ritual of just doing it, and doing it, and doing it when it’s convenient and they end up never looking any different than anyone else?”
The Chase
The elderly man looked up, smiled, and began to tell the young boy a story. “I was sitting right here on a nice sunny day with my dog when a large white rabbit ran across my yard. My dog took off and started chasing it all over with passion. Soon, attracted by his barking, other dogs joined in on the chase. What a sight it was! All these dogs bounding over the hills and through the creek! Gradually, however, the other dogs began to drop out of the pursuit. I guess they were discouraged by the course or frustrated by the chase. Only my dog stayed in pursuit. Young boy therein lies the answer to your question.”
The Answer
The young boy sat quietly, confused. Finally, he said, “Sir, I don’t understand, what’s the connection?”
The elderly man responded, “My boy, the key to understanding is to ask the question why didn’t the other dogs continue the chase? The answer is they never saw the rabbit.”
The other dogs didn’t see the rabbit. They didn’t have their why. They were running and chasing for the sake of running and chasing. When you lose sight of your why you are more susceptible to getting caught up in the mundane. Never take your eye off the rabbit and make sure you and your team can always see your vision.
Dr. Douglas Sea, CTO, SIDECAR
