My fraternal grandfather was a retired coal miner, now a farmer. He plowed his field with an old mule named “Bessie.” As a young boy, I was fascinated watching him dig deep, straight furrows, row after row, in the field as he guided his mule up and down the field. Hand to the plow, focused in his effort, he carefully prepared the field for planting.
One day, as a young pre-teen, my grandfather told me it was time that I learned how to till a garden. After a few minutes of instruction, he placed a leather strap over one shoulder, securing the reins to his mule in my hand, and pointed me in the direction I was to go. I put my hands to the plow, gave Bessie the command, and down the field we went.
My grandfather followed behind me, chuckling as we went, while Bessie and I cut a not-so-straight path across the field. The plow bounced up and down as I struggled to keep the blade deep enough into the dirt to till the soil. Bessie plodded along, dragging the plow (and me) behind her as she did her part as I wrestled to keep up and make my grandpa proud.
When I got to the fence line and brought the mule to a stop, I turned to look at my handiwork. Let’s just say this was not a furrow anyone wanted to put a ruler to or upload a picture of my handiwork to the Internet as the model for properly tilling a garden. My row was more diagonal than horizontal, deeply furrowed in some areas and barely scratching the earth in other areas.
My grandpa chuckled for a moment, helped me turn Bessie for a return trip across the field, and told me something I’ll never forget.
“Son, you’ve got to keep your hand on the plow and your eye on the prize.”
He walked to the other end of the pasture and set a large rock on a fence post. My grandpa instructed me to move Bessie across the field toward that large rock, and not to take my eyes off of it. He also told me to maintain consistent downward pressure on the plow, but not to take my eyes off the rock. That rock, in that moment, was my prize.
Again, I gave Bessie the command, and down the field we went. This time, I kept my eyes focused on that big rock, kept my hands firmly on the plow, and slowly plodded down the field as Bessie did her part to get me from Point A to Point B.
When we got to the end of the field, I gave Bessie the command to stop. I felt my grandpa give me a pat on the back even before I turned around to see what I had done. Behind me, a deep, mostly straight furrow had been cut into the rich, dark earth. Once again, my grandfather reminded me:
“Son, it doesn’t matter what you do in life. Two things will always remain true.
You’ve got to keep your hand on the plow and your eye on the prize.”
Years later, I learned this phrase had its origins in the American Civil Rights Movement. It has its origins in African-American Spirituals, specifically the song “Keep Your Hand on the Plow,” a reference to the Biblical quote about keeping your hand on the plow and not looking back.
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
~ Luke 9:62
Jesus’ message to his followers was simple. Do not get distracted. Do not give up. Remain dedicated to the work at hand. This was the impetus for the adaptation of this African-American Spiritual during the Civil Rights Movement to “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize.” The phrase became a powerful symbol of perseverance and determination and is still used today to encourage individuals to maintain focus on their goals, even in the midst of difficulties.
Zeroing in on what really matters with perseverance and determination.
Eye on the Prize.
Think about it this way…
The more you welcome your future, the closer your future gets to you.
When your eye is on the prize, you’re either giving yourself permission to go to it, or you’re giving it permission to come to you.
It’s easy to give up when your “Prize” appears to be so far away that it is unattainable. It is in those moments that doubt, fear, discouragement, and depression can overwhelm your thoughts, leading you to settle for less or give up too early. This is when it is important to remind yourself of the ancient wisdom of Lao Tzu:
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
When we start any journey, whether across the room or around the globe, our future starts in the distance. Lao Tzu’s timeless wisdom reminds us that we must be willing to go the distance in order to reach our future destiny. His teachings have so permeated our culture we see this theme playing out in music, plays, TV, and the Big Screen.
In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is transported from Kansas to the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” She first meets the Munchkins, who seeing and hearing her dilemma, instruct her to go to the Emerald City and seek the guidance and counsel of the Wizard of Oz. As the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion join forces with her, she remains resolute in her determination to get to the Wizard so she can find a way to return to her family.
All through the movie, she keeps her eye on the prize.
And let’s not forget the movie, Rocky. A small-time boxer turned mob enforcer, Rocky Balboa gets the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to face Apollo Creed in the ring. This 1976 blockbuster is the quintessential story of the underdog who sets his eye on the prize and overcomes overwhelming odds to battle with the world champion.
In the Shawshank Redemption, we see Andy Dufresne’s unwavering hope and meticulous planning spanning decades as another brilliant example of an individual who kept his hand on the plow and his eyes on the prize. Despite overwhelming odds, Andy triumphed over adversity, found a way out of his cell, and exposed the corruption of the prison system that held him captive for decades.
But examples of individuals who set their hand to the plow and their eyes on the prize abound. Let’s take a look at a few.
Rudy Ruettiger’s lifelong dream to play football for Notre Dame is dashed when he’s told he is too small and not good enough. Rudy saw his future, and he knew what he wanted. He set his eye on the prize, put his hand to the plow, and proved to himself and his doubters he was capable of taking the field as one of the Fighting Irish.
Chaunte Lowe is a 4-time Olympian competitor. Making the Olympic Team once is a major accomplishment, but making the team four consecutive years in a row, and winning an Olympic medal in the process, is definitely a prize worth pursuing. Chaunte’s destiny was revealed to her in her childhood. Through perseverance and dedication, she went on to earn a bronze medal in the high jump at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Chaunte Lowe put her hand to the plow, her eyes on the prize, and kept jumping higher and higher.
Bill Clinton met President John F. Kennedy, one of his teenage idols, in 1963. The chance encounter so moved a young Clinton, he was inspired to a life of public service, becoming the 42nd President of the United States after serving one term as Attorney General and two terms as Governor of Arkansas.
Clinton set his eye on the prize, the presidency of the United States, and never looked back.
I’ve also experienced what happens when you keep your eye on the prize.
My journey to become an L. A. Tribune Best-Selling Author was a thousand-mile journey that started in my youth. In elementary school, a teacher encouraged my love of writing and allowed me to not only write but also direct short plays we performed for the entire school. Another teacher encouraged me to expand into short stories and novels.
Malcolm MacGregor, the Christian CPA on The 700 Club, challenged me to write my first book. “What are you going to do with the gift God has given you?” he asked me when I was only 23 years old. I shrugged my shoulders and replied, “I’m 23 years old. I don’t know what to do with this gift.”
His reply changed the trajectory of my life. “Write a book. I did. It can change the world.”
So, I wrote my first book, “Dollars and Sense: A Kingdom Perspective on Money.” That book was published by Christian Life School of Theology and was required reading in their Divine Disciplines of Finance Class. From there, that book has gone into more than 25 countries around the globe, allowing me to truly touch the world.
Today, I’m the author of ten books, and counting. I’ve had several #1 New Releases on Amazon, and my book, Black Belt Leadership 101, was recognized with Best-Seller Status in September 2024.
When it comes to keeping your eye on the prize, faith and hope also play integral roles. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen. We know the Prize is out there, and we’re moving toward it one step at a time. Faith allows us to hold onto the image of success we want to experience, even when the Prize seems a thousand miles away.
Once faith is in place, hope then allows us to make plans for achieving our vision of success. We start to envision what’s necessary and required to get us from where we are to where we want to be, allowing us to take decisive action as we keep your eyes on the prize.
Ask Chaunte Lowe. Ask Rudy Ruettiger. Ask Bill Clinton.
Ask Albert Einstein. Ask Thomas Edison. Ask Henry Ford. Ask Madame Curie. Ask Jonas Salk. Ask Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, or any of the great innovators of the 20th Century, and they will all tell you the same thing.
Faith and hope help us see from a distance, even when we can’t yet see clearly over the horizon.
Keeping your hand on the plow emphasizes diligence, perseverance, and an unwavering focus on the task at hand. It’s a willingness to wholeheartedly commit to the work required to achieve success without allowing distractions or difficulty to deter you. It’s about staying faithful to the task at hand, even when the results aren’t immediately apparent.
It’s about doing the work necessary to get you from where you are to where you want to be.
Keeping your eye on the prize highlights the importance of maintaining a clear vision of your ultimate goal, and holding that image even through difficult, challenging times or the inevitable setbacks that will occur along the way. By focusing on what success looks like to you, you’re better able to prioritize your efforts and avoid being distracted or deterred.
It’s about having a crisp, clear image of the future, staying motivated, and remaining committed to the ultimate outcome you desire.
It’s about zeroing in on what really matters.
The words of Grandpa Newton are just as relevant today as they were when I was in the field with him as a young teenage boy. They still apply to me, and they still apply to you.
“It doesn’t matter what you do in life. Two things will always remain true.
You’ve got to keep your hand on the plow and your eye on the prize.”
Remember, the more you welcome your future, the closer your future gets to you.
Your future always starts in the distance.
You’ve got to be willing to go the distance to get to your destiny.
The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
Hands on the plow.
Eyes on the prize.
Begin, and continue.
