So imagine the respect I have for a neighbor of mine who embarked confidently on a similar journey - on foot.
While traveling around my old Pine Island, Florida community, I couldn't help noticing Harvey Paquette, a high school senior, who could be seen everyday, walking along area roadways.
I've never seen a more inspiring example of the power of multiplication.
Back in January of 1991, Harvey had a problem. He was just 5' 6", yet weighed 220 pounds. He felt sluggish, fat and had sinking self-esteem. His sister's teasing and his grandmother's plea to improve his diet fell on deaf ears. But when he developed a special interest in a girl at school, and then looked in the mirror at himself - he'd finally had enough. He was going to drop some weight.
He stumbled upon walking by chance. His school bus dropped him off 2 1/2 miles from his home and one day his ride didn't show up. So he walked it. To his surprise, he discovered it wasn't all that difficult and began hoofing it everyday. Soon he began looping back to his starting point, increasing his mileage to about 8 miles. Day after day, Harvey walked at least 8, and as many as 16 miles in his effort to lose weight.
After the first two months, he'd dropped 20 pounds. Four months later, he'd lost 60 pounds. He enjoyed walking so much that he just continued.
When I initially interviewed him we calculated that he'd walked a staggering 4,500 miles since beginning - about the distance from Florida to Alaska! Almost three years later, he'd increased his mileage enough to have made the return trip.
Harvey Paquette is a walking example of success because he understands the power of multiplication.
He's learned that several steps taken each day toward a goal, multiplied by time, soon equates into stunning accomplishments.
Now if you'd have told a fat Harvey that in order to achieve his weight lose goal he'd have to walk 9,000 miles, do you think he'd have ever started?
But Harvey didn't look at 9,000 miles. He looked at the task at hand today. He knew he could walk 8 to 16 miles today. And he did- everyday. By doing a little bit everyday, he let the magic of multiplication propel him to his goal.
I don't know if Harvey realizes that this secret of success can be applied to any area of our lives, but I'll tell you what, I'm not doubting anyone capable of walking farther than I can drive!
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Mike Johnson is an energetic writer & entrepreneur. Learn more about Mike's offerings at www.MikeJohnson.biz