Not very many people know about Oseola. She was born in 1908. Her family was poor. When Oseola was in sixth grade her aunt became very ill and needed home care. Since the aunt had no children of her own Oseola quit school and took care of her. She never returned to school. She later became a washerwoman, washing clothes for the people in her town. Oseola took her pay and gave 1 dime to her church, 1 dime to each of her three relatives, and set aside in a savings account, 6 dimes to the University of Southern Mississippi. Oseola worked as a washerwoman her whole life, retiring in 1994 because of arthritis. In July 1995 it was announced that Oseola had established a trust for Southern Miss in the amount of $150,000. She accrued this money by slowly, painstakingly saving little amounts of money out of every dollar she took in.
This isn't a lesson about financial management or savings, this is a lesson about never giving up, never losing sight of that goal. Sometimes a goal can be accomplished in days, weeks, months and sometimes that goal will take years to come to fruition. There are other lessons here about how giving helps you get, a lesson about how putting others first means you receive far more than you will ever extend as well....
Oseola's gift was earmarked for kids who were disadvantaged and could not afford college. She is still giving long after she died. I've been teaching Oseola's life lesson since 1997 in my Joy Is A Choice classes for women in mid-life changes who want to take their lives in a 180 direction. I tell them if Oseola can give .60 cents at a time and create a trust, they can take a goal and by committing a little energy every day to that goal, accomplish great things. Mark Twain said most people miss success because it is dressed up in hard work...and he is right. That consistent, constant effort is what makes the difference in the end, just look at Oseola when you doubt that.
If you have a goal...whatever it is...take a blank insert, a very lovely, special one in your Traveler Notebook. Find a label, put it on the front with the title of your goal. Inside, put a header titled: Goal, in a couple pages, Steps to Goal, in a few more pages, Brainstorm, in a four or five pages, Why I shouldn't (Yes, I said shouldn't). Then spend some quiet time writing your goal on the first page. As you think of other components or dynamics to your goal record them. After you write out the goal, start listing the steps you need to take to achieve it in the next section. The steps do not need to be in any order at all...they will be re-arranged later...leave room for other steps you think of later on...keep your notebook with you, with pen, because thoughts about your goal are going to pop up at the most random time and I want you to write those very random thoughts in the brainstorm section, additional steps in the appropriate section and ANY negatives that pop up in the 'why you shouldn't' section. Some of those thoughts will later be re-organized in to coming sections. Then, when you have more quiet time, I want you to write in the 'why I shouldn't' section every thought you've ever had as to why you cannot go forth with your goal....maybe financial reasons, logistical, space, people, whatever the reason, write them down...this isn't the place to argue with those reasons or challenge them, simply record them. These can also be negatives others have said to you about your goal. Don't move on to any other steps until Goals, Steps and Shouldn't are completely exhausted and filled in....Next week, we will talk about what comes next. I can tell you this process, if you are faithful to it, is going to result in some amazing things happening in your life. Keep watching for Part 2 in Achieving Your Goal, Oseola Style.