Determination and Dreams (August 2010)

From August 9, 2010

Several years ago, I saw a movie called “Erin Brockovich,” a true story about a down-on-her-luck strong-willed young woman who was instrumental in bringing some justice to hundreds of people who had been exposed to chemicals leached into the ground by energy mammoth, PG&E.

When the movie was over, my husband said to me “She reminds me of you.  It would be just like you to do something like that”  I took that as a compliment.

I admit I have been known to be determined and strong-willed.  College professors have labeled me tenacious and stubborn: I don't give up on a problem just because it is hard.  It is likely I was genetically predisposed to these attributes (they can be good qualities), but much of it was learned through years and years of regular lessons from the greatest teacher of all: Life.  

Sometimes these attributes are necessary for the survival of Self.  We can let things defeat us, or we can meet the challenge and do what needs to be done.  Erin Brockovich saw people whose quality of life was destroyed through the dishonesty of a major corporation (learn more about her here).  My husband was right.  Had I been in her place, I would have done exactly the same thing.  I could never turn a blind eye just because it is inconvenient to me or because the opposition seems too great.

When you think about it, most problems in life are not insurmountable.  They can be dealt with one small step at a time.  You just have to be willing to make the commitment to deal with it, and not give up on it.

One of my favorite thoughts comes from Apollo 12 astronaut Al Bean:

The most important quality I have noticed in successful people is that they have a dream.  They want to be someone or something.  They want to have something.  They want to go somewhere.  They think and work toward that dream every day. 

I often ask people who tell me their dream, “What did you do today to move closer to your dream?”   

Eighty-five percent didn’t do anything.  They are planning to do something next week; they’re just too busy today.  These eighty-five percent will probably never see their dream come true. 

Ask yourself the same question:  “What have I done today to make my dream come true?”  If the answer is “nothing specific,” then you will never make it unless you change your ways.

Alan Bean, Apollo 12

We can apply the same attribute of determination to obtaining a dream as suggested by Al Bean.  We can work toward that dream every single day no matter how small a step it may be.  A dream that is worked on every day is more likely to come true, than one that is worked on every now and then or when convenient.

Meet the challenge, don't give up, and find the dream.