Hi, everybody, Cheryl Knowlton coming at you with a very, very important piece today. It’s about habit. I love this poem and would love to share it with you. I can’t take credit for it.
The Habit Poem
I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half of the things you do you might as well turn over to me
and I will do them –quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed –
you must be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done
And after a few lessons,
I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of great people, and alas,
Of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine though I work with the precision
Of a machine plus the intelligence of a person.
You may run me for profit or run me for ruin –
It makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me,
And I will place the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
Who am I? I am Habit.
I used this poem at the very beginning of a class that I taught nationally for the National Association of Realtors in 2018 for Safety Month on habits we have as real estate professionals. This is such an important poem. I was so wildly impressed with my good friend Clay Johnson. He had this memorized and started many a class, that he sponsored for me, by sharing it.
A challenge to change habits
I want to challenge you to look at the habits that you have created for yourself. Look at those that are creating success and making it easier for you to succeed and those that are dragging you down. Pick one today—just one and go to work on it. After you have mastered that habit, pick another.
Habits are absolutely everything. They really truly will run us for profit or run us for ruin. We get to decide. So choose wisely.