195Inflating my goal puts me at a different level of think-
ing, and because I’m solving the problem of 10, I always
get at least two.
If you want to really get some fresh motivational
ideas, try expanding your goal. Blow it up until it scares
you. Then proceed in your thinking as if it’s a must that
you achieve it. Remember that this is just a self-con-
tained game, not a promise to anyone else. But it’s a
game that’s fun to play because it works.
94. Give yourself flying lessons
We need heroes in our lives. They are not a sign of
weakness; they are a source of strength. “Without he-
roes,” said Bernard Malamud, “we are all plain people
and we don’t know how far we can go.”
Heroes show us what’s possible for a human being
to accomplish. Therefore, heroes are very useful to any-
one who is in the process of finally understanding self-
motivation. But unless we consciously select our heroes
in order to use them as inspiration, we simply end up
envying great people instead of emulating them.
When used properly, a hero can be an enriching
source of energy and inspiration. You don’t have to have
just one hero, either. Choose a number of them. Put their
pictures up. Become an expert on their lives. Collect
books about them.
My youngest sister, Cindy, as a shy little girl, al-
ways admired Amelia Earhardt. Not long ago, after she
had reached her 30s, she revealed to me that she had
been taking flying lessons. I was stunned! A few weeks
after that, the family went out to a little airport outside
of town to watch her fly her first solo. “I was so scared,”
said Cindy, “that my mouth and throat went completely
dry.”
Give yourself flying lessons