#reach #stretch #stars #goals #WhateverItTakes #foundation
“Keep your feet on the ground and reach for the stars.”
That was the closing line from Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40” regular, syndicated radio show.
When first hearing it, it seems contradictory.
How can one reach for the stars while keeping his or her feet on the ground?
To reach, as many motivational speakers will tell you, you must stretch.
One can certainly stretch while his or her feet are planted, but to go the extra mile, one may have to stand on his or her tiptoes.
For example, when reaching for something on the top shelf of a cabinet, as a short person, you may have to stand on your tiptoes to get the item.
But, what Kasem may be getting at is a bit more subtle.
With one’s feet on the ground, he or she can create a firm foundation. Usually, one needs a firm foundation to reach any goal. That foundation can manifest in character, honesty, humility, generosity, selflessness or may other desired human attributes.
From that foundation, one can set goals and reach for them, no matter how far, how unlikely or how difficult they may seem.
That good foundation can now become flexible. It can help the person realize what he or she needs to do, and must do, to achieve the goal(s).
That flexibility may require the person to do things he or she may never have done before. That may require manufacturing the courage to pursue the unknown or untried.
It can manifest in reaching for the proverbial stars, as in something that may seem out of reach.
Not everyone will do it, hence the adage: “do today what others won’t so you can do tomorrow what others can’t.”
So Kasem tells his listeners (his show is still broadcast today in reruns, despite his death in 2014) that they can reach for the stars if they want to do what it takes.
He’s also telling them to start with a good foundation.
It can be a difficult message for some. It can go over the heads of others. Still, others will shrug it off.
But his words will ring true to those who want to change their lives for the better.
Keeping one’s feet on the ground amid life’s difficult circumstances is not easy for many.
But, for some, it’s not circumstances that matter. It’s how one responds to them that’s the key to a better life.
Amid the chaos of today, the stars may be reachable for those who want to stretch.
Being optimistic may be the first step in that stretch. It may be the main attribute in establishing a good foundation.
Peter