Back in 1912 Gramps and Papa Flopkins were all giddy with excitement. They were set to visit America, the land of opportunity, in search of the riches they had heard about so often in stories. Traveling by train and by foot on a 3 day trek across Europe, the Flopkins boys arrived completely exhausted, but on schedule, at the old English Inn to rest for their voyage the next day. Unfortunately on departure day, the Innkeeper forgot their wake up call and they overslept! Scrambling feverishly, they arrived at the dock in Southampton, but could only watch with tears in their eyes as their ship, the Titanic, was sailing away from port bound for New York City. “Come back. Come back…”
Circa 1912 Trip to America on the Titanic
When one door closes…
Dejected, they took the next boat out that day in hopes that it too may be going to America. The boat sailed out, gathered lots of fish, and came back into port. The Flopkins boys went back home with lots of fish in their bags and broken dreams in their hearts, but vowed to go to America some other day.
Keep your dream alive!
Think Big, Dream Big, Go Big! That’s what all the Guru’s say. The challenge occurs when what you want (a billion $, exciting career, fame) doesn’t happen right away and 10 minutes or 5,10,15,20,30 years later, you figure “what’s the use, I don’t deserve success, I have no clue what I’m doing, I’m too old, it’s too late for me anyways”.
I guess I just missed the boat!
Don’t despair. When one door closes another one may open! Just realize that maybe it does take getting up on time and some actual hard work to make your dreams a reality. It’s never a smooth ride. There will always be glitches and bumps in the road to overcome. Sometimes major ones.
Your Dreams will be tested.
And eventually, as the road blocks and rejections mount, you may begin to lose the glint in your eye. Your dream fades as you descend down the mountain on that all too familiar road of mediocrity and compromise. Most people give up right about now. Frustrated.
Lots of traffic jams on the road to mediocrity
Instead of changing your approach to keep going for it, you lower your goal to meet what you think is reasonable to achieve based on what you now perceive to be possible (which is NOT MUCH).
Next thing you know, your dreams are stuffed in a desk drawer and you’re back working in a cubicle surrounded by flatulence. Miserable and tired. Defeated. Relegated to a life of quiet desperation.
It stinks, but you’re comfortable there.
You see, the trick is to realize and expect you will be met with a big mess of challenges and seemingly insurmountable obstacles in any major endeavor you pursue. Knowing this fact along with having a goal that is actually important to you, decide right now to never give up-no matter what. Overcoming any and all obstacles one by one is what leads to progress and will truly set you apart from the crowd.
Could be blessings in disguise
So, don’t let a few setbacks get in the way of your happiness! Just like Gramps and Papa Flopkins, who never gave up on their dreams of coming to America back in 1912 despite missing the boat, you too must lern to adjust and persist until you get what you really want. Never give up!
When you think you’ve missed the boat, just take the next one. Who knows?
Go fish!