Beyond the Rhetoric

“If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?”

Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Bill Gates is easily one of the most successful people that this planet has ever seen. By hook or by crook, Microsoft came to completely dominate the computer market, both in the home and in the office. That’s quite the monumental achievement.

It’s not like his road to success has been without issues, of course, since he had to take several chances along the way. Ironically, you would think that someone like Bill Gates would be incredibly goal-oriented, but based on the quote above, it seems like he doesn’t see this as a race to a destination; instead, it’s about the incredible journey that can have along the way, always pushing yourself to go further.

It is only by stretching your limits that you can overcome mediocrity and have the potential for such a meteoric rise. They say that you should never settle for second best, but Bill Gates has shown that even being “first” best isn’t good enough either. There is no finish line, because there is always another level to ascend. Define success however you like, but know there is always more you can do.

Then again, Gates also said, “If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.” That sounds like it should be coming from Steve Jobs, no?

Tags: memorable quotes, microsoft, success

Filed under Personal Development.