Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Andy Andrews Hernando Cortez Burn the Boats

One of my favorite stories is Andy Andrews' description of the Hernando Cortez expedition to the Yucatan and the power of "burn the boats" in enabling you to go after what you want.

As background to the story, in February 1519, Hernando Cortez sailed from Cuba to the shores of the Yucatán. He commanded 11 ships, with more than 500 soldiers, 100 sailors, and 16 horses, bound for Mexico to take the world's richest treasure -- one which had been unconquerable for over 600 years.

Cortez uttered three words to his army that established a new level of commitment and persistence to their endeavor: "Burn the boats".

So the question becomes this. If you are truly looking to live a life of inspired abundance, what are the boats that you must burn in your life?

Or to put it another way, what things in your life are you allowing to hold you back and that are preventing you from really going after what you want with full and complete commitment?

Perhaps it's time to burn those boats.

The seventh decision Andy Andrews talks about in The Traveler's Gift is I will persist, without exception. I've come to discover that there are times when a burning of the boats is precisely what's necessary to allow me to really go after what I want.



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

this is nice,
really nice intepretation

thanks a lot
:)