 “How old were you when you first became successful?”
This question was posed on Facebook, in a post from a young cousin of mine. It’s a topic I’ve thought about from time to time. I’ve even written about it quite recently. The way the question is worded, it seems to imply that becoming successful is an end goal. That troubles me a little, because declaring yourself a success is a self-written invitation to rest on your laurels. Even worse, declaring yourself a failure is an invitation to give up. But I suspect that my cousin worded it that way on purpose. His great motivator, he says, is failure. It is from our failures that we learn, and it is from what we learn that we are able to succeed. My cousin moved far away, with his young family, to try to build a better life. (https://foolish-dreams-apparel.myshopify.com/) He works hard at his job, and recently started his own store selling clothes he personally designs. I have no idea whether this will bring him financial success. I also have no doubt that if it doesn’t, he’ll learn from the experience and double his efforts. When we succeed at tasks, when we achieve our goals, it gives us the confidence to try something else. Our failures, unfortunately, can have the opposite effect. But don’t let them. If you learned to walk, talk, read a book, or ride a bike, you know deep inside that you can succeed even after you’ve failed. #Monday Motivation #Success Stories #Foolish Dreams Apparel
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 This Halloween marks fifteen years since Bethany Hamilton’s shark attack.
I don’t think I’m a particularly brave person. I’m not a coward, although there were certainly times I could have behaved more bravely than I did. But there are other times when I did step up. I hope I’m at least a little better than break-even, but in my day-to-day life, there haven’t been any monumental obstacles I had to bravely face. Now, Bethany Hamilton, there’s a brave person. In 2003, she had her arm bitten off by a tiger shark. She was a mere thirteen years old, and already well on her way to being a champion surfer, having won first place in the 2002 Open Women’s Division of the NSSA. The attack could have put an end to that career. Two arms are kind of important for surfing, both for paddling and for balance. And forget surfing--how many among us, after being bitten by a shark, wouldn’t swear off the ocean forever? I practically swore off the ocean after seeing Jaws! But not Bethany. She not only went in the ocean again, she learned to surf with one arm. On January 10, 2004 (less than three months later!) she entered a major competition. Read her book, or see her movie. Soul Surfer. She’s an inspiration. That people go on is amazing to me. Amy Copeland, Lauren Scruggs. Or all those we’ve never heard of, people who have lost a limb or suffered through a medical battle, only to come out stronger. Those are the brave. I’m not sure I could join their ranks. I hope I never have to. #TuesdayThoughts #BethanyHamilton #NSSA #SoulSurfer #Jaws #AmyCopeland #LaurenScruggs |
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