Create Success

The Power of a Vision

One of the most powerful things that we can do to create our success is to have a big dream that really inspires us. If the dream is seemingly impossible, so much the better. But it has to be something that touches us on a deep level, or it'll never happen. Here's an example:

Barrington Irving is a young man who immigrated to Miami from Jamaica at age 6. Growing up in the disadvantaged neighborhoods, he was troubled by the lack of hope that inner city youths had for their future, and he determined to do something about it. As he grew older, he became fascinated with aviation, gained his pilot's license, and got an idea. He decided to inspire his neighborhood kids by showing them what was possible for them by doing the impossible. He decided to become the youngest person, and the first Black, to fly solo around the world!

Of course, he didn't have an airplane and he didn't have the money, but, and here's the key point, he didn't see that as a show-stopper, just something to handle. So he started looking for sponsors. He collected more than 50 rejection letters, but he kept going. (Would you?) When no one would loan or lease him an airplane, he went to companies and asked for parts, then got a local aircraft company to build him the plane out of the parts! (He collected over $300,00 in donated subsystems)

Because he believed in himself and persisted, others began to believe in him, too. The money started to come in. Chevron kicked in aviation fuel for training. And on March 23, he took off on his record making trip. You can get the whole story on his web site experienceaviation.org

The impossible doesn't happen without persistence. No one persists unless the dream is important enough to them. That's why most people fail in achieving their big goals. There is no real emotional drive behind them and they are quickly abandoned at the first obstacle. So follow your heart instead of your head. Big dreams like Barrington's are usually "crazy and impossible" according to your head, but your heart knows differently. Use your head to plan the strategy and the tasks to get there, but let your heart pick the destination.

posted by Wes Hopper @ 11:22 AM