Are You Ready For That Next Daring Adventure?
Wow, we’re one month away from the start of a new year. One of the things I have enjoyed doing in putting these weekly blog posts together is in providing the new quote at the beginning of each month. Frankly it started completely as an accident. As many of you do, I receive a great deal of mail each day with solicitations and gifts from charitable causes or from vendors with whom I do business. Late last year, one such vendor sent me a calendar of motivational quotes which has been the impetus for the inspirational messages that the site has been able to provide and which I have had a chance to comment on. We can learn a lot from those who have come before us. While they may be long gone, their words live on as a way to help guide us through our life.
The December 2011 offering is one such example. It was said by Helen Keller. Ms. Keller’s life is an example to all of us as to what any of us can overcome if we put our mind to it. A childhood illness before the age of two left her blind and deaf. Ultimately, with the patient guidance of her teacher and companion Anne Sullivan, Ms. Keller not only learned how to communicate with others, but was able to champion causes that were dear to her throughout the world. While there were many that did not agreed with all she stood for politically, it was difficult for anyone not to admire her courage and determination to overcome a situation that may have completely stopped someone without such commitment.
Helen Keller had to take risks throughout her life to make herself a spokesperson for the causes in which she believed. In regards to such risks she was quoted as saying, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Certainly, Helen Keller lived to this credo. Ultimately she overcame the fact that she was blind a deaf to learn to speak. Additionally, she became able to “hear” others by using her fingers to make out the words they were saying. There was always the chance she could fail to learn a new skill. However, through much commitment and many hours of trying she not only succeeded, but was determined to move forward to contribute to those around her throughout the world, for her entire life.
While most of us are not asked to face the physical challenges that faced Helen Keller, we do go through our own trials in life. Whether it is losing one’s job, facing an illness or possibly finding one’s family situation changing unexpectedly, they’re all challenges. The issue isn’t whether the challenges will come or not. It’s unusual for a person not to face any challenges in their life. What does come into play is the response to those challenges and the willingness of one to explore approaches or answers which they have not previously considered.
Most of the clients I currently work with face the one of employment choices in a world that is ever changing and where professions can go from needing a great many people to possibly not needing any at all. Those that move forward in such an environment are those who are able to identify their skills which are transferable and use them to move into another discipline. The adventurous realize they may not find the answer right away, but they’re persistent in pursuing what is going to be next for them. They put themselves out there, sharing with others what they have to offer, and look for input on how they may move into something which they may have never done before. It’s those who are locked into the mindset that they are only trained to do one thing and one thing only who struggle when all of a sudden placed out of their element.
Yes, even Helen Keller received help, particularly in the person of Anne Sullivan to move her life forward. However, once realizing what was possible she did not push that help away, but instead used it to even further her skills. She became college educated in an era where most of the population, let alone women, ever received a college degree. The risks she took weren’t reckless, but certainly took the courage to believe she was not going to fail. If what we find is what holds us back is fear of failure as opposed to the fear of actually trying, we need to assess just how adventurous we really are.
We all have abilities in different areas. Once we discover our passion for what it is we enjoy doing, the next step is our willingness to dive in even if there is a chance we won’t succeed right away. As we close out the current year and move toward a new one give some thought to those things that you have wanted to try in your life, but have held back on because you were more concerned about the outcome as opposed to actually taking the journey. Remember you truly do have nothing, if you don’t at least see what is in store for you as you taking that next daring adventure.
