Have an UNREASONABLE New Year, by John Hersey

"Be careful, John, you`ll fall!"

"Relax, John, you are trying too hard!"

"You can`t expect to be good at every thing!"

"Be patient!"

"You don`t want to set your sights too high!"

"We`ve always done it that way!"

"Be reasonable, John!"

Reasonable!

Since childhood, we have been taught to be reasonable in virtually everything we do out of fear that we might get hurt or might not make it or just might fail. We learned to have reasonable expectations about everything. All our well- intentioned teachers, parents, guidance counselors and church leaders have done their absolute best to have us be as reasonable as possible.

Is it any surprise then that when we are asked to be even a little UNREASONABLE we freeze?

Most of our relationships are reasonable, aren`t they? We put just enough into them to keep them uncomplicated. Whatever happened to being spontaneous, doing something special for our spouse or significant other when there is no particular reason or date to do so other than celebrating our relationship?

Most of us are reasonable in our jobs, aren`t we? When was the last time that you noticed a colleague go the extra mile? When was the last time that you considered giving a little more rather than demanding a little more?

Our free time is reasonable too, isn`t it? When was the last time you did something unreasonable on your day off or for a vacation? Have you ever considered getting up at 4am, preparing a great thermos of coffee and going to that special place to watch the sun rise with your significant other? Of course not, it`s unreasonable!

We have become so darn reasonable that most of us have stopped trying to be anything but reasonable.

As you prepare your goals for this next year why not think about being totally UNREASONABLE. Take a stand for being outrageous. Accomplishing the goal really doesn`t matter. Trying does. Consider this true story. A man listened to the radio while driving home from work one Friday. He learned that disaster had befallen his little hometown. A tornado had passed through with such force and destruction that his town was a total disaster area. He stopped his car at a place that overlooked the town and couldn`t believe his eyes.

He was an executive at the radio station. That evening he called all his managers and asked them to meet him at the station the next morning at 8am.

When everyone was in the room he explained the situation and on a board drew a large "T", creating two columns. On the left he wrote, "can`t do" and on the right he wrote, "will do".

The objective was to create 3 ways to raise $3 million dollars for this little town in 3 days.

He went to the side marked "can`t do" and drew a bold "X" through it. He announced there was no time to consider what couldn`t be done or what wouldn`t work.

That morning the managers created the 3 ways and they raised the $3 million dollars in 3 days.

If that isn`t unreasonable, I don`t know what is.

If this man and his colleagues had not been unreasonable, the money never would have been raised.

So, while you are thinking about your goals for 2001 ask yourself where you are being reasonable in your life. Think about the difference you could make in your job, your family and community if you just allowed yourself the freedom to be completely unreasonable.

Then, go have an UNREASONABLE 2001!