We have all heard this one many times before also.
Reach for the skies. Its a metaphor for trying your best, to aim for high targets and then working towards them. Aim for the sky. Fly high.
When a bird's egg hatches and the baby chick comes out, it is already looking up. It may be because it is hungry and is going to get some worms from mama or he may already be aiming for the sky. I like the latter definition better.
Since a bird is supposed to fly, it already starts looking up from the day its born. Once you start looking towards your goal you start thinking about it. Trying to make it your target to focus upon. To set all things in such a way that your road of life heads towards that.
I believe in aiming high. High targets stretch you further than you would have otherwise gone if you had kept your targets easily attainable. They say that one should keep their targets and goals as stretching. They should not be too high that you could never make it. They should be achievable yet stretching. That is one of the job functions a manager has for his people too. Setting such kind of goals so that the people under him constantly strive to improve.
Anyway, reaching for the skies is a good thing but...yes it has a "but" and its a huge "BUT"...
It is very essential that and I quote, "You keep your feet on the ground".
You can only reach for the goals set if you succeed in keeping your feet on the ground as well which means considering reality. Keeping the practicality in perspective as well. One who strikes the balance succeeds.
I mean whats the use of reaching your goals if you can reach there but cant stay there cos there is no solid base. You can fly and reach the stars but it would be more useful if one keeps his bond with the basics. When one has a solid foundation it is very probably that all achievements will be everlasting.
So that one can build from his achievements to achieve even more. Set new goals. Set new limits. So there it is friends, another lesson from life.
"Reach for the skies, but keep your feet on the ground..."
Would you advise the birds to "keep their feet on the ground"? Probably that is the difference between those who are meant for the skies and those who look towards the sky yet belong to the earth.
ReplyDeletekeep the feet yes but set the goals with limits is also important .. you blogging more thought mechanics type of stuff now a days :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent speech from the manager!
ReplyDelete~Applause~ :D
Nice post. Also if you reach your goals, keep your nose down too :) Its also important that we don't become arrogant and look down at others.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, the quote says "reach" for the sky, because we will never actually attain the sky, hence further to your post...keep our feet on the ground.
I don't know, but I think sometimes thinking too much about reality and "keeping your feet on the ground" gets in the way of reaching for the skies BIG TIME!
ReplyDeleteThe opportunity one gets to reach for the sky is when they don't surrender to reality.. when they dream or believe that they can get something else, that they can achieve something else for themselves.. that they'll do something beyond the normal and beyond what they have been brought up to believe are their limits.. and hence, reach for the skies.
I think human beings by default are creatures that like to stay in their comfort zones.. even when they don't know it, they set the environment around them to be as stable as possible.. so by default, their feet ARE on the ground to some extent. That's why when the sayings go : reach for the sky! or shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars! ... they don't add the keep your feet on the ground bit because by default people wooon't go doing something extraordinarily different than their norm.. So they just stop at reach for the sky. period.
and that serves the motivating reason of why they are said int he first place without distracting the person with reality.. that's already by default on his/her mind.
I'm in complete agreement. I really liked the part where you talked about stretching yourself and not keeping targets easily attainable.
ReplyDeleteYou have to think big if you want to achieve big things in life. And while setting longterm goals for yourself, it's important not to lose sight of short term goals that will ultimately take you to your final destination. If you can do that, you will be able to reach for the skies while still keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.
ReplyDeleteReach for the sky but make sure you don't tear your shirt's armpits in the process. :P
ReplyDelete"Aim for the sky and you'll definitely make it to the top of Mount Everest." How about this?
@razaAli - that is another line of thought...boy your comments really make me think...
ReplyDelete@jawwad - I guess its that kind of a mode these days...dont worry bloggers have their phases...and this will all continue for a while...
@sidhusaaheb - hehhe...pray dude pray...that day is not far...at least thats what I am aiming as a close goal hehhe...
@amir - very important...message...that completes the message of the post...
@lujee - well I would beg to differ...those who strive to be in their comfort zones and never try something out of the ordinary...dont get it in a plate....and continue to be where they are...they may be content with it....so its good for them....but they dont go and do something different in life...I for one person would not want to be something like that even though that is something natural to human beings...true that...
@anas - we agree too much...are we like twin brothers or something? twin sisters? heehhe...
@D - yup...its short term goals that keep you still achieving something until the big bang happens...good point...its important to keep satisfying your soul that you are achieving something while being on track for the bigger moment....
@SAWJ - heheh...well that is why basketball players dont wear sleeved shirts...now we all know...
I am perhaps a bit older than the average here and tend to see things from an a bit different angle: namely, I am already a bit weary of this modern and popular discourse of having to reach high, to succeed... This way of thinking is actually desired by the consumerism and the monetary system: "let's work so that we make piles of money and then we can buy buy buy and than have have have. When we have it all, we will finally be somebody, happy, fulfilled...
ReplyDeleteYet I wonder whether this is really what matters in life. What helps me is to question myself: What would matter to me most if I knew my life was to end in 6 months time?" Would I still want to be successful, to fly high, or would I want something else? This helps me to remain in touch with what really matters to me in my life; and it never comes down to having things and becoming somebody. Yet it is always about just being sincere, open, truthful, in genuine and open contact with people around, to laugh and to cry openly, to be present in each moment and to breath fully. I guess you can call this "grounded" as well.
Which sky are you talking about, 7th? :P
ReplyDeleteI heartily agree to your philosophy..very wise words UTP :)
ReplyDeleteAs they say 'Aim for the sky, incase you miss the target - you will atleast land at stars'
ReplyDelete@robert - well reaching for the skies doesn't only mean for money...that is the materialist approach...my idea of reaching for the skies was about doing your best is everything that one does...just trying the best...
ReplyDeletevery thought provoking comment though...in a more realistic and experienced manner..
@dinky mind - heheh...you cant go beyond right? the "beyondest" sky possible heheh...new word invented...
@lubz - well...ok...I would rather have some disagreement and discussion heheh....kidding...thanks for coming by...regularly...
@M. - oh the wise step in...welcome...absolutely...land within the stars...
How "beyondest" can one go? Wouldn't that come under pure "idiocracy"? :P
ReplyDeleteBut we sometimes surprise ourselves doing what others would deem impossible. I'm an ardent believer that if we put enough faith and work hard, we can attain the goals which have others saying, "Lady, you better put your feet on ground". Anyhow, this is just my opinion and the way I approach life. Even reality is subjective.
ReplyDeleteBut when one is striving and looking forward and just forward to touch the sky how its possible to keep the contact to the base.I have seen people who goes beyond the normal
ReplyDeleteto reach at the top,rarely look back...
Hi ,
ReplyDeleteI was reading ur blog posts and found some of them to be wow.. u write well.. Why don't you popularize it more.. ur posts on ur blog ‘UTP’ took my particular attention as some of them are interesting topics of mine too;
THIS POST WAS REALLY MOTIVATING AND ENCOURAGING.....
BTW I help out some ex-IIMA guys who with another batch mate run www.rambhai.com where you can post links to your most loved blog-posts. Rambhai was the chaiwala at IIMA and it is a site where users can themselves share links to blog posts etc and other can find and vote on them. The best make it to the homepage!
This way you can reach out to rambhai readers some of whom could become your ardent fans.. who knows.. :)
Cheers,
@dinky mind - but idiocracy is an existent word isnt it?
ReplyDelete@hina - reality is subjective...absolutely...in fact it is one of the most subjective concepts...one can never put it in numbers or statistics...
@aashely - but as I mentioned in my post also...they dont stay there long enough...just because their feet arent placed strongly to hold such high flight...and reach...
@ray - welcome...rambhai is an interesting name for a site...sounds interesting...and thanks for the kind words...
nice post.
ReplyDeletea good one to uplift the spirits of those who have accepted failure as their fate and a reality check for those who are flying perhaps too high where the wind is too harsh for their tiny wings.
No, check the dictionary :P [I don't think it's in there] :D
ReplyDelete@mubi - that is almost poetic...
ReplyDelete@dinky mind - it is... http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/idiocracy