Life Engineering Logo - A platform to power success and achievement for individuals, leaders and organizations.
  • Solutions
    • For Individual Achievement
    • For HR Achievement
      • Overview
      • HR Business Academy
      • Sign Up Today
    • For Organizational Achievement
      • Overview
      • Science-Based Assessments
      • Achievement Academies
      • Professional Services
      • Speaking Engagements
      • Leadership Development & Training
      • Request A Consultation
  • Resources
    • Personal Success Blog
    • Leadership and Business Success Blog
    • Webinars
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our Vision
    • Our Story
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Solutions
    • For Individual Achievement
    • For HR Achievement
      • Overview
      • HR Business Academy
      • Sign Up Today
    • For Organizational Achievement
      • Overview
      • Science-Based Assessments
      • Achievement Academies
      • Professional Services
      • Speaking Engagements
      • Leadership Development & Training
      • Request A Consultation
  • Resources
    • Personal Success Blog
    • Leadership and Business Success Blog
    • Webinars
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our Vision
    • Our Story
    • Contact Us
Login
  • Dashboard
  • Academy
    • My Courses
    • Foundations Academy
    • 16 Elements Academy
    • Leadership Academy
    • Personalized Learning
  • Articles
    • Articles for Individuals
    • Articles for Leaders
    • Search or Browse by Category
  • Principles
    • Life Engineering Principles
    • Leadership Principles
  • Tools
    • Tools for Individuals
    • Tools for Leaders
    • My Account
  • Community
Menu
  • Dashboard
  • Academy
    • My Courses
    • Foundations Academy
    • 16 Elements Academy
    • Leadership Academy
    • Personalized Learning
  • Articles
    • Articles for Individuals
    • Articles for Leaders
    • Search or Browse by Category
  • Principles
    • Life Engineering Principles
    • Leadership Principles
  • Tools
    • Tools for Individuals
    • Tools for Leaders
    • My Account
  • Community

Category: Motivation & Energy

Insights, tools and resources to find motivation for life, energy to move forward, strength to endure, and power to press on.

Failure and critics – ignore them both

When you have a vision—when you really believe you can make a difference, do something great, or create something meaningful—you’ve got to learn…
Rusty September 21, 2010
0 Comments

When you’re amazing

Amazing things happen when you become extremely good at something.
Rusty August 31, 2010
0 Comments

If you’ve never been homeless, read this

Driving awareness and empathy to the issue of homelessness in America. Be aware, and help by sharing.
Rusty August 23, 2010
0 Comments

Ken Robinson: The importance of creativity

Ken Robinson gives a TED talk on "Do Public Schools Kill Creativity", and then makes a poignant argument about the failure of public schools.
Rusty August 10, 2010
0 Comments

Who I am makes a difference

The inspiring story of how a young man was saved by a simple expression of how important he was, in this touching story of “Who I Am Makes a Differe…
Rusty August 9, 2010
2 Comments

Mastery and personal progress: the secret to fulfillment

Finding fulfillment, purpose, and direction in life isn't hard, once you realize these four fundamental truths about the pursuit of mastery and person…
Rusty August 3, 2010
0 Comments

You remember the Mayflower, but what about Speedwell?

There are times in our lives when we will be called into action, when we will be required to move, when the opportunity to do something great will lie…
Rusty June 2, 2010
11 Comments

There is no secret ingredient!

The key to accomplishing all that you ever wanted, the key to changing who you are, the key to reaching new heights, the key to limitless personal pow…
Rusty March 31, 2010
16 Comments

What Abraham Lincoln taught me about failure

Abraham Lincoln failed many times before he succeeded. Learn a lesson from him when you feel like you'll never reach success.
Rusty March 24, 2010
16 Comments

Making the most of microcosms

A microcosm is just a small version of something much larger. It’s usually very similar in the most important regards, but much simpler. To do somet…
Rusty March 10, 2010
0 Comments

Joannie Rochette – an emotional night

As we set about to achieve our goals and pursue our dreams, we are often pulled and distracted. The ability to focus, when the pressure is on and your…
Rusty March 2, 2010
0 Comments

Peaks and valleys

The important thing to remember when you’re in a valley is that you won’t stay there forever. Valleys are temporary, even when they seem to last a…
Rusty February 26, 2010
0 Comments

Shaun White, and the real story of his success

Shaun had all the ingredients to engineer his life for success. He showed early on that he had the passion, the commitment, the drive, and the willing…
Rusty February 24, 2010
0 Comments

Are you failing on a regular basis?

People tend to view failure as weakness. But I think it’s the other way around. If struggles make you stronger, what does it mean if you’ve stoppe…
Rusty February 23, 2010
0 Comments

Anja Paerson – we fall and we get back up

When you fall, you have to get back up. You have to face your demons. You have to overcome the fear of crashing again. Crashing is part of the process…
Rusty February 19, 2010
0 Comments

Petra Majdic proves perseverance pays

The inspiring story of Petra Majdic, who persevered despite the pain.
Rusty February 18, 2010
0 Comments

Lindsey Vonn – Olympic example

The inspiring story of Lindsey Vonn. Who didn’t start out as the most naturally gifted skier. But she was committed and put in the time and effort s…
Rusty February 17, 2010
0 Comments

There is beauty all around

THERE IS BEAUTY ALL AROUND articles Early this morning I was on the way to the gym, when I suddenly turned the corner and stopped…

Rusty February 17, 2010
2 Comments

Seth Wescott – gold medalist, honorary Life Engineer

True champions are able to overcome great odds to achieve greatness because they know, at a very fundamental level, that they can do it.
Rusty February 16, 2010
0 Comments

Seashells and opportunities

Opportunities don’t sit and wait very long. Often, you’ll no sooner spot one worth pursuing than it’s washed away. You have to act fast. You hav…
Rusty February 15, 2010
0 Comments
Load More
Life Engineering is a company dedicated to powering human achievement for individuals, leaders, and organizations
the human achievement platform

Life Engineering is dedicated to helping individuals, parents, leaders, and organizations achieve excellence. 

We provide the tools and the training, the motivation and the methodology, an entire platform designed to help you move beyond where you’ve been, to go farther than you thought you could… to achieve more, to do more, to become more. 

© Copyright – Life Engineering (2023)
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Blog
Tiktok Instagram Linkedin Facebook-f

Forum Description

SEASHELLS AND OPPORTUNITIES

articles

Last week I was in Los Angeles, California. My kids had made me promise to bring home some seashells, so at the end of the week I made it to the beach and began my search.

I was soon dissatisfied with the meager offering of common, broken, picked-over shells available on the mostly-deserted shoreline. I realized that if I wanted the good shells, I would have to get wet.

Fortunately, I’d come prepared, having worn a suit under my t-shirt and sweats. But it was 50 degrees and overcast, and would be dark soon. All the other shell-seekers were sticking to the dry sand.

But I was committed. So I stripped down to my suit and waded in, ignoring the cold and clenching my teeth.

I then had an experience I’ll always remember.

There I was, wading around in the cold ocean, with one eye peering into the darkening water, searching for a shell worthy of going in after, and the other eye watching so the next wave wouldn’t take me unawares.

It was very frustrating. You only have about five seconds between waves. At least half of that is waiting for the sand and bubbles to clear enough to see, and only maybe one second where the shells are totally still.

In that very small window of opportunity, you’ve got to see and recognize a worthy shell, plunge your arm in and grab it. But so often, you just get a worthwhile shell spotted, and suddenly it’s washed away when the next wave hits, splashing cold water all over you.

If you didn’t act fast, the shell was gone.

There was one time I spotted a a rare shell. It was different than all the other shells, about four inches in diameter, with real depth. Just as I spotted it, the prior wave was washing back out to sea and it disappeared from view, the water clouded over with sand and a bombardment of shells and small rocks. Going on nothing but hope and a memory of its location, I plunged my hand in where I thought it would be, and to my delight, found myself pulling it out of the water.

Being a life engineer, I couldn’t help but appreciate the analogy.

In life, we’re surrounded by opportunity. The really good opportunities often require us to leave the safety of the shoreline, to leave the pack, to go where other people don’t dare go. They require you to invest yourself, endure the cold, and risk a little.

Out here, opportunities don’t sit and wait very long. In fact, sometimes it’s darn near impossible to catch one in time. Often, you’ll no sooner spot one worth pursuing than it’s washed away. You have to act fast. You have to be prepared to move, and move quickly. You have to be prepared to get wet.

Sometimes you’ll see something worth going after, and you just have to plunge yourself in after it, even after the clarity of the moment is gone, and forge ahead more on faith and intuition than anything else. Sometimes you’ll come up empty handed. But sometimes you won’t.

The only thing you can do is try. And that’s half the fun. The other half is when you get your shell.

-Rusty

Photo by freepik - www.freepik.com

Report

There was a problem reporting this post.

Harassment or bullying behavior
Contains mature or sensitive content
Contains misleading or false information
Contains abusive or derogatory content
Contains spam, fake content or potential malware

Block Member?

Please confirm you want to block this member.

You will no longer be able to:

  • See blocked member's posts
  • Mention this member in posts
  • Invite this member to groups
  • Message this member
  • Add this member as a connection

Please note: This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

Report

You have already reported this .
Clear Clear All