I had an interesting conversation last week with a gentleman who, in my estimation, is living far below his dreams.
He told me that when he was a young boy, he had always wanted to learn how to fly. It was all he could think about. One day, a pilot came to his school to talk about flying and what it would take to become a pilot. As my friend listened, his heart began to sank, for in his mind, he would never be able to accomplish all of the work necessary in order to make his dream of flying come true.
I briefly mentioned that dreams have a cost, and sometimes, people realize they're unwilling or unable to pay the cost to achieve a certain dream. But make no mistake- in order to achieve your dream, it will cost something.
In the book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill recounts a story of a migrant worker's young daughter who came to her mother's boss to collect payment. The boss, a hard man, refused. The little girl would not budge. She asked again. He threatened to beat her if she didn't leave. Finally, she yelled that she wasn't going to leave the spot she was standing on until she received payment. The stunned boss took the money from his pocket and paid her, humbled that a little girl had bested him.
Napoleon Hill asked the reader the question - what was it in the little girl that caused such a hardened man to cave?
My mind quickly said - perseverance and determination. There was fire in that little girl's eyes. It could have been that she was motivated by fear that her mother would punish her if she didn't come back with the money. Or it could have been a knowledge that the money had been well-earned and it was deserved. Whatever the reason, that little girl had simply made up her mind that she wasn't going to take "no" for an answer.
It makes me wonder how many people have taken "no" as the answer to the dreams in their life? How many quit thinking about their dreams because they heard a "no" or a hundred "no's?" How many stopped trying to pursue reaching their dreams because important people in their life said "no, it can't be done?" And you probably know the answer to this next question:
Where would we be if Beethoven had listened to them? Einstein? Benjamin Franklin? Alexander Graham Bell? Henry Ford? Golda Meier? Bill Gates? Or anyone who has made a valuable contribution to humanity?
Seek your dreams and start a relationship with them again. Especially remember the ones from childhood. Don't take no for an answer.
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