I love mowing lawns and even had a
little business for a couple of years where I took care of other peoples’
yards. I know that may seem strange, actually liking what we had to do as
children, but no one has ever accused me of being normal. My love of mowing,
however, didn’t come with a love of mower maintenance. (This is not to be
confused with the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which I have never read.) I
had collected a few lawn mowers just in case one of them broke down.
One day, one of my mowers broke
down and I didn’t have a spare left. I was forced to fix it myself, or pay
someone else a lot of money and not have a mower for a couple of weeks. I chose
to attempt the impossible because that’s who I am. I checked the gas; it was
good. I checked the oil; dirty, but okay and would have to wait for another
maintenance moment. The filter was dirty, but easy to clean. The mower still
wouldn’t start and I was forced to check the spark plug.
The plug was heavily coated and
after a good cleaning, (a new one from Wal-Mart) the lawnmower started right up
and worked for another year. Now, you may think that the lesson was on changing
spark plugs, but you would be wrong. The lesson is this; without spark, nothing
works.
Everyone needs a spark to get
anything done. It takes a spark to kindle the flames of love. It takes a spark
to ignite a passion for starting a new business. Believe it or not, it also
takes a spark to get out of bed every morning. Without that initial spark, no
matter how brief or small, nothing would be worth doing.
To carry my story further, it also
takes good fuel, clean oil, and free flow of air to keep us going. The spark
may begin the process, but without the other elements, “you ain’t got nuthin!”
Fuel is the education we need to reach our goals. Oil is the encouragement we
gain from the examples of others. Air is the dream we have to be more than we
are right now. All three are indispensible in any attempt to accomplish a goal.
I think I’ll write about each one
in a separate blog so I don’t run out of things to write about before the end
of the year. Therefore, concentrate on the spark and stop getting distracted!
In order to obtain the spark on a
mower, you need to keep the plug clean of corrosion. We need to do the same
with ourselves by not letting other peoples’ doubts and fears become ours. A
spark is an idea and you can’t get ideas if your thoughts are filled with
garbage. It’s also hard to get an idea if you’re sitting at home watching TV
all the time. Pablo Picasso once said, “Inspiration exists, but it must find
you working.”
Whatever your dream is, clean off
your spark plug and give another pull on the motor. You just may find that your
little spark of an idea can lead to all sorts of good things.
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