A youth went to visit a wise old man to discover the secret of success and wisdom. The wise man instructed the youth to follow him and then, taking him by the hand he led him to a nearby lake. But the wise man didn’t stop at the water’s edge; instead he waded into the water, still holding the youth’s hand. Deeper and deeper went the old man until the boy’s head was submerged below the surface. Then, after several seconds had past, the old man turned about heel and led the grateful youth back to the water’s edge, whereupon the wise man asked him, “When you were under the water, what was it that you desired more than anything else in the whole world?” The youth replied indignantly and without hesitation, “I wanted air to breathe!” The wise old man then replied, “In order for you to find success and wisdom, you must want it as badly as you wanted the air when you were under the water!”

R. Ian Seymour

R. Ian Seymour, excerpt from Maximise Your Potential, Louisiana USA, Pelican Publishing, p.41