Matthew Henson and Merrick Johnston both achieved something extraordinary. Matthew Henson was awarded as the co-discoverer of the North Pole. Merrick Johnston was the youngest person ever to climb Mt. McKinley. Although they differ, both of their ambitions were hard to achieve and were a huge milestone for each person. Life was forever changed for both Henson and Johnston when they reached their destination. In the dictionary, a goal is “something that one hopes or intends to accomplish.” Henson accomplished his goal on April 6th, 1909. As a boy, he traveled around on ship and achieved seagoing experience. When he was a store clerk, Robert Peary hired him and introduced Henson to his new goal, which was to climb the North Pole. After a number
...ew to the path of being trapped by the ice, he excelled at his decision making. He didn’t believe that one should look back at past mistakes and waste time on regrets, indeed, “Shackleton never wasted time or energy lamenting things that had passed or that he couldn’t change (Morell, pp. 145).” As Shackleton himself said, “A man must shape himself to a new mark directly the old one goes to ground (Morell, pp. 145).” This ability to shift quickly and react to new circumstances served him and his crew members well and allowed all of them to save themselves from their icy trap. As Dennis Perkins says in his book, Leading at the Edge, in reference to the last leg of Shackleton’s expedition, “Their heroic journey across South Georgia Island had saved their shipmates. It remains a tribute to unremitting effort—and to the tenacious creativity at The Edge (pp. 148).”
According to the American Museum of Natural History, the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition won all expedition members the Polar Medal, a prestigious award. However Shackleton refused it to 6 members including New Zealander, Henry Mc Nish.
Alfred Lansing's Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage tells the non-fictional journey of thirty men lead by Ernest Shackleton, who was persistent on completing a voyage across Antarctica in the year 1914. The man was obsessed with the idea of fame and wealth by completing this mission that was thought by most to be sheer foolishness. However, Shackleton hand picked his men as the best for his voyage. Using a few of the “Habits of Mind” by Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick, I can compare and contrast Ernest Shackleton's journey to my own journey in life.
The lands included in the Louisiana Purchase were those west of the Mississippi River but they were largely unexplored and therefore completely unknown to both the U.S. and France at the time. Because of this, shortly after the purchase of the land President Jefferson requested that Congress approve $2,500 for an exploratory expedition west.
In 1914, a great leader began a great expedition, unbeknownst to him that instead of being known as great explorers, they would be known as some of the greatest survivors. This man was Sir Ernest Shackelton and he was determined to be the first to cross the Antarctic. Little did he know, his biggest challenge would end up being his ability to lead his team to survival. He also had no idea that their tale of strength, determination, and courage to survive would influence people well into the 21st century, and the book detailing their stories would be used as a model of leadership. As our group read this book, it was evident that Shackleton was a truly motivated and successful leader as we have come to understand one to be. His ability to successfully lead a team played a significant role in their survival.
The saga of the Endurance has relevant lessons for today?s leaders concerning the vital nature of team unity and interdependence, risk taking, optimism, and selfless leadership. Shackleton, known as ?The Boss? to his men, was at all times responsible for fostering and developing these dynamics, and thus provides an example of the remarkable achievements that are possible in even the direst of situations. The expedition failed in its attempt to be the first to transverse the Antarctic, yet the ultimate success is judged by the safe return of all the crewmembers.
Chris and Jon’s life have many parallels and contrasts at the same time. Both gave up most of their possessions to go after a dream they had. Ones dream was to live off the land in the remote regions of Alaska, the other too climb the Devils Thumb, a mountain peak that had never been scaled by man. Each man was aware of the risks, but were they equally prepared when each began their own adventure? I feel that Chris McCandless was at a disadvantage when he first started off. Raised by a wealthy family and just graduating from Emory University I feel he wasn’t as prepared as he could have been. Fortunately his father had taken him on hiking trips so he was at least somewhat familiar with the wilderness but in no way was he prepared at all for the severity of the Alaskan wilderness. I think it would have been quite a feat just for Chris to have been able to live off the land in a local forest. To be fair to Chris I’m sure Krakauer didn’t start off by just one day deciding he would climb the Devils Thumb after he was inspired by making it up the climbing wall at the local county fair. Both men had to gradually work their way up to a...
To start with, McCandless was not someone who gave up. Despite others trying to scare him out of continuing with his journey into the Alaskan wilderness, nothing deterred McCandless. He anxiously awaited to experience life off the land. The people McCandless encountered on his way to Alaska often commented on his determination. Jim Gallien, a man who drove McCandless into the Alaska interior, described McCandless as “real gung-ho”. McCandless's attempt to undertake such a risky endeavour is something to admire in itself. To travel two years, mostly on foot, is certainly not an easy task. However, McCandless still persevered through the hardships he faced throughout his journey. McCandles...
of men who had lost their lives in their effort to reach it [North Pole], I felt
A goal I achieved was when I graduated from high school many years ago. I was the first one in my family to graduate from high school. It was a big accomplishment for me and my mom. Graduating was my goal. I wanted to make my mom proud, life happens I couldn't go to college then but I told myself one day I will full field my dream to have a career. I meet my career advisor at a job fair and am here enrolled to be a medical assistant. My new goal is to work real hard to get the best grades I can possibly get and to have perfect attendance at the end off the medical assistant program. Am going use my time wisely, get all my work done in time and ask for help if I don't understand something.
Everyone has a goal when they realized something needs to be done in a certain amount of times. People set goals to meet their expectations and effectiveness on their journey with no hesitation. Every sets of goal have a limit, and it follow the deadline on how we set our goal. A set of goal is a dream that we built to become reality or sometime it can be a total failure. Setting a goal isn’t enough for individual and should not be.
In the excerpt “Stickeen”, John Muir describes his experience of exploring the icy region of Alaska terrain in 1880. The author talks about his perils and hardships he encountered while trekking the Alaska region. He also recounts his relationship with the four legged companion named Stickeen, who was brought along by one of the author’s companion, Rev. S.H. Young, to the expedition.
Being goal driven means having the passion, will, and drive to see an expectation or ideal of or for yourself through to the end. This describes who I have become, a goal driven individual. As long as I can remember I have always had the drive to attempt many things, but I didn’t always feel like I had to actually complete any challenge placed in front of me. As a child I entered a contest to win a CD player in school; all I had to do was sell the most candy bars. I pulled almost any cute ploy I could think of on my family and friends just to sell a candy bars and won my CD player. I had the will to succeed, however if someone said no I would stop and move on to the next target.
Setting goals is the most important thing you can do in your life. Without goal's you are going to have no direction, no ambition to be successful, no drive to stay in school, and trouble finding a career that will provide for you. Without these three things, achieving your goals is going to be one of the toughest tasks in the years to come.
We are told never to cross a bridge until we come to it, but this world is owned by men who have 'crossed bridges' in their imagination far ahead of the crowd. I was watching the Doctor Phil Show the other day, and he was talking about the five reasons for why successful people are as successful as they are. Number one on the list was a plan. A goal. A destination. An ambition. Without an ambition we have no purpose in our lives. In contrast, a goal can help us get organized and take steps towards achieving what we want in our day-to-day lives. My friend Ryan always used to tell me, and still does; “My life's ambition is to be happy with my place in, and contribution to Society.” That might be a nice thought, but is there really a workable goal there? No! “The ambitious man is essentially a visualizer and an actualizer... He can visualize something, and when he visualizes it he sees exactly how to make it happen.” - Robert L. Schwartz A person who aims at nothing is sure to hit it. We were given a brain for a reason, and this is a perfect excuse to use it.