Life is indeed a journey – That’s what makes it so exciting! Along this journey of life, early on we may have obstacles and challenges thrust into our path… and it is not so much the number or nature of the obstacles – but how we react to them that shapes our lives – makes us who we really are!
What we don’t allow to “kill” us – makes us stronger – but it certainly may not seem so at the time. I was blessed at an early age to learn to tap into my self – even though I may not have realized it at the time. I am by nature a cock-eyed optimist – I would be the kid with shovel looking for the pony under that pile of manure.
I was also basically a “Pollyanna” who wanted to see only the good in others and believed everything that I was told. Imagine my surprise when I hit my teens and in many cases my 20’s when I began to see that real life really wasn’t like the TV shows – “Father Knows Best” and the ilk. I was definitely a “square” – academically a good student who knew zilch about real life.
I wasn’t not sure how I reconciled “my world” with the actual facts of my youth – I was product of extremely dysfunctional family… not knowing who my “real” father was, growing up with a mother who didn’t really want me and an alcoholic, abusive stepfather, constantly moving with no stability or real friends, taking on too much responsibility at too young an age, and so on.
Looking back, I now realize that I daydreamed a lot… creating in my mind a fantasy world – I actually believed that I would grow up to be a doctor or maybe a lawyer – even though my family was dirt poor and didn’t know anyone who had completed college much less had a doctorate degree... I prepared for these professions.
Guess what happened?? I eventually completed my undergraduate degree in my late 30’s and started law school the year I turned 40… and because medicine was my first love – I became a successful trial attorney representing doctors, hospitals, etc. in the NY City area. I believed in my goals, persisted and I made them my reality.
Message: What we create in our mind – really does impact our lives! When we create goals, really believe in them and act on them – we can indeed change the course of our lives!
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