The Station

“Sir Francis, do you consider yourself successful?”

“Sir Francis, how did you become successful?”

These questions always come up especially when I speak to the younger audiences. And my response over the years has been consistent.

“I have never considered myself successful – just thankful that God has been good to me so far. Every day, I just strive to be better and to do better today compared to yesterday because I have to carry the responsibility of passing what I know to my children as well as to my clients. The moment I consider myself successful is also the moment my decline starts. I’ll keep on striving.”

Here is an old article written by Robert J. Hastings. The title is “The Station.” This piece is absolutely brimming with wisdom; may this material bless your heart as it did to mine.

The Station

Tucked away in our subconscious minds is an idyllic vision in which we see ourselves on a long journey that spans an entire continent.

We’re traveling by train and, from the windows, we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at crossings, of cattle grazing in distant pastures, of smoke pouring from power plants, of row upon row of cotton and corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, or city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is our final destination — for at a certain hour and on a given day, our train will finally pull into the station with bells ringing, flags waving, and bands playing.

And once that day comes, so many wonderful dreams will come true.  So restlessly, we pace the aisles and count the miles, peering ahead, waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

“Yes, when we reach the station, that will be it!” we promise ourselves.

“When we’re eighteen. . . win that promotion. . . put  the last kid through college. . . buy that 500 SL Mercedes Benz. . . pay off the mortgage. . . have a nest egg for retirement.”

From that day on, we will all live happily ever after.

Sooner or later, however, we must realize there is no station in this life, no one earthly place to arrive at once and for all.

The journey is the joy.

The station is an illusion—it constantly outdistances us.

Yesterday’s a memory, tomorrow’s a dream.

Yesterday belongs to a history, tomorrow belongs to God.

Yesterday’s a fading sunset, tomorrow’s a faint sunrise.

Only today is there light enough to love and live.

So, gently close the door on yesterday and throw the key away.  It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad, but rather the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow.

“Relish the moment” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, swim more rivers, climb more mountains, kiss more babies, count more stars. Laugh more and cry less. Go barefoot oftener.  Eat more ice cream.  Ride more merry-go-rounds.  Watch more sunsets.  Life must be lived as we go along.

What a beautiful piece this material truly is. We must cherish every day, live everyday graciously and never worry – worrying takes from us the joy of the present.

Hastings is right. Life must be lived as we go along.

Need I say more?

(Connect with Francis in his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/franciskong2 and you can also hear him in “Business Matters” aired 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. weekdays over 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch’, the classical music station.)