This is a story of a dream I had and thought what better way to convey the dream than sharing it with you in pictures?
It is a story of setting sail on your own. A story of becoming an entrepreneur and learning to overcome adversity.
It actually applies to all challenges we face as we navigate this life. A timeless story of becoming the person you were born to be and learning what you're made of.
Hope you enjoy it and it inspires you to keep moving forward... even with your hut on fire!
We all start out pretty much the same way.
We get this big idea in our head to start a business or to do something to work for ourselves and maybe work from home. Independence. Financial freedom. Time freedom. Go where I want, when I want, with whom ever I want.
It's the dream that so many would be entrepreneurs play through their head at night while they sleep and as they endure one more grueling hour of traffic or suffer through another belittling phone call in the cubicle as a "customer" tells us how much our service sucks.
So we muster up some courage, organize our thoughts and set sail ...
And just as quickly you find yourself in strange territory.
You're out at sea fishing - working your opportunity.
The storm is tossing you all over the place.
But You persist.
You start to feel lost and overwhelmed in the constant waves.
You begin to doubt your plan and your navigational instruments.
Your boat is capsized and you have to stay afloat or die.
But You persist.
You're struggling to swim, every stroke draining you of energy.
All the while you're fighting for your life to avoid being eaten by sharks.
And You persist.
Finally you spot land.
It's unknown territory, but at this point better than nothing.
You get your second wind and hustle towards the shore.
You persist.
As you crawl to shore you breath a sigh of relief - safe at last.
It's pouring down rain so you build a hut.
You persist.
Just when you start to get warm and cozy, a feeling of accomplishment and safety, lightning strikes and the hut bursts into flames. You barley escape the fiery disaster.
Now you're cold and wondering what to do - you think all hope is lost.
And you are ready to give up.
After all you've been through you just don't see how it could get any worse.
What's the point?
Anger, fear, disappointment ... all of these emotions start to creep in and get the better of our minds. And we start to cast blame and look for reasons why this happened to us.
My navigational gear must have been broken.
The plan that fisherman told me about must have been wrong.
That map I bought wasn't worth it.
I should have had better sails.
Persistence seems futile. And you're ready to quit.
Just then a coast guard cutter appears off shore.
And a rescue helicopter lands on the beach, illuminating the dark stormy night.
They prepare to lift you from your despair and get you back home
As the rescue chief checks if you're ok and prepares to lift you away he says ...
Wow ... That was a smart idea to build such a big fire!
If it weren't for the flames flickering in the dark we never would have seen you.
Moral of the story ...
Just because the plans you made and the way you thought your journey would look may have gone up in flames, or so it appears, hope is not lost ....
• You know you can stay afloat in the face of adversity.
• You know how to avoid the sharks.
• You know you have the stamina to swim as far as you have to, to get where you must go.
• You know how to build a hut from scratch.
• You know you have the survival skills, mental callous and strength to make it through even the most desperate of times.
And now you also know ...
• When things look their most bleak and you are just about to give up, is when you are probably the closest to the time you have a huge break through.
Someone was looking for you.
You just had to shine a brighter light for them to see you.
You can succeed even if your hut is on fire ...
Never, never, ever give up!
Live Long and Prosper
~ Richard