What are your dreams and goals in life?
How many of them have you achieved yet, and what are you doing now to pursue the rest of them?
I firmly believe that every human being has the ability to be successful.
We are presented with opportunities every day, even if the amount or quantity differs for each of us, they are still there.
Unfortunately, coming hand-in-hand with opportunities are risks and, being human, it is only natural that we fear them.
I know and hear of so many people who have started with something and, after falling over the first stumbling block, have scrapped the idea or, worse, didn’t even pursue their dreams at all.
How about trying one more time? Or twice …
Holder of the Miss Benoni 2012 title, Shannel Gray, claimed her win at her fourth attempt for the title. I think she is a beautiful inspiration to young women.
I distinctly recall the finalists of the Benoni Weighless Man and Woman of the Year event, earlier this year, admitting that they have failed at least once, at the first attempt of their weight loss goal, but got back on the wagon and slimmed down tremendously.
My personal favourite inspirational figure is inventor Thomas Alva Edison, who tested more than 3 000 filaments before achieving the invention of his version of a practical light bulb in 1879.
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up,” said Edison.
Maybe you are thinking it is easy to talk, but I don’t know the challenges you are facing and certainly every person’s different circumstances have an influence on the extent that you can pursue your goals, be these financial, health, or any other socio-economic factors.
However, I can assure you that every person has some disadvantage in life limiting them, and those who have achieved greatness were the ones who made a choice to work hard and not use their circumstances as an excuse to stagnate.
Having been raised, educated and socially engaging fully in Afrikaans, I have probably chosen one of the most challenging career paths for myself, making me feel like I might not be cut out for it, hence my inspiration for this column.
However, the examples are right there – so many Afrikaans journalists who’ve achieved greatness bilingually.
I’ve come to realise that if I want to excel in this trade, I will need to better my literary skills in the English language.
So I have made my decision; even if it means I have to go back to old Shakespeare’s handiwork and swallow a dictionary, I am going to master this language, just to tell the devil “No… You can’t.”
I don’t doubt for a moment that people were made to grow constantly, which is proven by the euphoric feel we get when achieving a goal.
It is all in your hands; if you prefer staying in your comfort zone and feel happy and content with your current lifestyle that is fine, but I challenge you to test yourself; start with something small today.
It could be anything, maybe talking to that girl you’ve had your eye on, start taking a ballet class at 40, if you wanted to be a doctor maybe complete a first aid course, you never know when it can come in handy.
Maybe your heart lies with ill children and you dream of visiting them in the children’s ward at your local hospital, but you don’t have the courage to see them in their ill state, just try it – how do you know that the smile you give them won’t provide your courage?
Every baby step counts.
“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this – you haven’t.” – Edison.
