Cross the Rubicon

In 49 B.C. Caesar came to the Rubicon, a small river in Northern Italy. It was the line which no general was to cross unless given special permission by the Senate. If Caesar crossed the river it would be to overthrow the capital and divide the world between Pompey and Caesar. Many lives would be lost by Caesar’s decision to cross the Rubicon. He had explored alternatives, reasoned in his mind, and considered every angle. He made up his mind. He would march on Rome. Caesar said, “The die is cast.” At this moment his deliberation ended and action began.

The phrase “crossing the Rubicon” has been used to illustrate the concept of making a decision and then staking everything on it. Weighing the options, seeking advice, reasoning in your mind, and considering all angles is how Caesar came to the decision. Before this he had a cause and a purpose that needed to be accomplished. He had passion and a need, once the decision was made there was absolutely no turning back.

To carry out a passion one must be willing to cross the Rubicon with no choice of turning back. If a difficult goal is to be accomplished, stake everything on it. Making partial decisions is not an effective habit when trying to accomplish goals. To Quote Confucius, “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”