“Don't let what you
don't know scare you, because it can become your greatest asset. And if you do things without knowing how they
have always been done, you're guaranteed to do them differently.”
– Sara Blakely
(1971- )
Businesswoman
One of the
things I have learned in my time in Scouting is that the young do not
understand the concept of impossible. I
hear the dreams of young men to do and be things that would be impossible to
others. I think of the words of the English
historian, G.M. Trevelyan who said, "Never tell a young person that
anything cannot be done. God may have
been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that
very thing."
Success-minded people need to be
willing to believe not only that the impossible can be done, but it can be done
by them. You could well be the very
person God has been waiting for to achieve things that others never even try to
accomplish. I believe there are three
things that the person who will do the impossible must not do.
1)
Do Not Do What is Safe
It is always disturbing to me
that we tell young people they can be anything they want to be and then when
they are old enough to achieve it, we say they have to be practical. I know that many will discourage people from
following their dreams because they do not want them to be hurt. What they do not see is that by not launching
out and taking the risk, they will achieve nothing in life.
Scientist, Grace Hopper said,
"A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built
for." The same is true for
you. You were built for greatness and to
achieve the impossible. You were never
made to be safe and not to take risks.
If you venture out to achieve your dreams could you fail? Yes.
If you take the risk could you get hurt?
Yes. But you could also achieve
the impossible and become the person of excellence you were created to be. It is a worst fate to come to the end of life
not knowing what you could have done than it is to try and fail.
2) Do
Not Do What is Common
If you do what others have done
you will get what others have gotten.
However, if you do what has not been done, if you take a chance and try
what others fail to try, you will get different results than others got before.
When I worked at the Henry Ford Museum
we use to tell people that there were three great myths that people
believed. We let them know that despite
what popular thinking was, the Wright brothers did not invent the airplane,
Edison did not invent the light bulb and Ford did not invent the car. They all just made them work. They looked beyond what had been done and did
something new.
The great scientist, George
Washington Carver put it this way, "When you can do the common things of
life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world."
3)
Do Not Do What is not Yours
Never, never, never allow
someone else to define or create your dream.
You were created for a purpose and that purpose is inside you. You can and must discover that for yourself. People will try to tell you what you should
do in life or what your "talents" are. They may mean well but they do not know. Only you know.
When you discover what your
purpose is and identify your own dream, you will find an excitement and power
you never realized was possible. I love
the way Denis Waitley put it, "Get excited and enthusiastic about your own
dream. This excitement is like a forest
fire - you can smell it, taste it and see it from a mile away."
You
matter! You matter to the world and to
yourself. Remember to be your best, love
God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.
John Patrick
Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from
John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your
church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.
© 2014 John
Patrick Hickey
