Personal inspirations

Seems to me like whenever i need an answer to a problem it usually arrives in the form of music or literature. Occasionally a person, but not often. I received a revelation a couple of years ago that i needed to be more proactive. It took me about a year to finally track down a decent definition for the word "proactive" in a Steven Covey book - "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" that i found while on holiday in Gisborne. The funny thing was that when I got back home I saw the same book sitting on a bookshelf at our house where it had been sitting all year, completely unnoticed by me. I guess i had to go on a quest for it, so that I would treasure it, like Santiago in "The Alchemist." It went something like this: proactive people are those who focus their efforts on things which they can do something about--and reactive people, who blame, accuse, behave like victims, pick on other people's weaknesses and complain about external factors over which they have no control (e.g. the weather). Proactive people are responsible for their own lives. Covey breaks down the word responsibility into ability and to choose a response. Proactive people recognise their responsibility to make things happen. Those who allow their feelings to control their actions have abdicated responsibility and empowered their feelings. When proactive people make a mistake, they not only recognise and acknowledge their mistake, but also correct it if possible and, most importantly, learn from it. This one seemed quite difficult to me to follow, and yet its only the first of the 7 habits. You would think that the first step would be the easiest, but no. On good days I sometimes remember to try and be proactive, but on highly emotional days, theres absolutely no chance. I just get overwhelmed by things that are going on around me and find it hard to anchor myself down. Like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. I'm glad theres always tomorrow.