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The Sleeping Giant

Guest post by: Jim Stovall

Article Overview: Recently during a speaking engagement in Hawaii, I had the privilege of touring Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. It is a moving experience that I would recommend to anyone who has the opportunity to take advantage of it. From time to time, it is good to be reminded that freedom comes at a very high price.

The Sleeping Giant

Recently during a speaking engagement in Hawaii, I had the privilege of touring Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. It is a moving experience that I would recommend to anyone who has the opportunity to take advantage of it. From time to time, it is good to be reminded that freedom comes at a very high price.

As I was doing a bit of research about World War II and the Pearl Harbor attack, I came across the famous quote from Admiral Asoroku Yamamota. After the Japanese attack on the U. S. Navy on December 7, 1941, he said, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant." The surprise attack, while devastating to our navy, did, indeed, awaken the people of the United States and fill us with a tremendous resolve. Often in our lives, adversity or challenge can awaken the sleeping giant within us as individuals. I have heard it said that anything that does not destroy us serves to

make us even stronger.

There are many lessons to be taken away from the Pearl Harbor experience. I was struck by the fact that many of those touring the memorial on the same day I did were Japanese nationals. There is no animosity left, only the futility of war and the lessons to be learned.

I believe that there is a giant within each of us that, when awakened, can perform at a level we have not yet even imagined. Think about where you are in your life and your career. Ask yourself what you could do if you were forced to, then ask yourself why you are not performing at that level right now.

It could be argued that, had the United States performed before the Pearl Harbor attack as we performed after the attack, it is possible that war could have been avoided altogether. One of the lessons of Pearl Harbor is that effort expended before a crisis is much more valuable than that expended after a crisis.

Think about the giant within you and awaken it yourself. Don't wait on a disaster to perform at your best.

Today's the day!

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Article Tags: freedom, Jim Stovall, performance, priviledge



Related Forum Posts
Re: Quote of the Day - "If you do what you've always done, you'l - Thanks Evan for the quote. I read Tony Robbins book a lot. In fact I just dusted "Awaken the Giant Within" and "Unlimited Power" from the shelf last week to go over them again


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