No one ever dreams of growing up to fail. Our childhood dreams are always built on visions of fantastic situations, from weeks on end at Disneyland to being able to do whatever you want when you want. Dreams are positive. Dreams are filled with the promise of something better. Dreams keep us moving forward and doing our best in order to make them come true. Nightmares, on the other hand, are the exact opposite. You never hear anyone talk about growing up to make a nightmare come true, or wanting to live out their nightmare.
But consider yourself lucky if, at some point during your life journey, you find yourself living inside a nightmare, of having things not turn out the way you hoped.
It may sound crazy, but hear me out. Only when we fail, or suffer, or struggle, do we truly discover what we are capable of doing. Do we truly come face to face with our strengths. Do we truly appreciate what we have because we had to pay a price to get it. This is what life is made of - the struggle, the failure, and overcoming both.
Recently a friend relayed a story to me about a good man who was going through a spell of financial challenges. In today's economy, these sorts of stories are more common than ever, so many readers may identify with what I am about to share. Feeling trapped, this man turned to someone who he believed could loan him enough short-term money to cover his obligations for a couple of months. He was certain this person would be willing to do this since he had a solid relationship with him.
How surprised, shocked, and disappointed he was when the man told him he was not able to help him.
"But I know you will find a way," he told the man. "You will find a way."
In other words, when all else fails...find a way.
Well, you can imagine these were not the words this man wanted to hear, and for several days he tossed and turned over being turned down, wondering what he could have done differently, if there was any way to change the guy's mind...anything. Having exhausted all other loan options, from banks to other connections, this guy was, in the man's mind anyway, the last resort. But the answer was final, and the man indeed had to go out and find a way.
And guess what? He did exactly that. He pushed past his fears and realized he could do whatever it took to break through the blocks and make it. Was it difficult? Absolutely. Did he at times want to give up? Yup. But his determination and unrelenting drive to find a way out of his dilemma were too great, testifying once again to the resiliency and power of the human spirit to survive no matter what the circumstances.
Our dreams become that much more meaningful when we make them come true ourselves, through our own efforts. And they are far richer when we have had to live through a nightmare in order to get back to the dream. I imagine the man in the story my friend told is celebrating his successes today in a way he would not have had they come to him easily and he had not been challenged to "find a way." Indeed, we should all be so lucky to at least once in our lives hear those magic words: When all else fails...find a way.
Mary Lou Kayser has a Master's Degree in Education and is co-founder of The New Economy Entrepreneurs, a business committed to empowering the next generation of business leaders through network marketing. She lives in Beaverton, Oregon. Visit her blog New Economy Blog and her website New Economy Website.
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