Obstacles are merely a point of view.
Obstacles are a part of life. They can drain us of our energy or ignite our imagination. When we view obstacles as challenges we can see the opportunities to tap into the creative genius that lies in all of us. We have been conditioned to avoid risk, to be safe - to control our lives. Yet we all know that we can’t predict nor prevent obstacles from falling in our path. Because of our point of view, obstacles often throw us into a state of fear – this is no way to live.
Look at our institutions, organizations, laws and norms – most are built on negative assumptions. We are taught that people can’t be trusted; that we have limits on our growth and that we need to be dependent on the few in power at the top. Our media, especially TV and radio programming, flood us with stories, talk shows and “information” that fuel these negative assumptions. Most politicians capture our attention by fueling our fears. We have been taught to doubt and limit ourselves and to question the potential of others. We give the cynics and the pessimist of our world too much of a platform to tear down our hopes and dreams.
Anyone who knows me or reads my books or my blog, knows that I am an optimist. I am an optimist not because I have pollyannaish sensibilities or see the world through rose colored glasses, but because optimism is my point of view. I choose to view obstacles through the lens of opportunities. I lived in the south at a time racism was the norm; everyday I was called the “N” word by children, adult’s even teachers. I lived through the uprising in Panama against Americans; it broke out while my mother and I were shopping downtown Panama city. My family and I lived through the Detroit riots in 1967- we had just returned to the United States and had to flee the home where we were staying because the neighborhood was on fire. I was a probation officer in Detroit supervising adult male offenders when I was 21. I served as the director of a halfway house for female offenders when I was 25 and a Deputy Warden in a prison for adult male felons when I was 28. I was the first female and minority on all but one of the jobs in my career. I even worked to help reinvent the United Sates government agencies in President Clinton’s administration.
As Langston Hugh’s, the American poet said in his poem Mother To Son – “Life ain't been no crystal stair” and yet these same challenges taught me that people are extraordinary, generous, creative and loving. It depends on what we allow ourselves to see – our point of view. It was a Panamanian family, strangers, that led my mother and I to safety during the Panama uprising. A family took us in during the Detroit riots. I witnessed many men and women who were on probation and in prison work tireessly to get their education, gain a skill and transform their lives. I became good friends with people who had called me the “N” word as I watched them learn and grow. I saw some wonderful people working in one of the largest buracracys in the world, reinvent themselves and their agencies. I deeply believe that obstacles are a matter of one’s perspective. Seeing people as extraordinary allows me to see the extraordinary capabilities within me.
There will always be cynics and pessimist. When cynicism becomes the norm it overshadow our ability to see our true potential. In recent years our societies have come very close to that collective consciousness. Pessimism is the greatest obstacle to creating our dreams. It is often clothed in what people call “realistic”. Have you ever had a great idea you were excited about and when you shared it with a friend, a “boss” or a family member, they burst your enthusiasm with a series of: “Yeah Buts”- “Yeah but your dream is too big- you are setting yourself up for disappointment”, “Yeah but, you don't have the resources “or “Yeah but they won't let you… By the time they finish with their “yeah butts” you are filled with doubts, your energy has waned and you feel defeated. It is important to dream big. It is equally important to surround oneself with people who will support your dreams no matter how big you dream or how often you change your dreams. If I called my parents today and told them I have decided to become an astronaut they would be supportive.
“Believe, no pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit”.
Helen Keller, Deaf, Blind Author, Political Activist
Overcoming obstacles is a natural part of the process of achieving our dreams - it is a critical part. The greater our dreams the greater our apprehension – that is exactly when we know we are dreaming big, bold and audacious enough. Fears and doubt will always raise their ugly heads, our job is to wrestle them to the ground, moment by moment. Once we realize that the obstacles, setbacks, false starts and pitfalls are all a part of the journey, we can approach our dreams without fear, shame or guilt. When we learn a new sport, a new dance, or rehearse a play, we rarely get it right the first time. We know it is a learning process so keep tying until we get it right. I see people playing "Angry Birds" on their smart phones for hours and when they don't achieve their desired outcomes - they keep trying. They are determined and energized to "win". How we feel about our “failures” is what really matters. Although society has conditioned us to fear, only the individual can free oneself from fear:
Fear of looking foolish for dreaming to big – The ability to dream big is a gift given only to the human species. Big dreams have been the genesis of every great accomplishment.
Fear of failing - If we never try, we will certainly fail, because we will never really reach towards our potential. “Failing” is a part of growing and developing. No medical breakthrough would be discovered; no technological advancement would be achieved; no human would grow without trial and error. The emotion we need to embrace with “failure” is the excitement we feel from learning and the self-confidence we develop from bouncing back quicker, faster and wiser.
Fear of disappointment – Disappointment is also a personal point of view.
Fear of not belonging – It is far more exhilarating to break out of the pack and pursue our dreams, than to stay in the pack and bury them.
Fear of not being loved or valued – This is the big one! My mom taught me ‘People treat things like you do”. If we truly love and value ourselves, we will be loved and valued.
Because of the way I was raised and my life experiences, I don’t often think in terms of obstacles; I tend to think in terms of opportunities and possibilities. But I must admit there have been moments – many moments, when I have felt weary, nearly defeated and alone. When those moments rise up in me, I take a deep breath and remind myself that the only real obstacle are is me – how I think and my attitude about life. I have to be constantly and vigilantly be aware of this truth. When I allow fear, anger, jealousy or bitterness into my heart and mind, I am sapped of my energy and then the daily problems and minutiae of life pull my attention away from my purpose, vision and values. In those moments I draw my strength form my parents and the other DreamMakers I have been so fortunate to meet and write about: Rodrigo, his courage and his unshakable, unstoppable commitment to change lives by closing the digital divide and empowering people in the poorest marginalized communities around the world. I get re-enrgized by the Center For Digital Inclusion team of committed people who are spreading this vision around the world against tremendous obstacles. I draw tremendous inspiration form CDI’s partners, Ronaldo, Maria, Leco and Wanderson who have transformed their own lives against unimaginable obstacles and are helping others to the same. (I introduced the CDI story in my March 31 post and I share their compelling stories beginning on the April 27 post)
Most of the time, fortunately, my eyes are on the future and I believe it is one of great hope and promise for all peoples of the world. Imagine what would happen if we could get up each day and channel our energy, our passion and our gifts into achieving our dreams. People are extraordinary and capable of extraordinary things when we recognize our powerful creative energy, our common aspirations and our basic goodness. When we trust this truth, we can accomplish anything - we are unstoppable!
“Mediocrity is self-inflicted, genius is self-imposed”,
Eric Butterworth, author of The Creative Life
May all your beautiful hopes and dreams come true!
Michele
Transformation Catalyst
www.dreammakers.org
Author of DreamMakers: Putting Vision & Values To Work,
Foreword by Max De Pree, Former Chairman and CEO of Herman Miller, Inc.
and DreamMakers: Agentes de Transformação
Look at our institutions, organizations, laws and norms – most are built on negative assumptions. We are taught that people can’t be trusted; that we have limits on our growth and that we need to be dependent on the few in power at the top. Our media, especially TV and radio programming, flood us with stories, talk shows and “information” that fuel these negative assumptions. Most politicians capture our attention by fueling our fears. We have been taught to doubt and limit ourselves and to question the potential of others. We give the cynics and the pessimist of our world too much of a platform to tear down our hopes and dreams.
Anyone who knows me or reads my books or my blog, knows that I am an optimist. I am an optimist not because I have pollyannaish sensibilities or see the world through rose colored glasses, but because optimism is my point of view. I choose to view obstacles through the lens of opportunities. I lived in the south at a time racism was the norm; everyday I was called the “N” word by children, adult’s even teachers. I lived through the uprising in Panama against Americans; it broke out while my mother and I were shopping downtown Panama city. My family and I lived through the Detroit riots in 1967- we had just returned to the United States and had to flee the home where we were staying because the neighborhood was on fire. I was a probation officer in Detroit supervising adult male offenders when I was 21. I served as the director of a halfway house for female offenders when I was 25 and a Deputy Warden in a prison for adult male felons when I was 28. I was the first female and minority on all but one of the jobs in my career. I even worked to help reinvent the United Sates government agencies in President Clinton’s administration.
As Langston Hugh’s, the American poet said in his poem Mother To Son – “Life ain't been no crystal stair” and yet these same challenges taught me that people are extraordinary, generous, creative and loving. It depends on what we allow ourselves to see – our point of view. It was a Panamanian family, strangers, that led my mother and I to safety during the Panama uprising. A family took us in during the Detroit riots. I witnessed many men and women who were on probation and in prison work tireessly to get their education, gain a skill and transform their lives. I became good friends with people who had called me the “N” word as I watched them learn and grow. I saw some wonderful people working in one of the largest buracracys in the world, reinvent themselves and their agencies. I deeply believe that obstacles are a matter of one’s perspective. Seeing people as extraordinary allows me to see the extraordinary capabilities within me.
There will always be cynics and pessimist. When cynicism becomes the norm it overshadow our ability to see our true potential. In recent years our societies have come very close to that collective consciousness. Pessimism is the greatest obstacle to creating our dreams. It is often clothed in what people call “realistic”. Have you ever had a great idea you were excited about and when you shared it with a friend, a “boss” or a family member, they burst your enthusiasm with a series of: “Yeah Buts”- “Yeah but your dream is too big- you are setting yourself up for disappointment”, “Yeah but, you don't have the resources “or “Yeah but they won't let you… By the time they finish with their “yeah butts” you are filled with doubts, your energy has waned and you feel defeated. It is important to dream big. It is equally important to surround oneself with people who will support your dreams no matter how big you dream or how often you change your dreams. If I called my parents today and told them I have decided to become an astronaut they would be supportive.
“Believe, no pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit”.
Helen Keller, Deaf, Blind Author, Political Activist
Overcoming obstacles is a natural part of the process of achieving our dreams - it is a critical part. The greater our dreams the greater our apprehension – that is exactly when we know we are dreaming big, bold and audacious enough. Fears and doubt will always raise their ugly heads, our job is to wrestle them to the ground, moment by moment. Once we realize that the obstacles, setbacks, false starts and pitfalls are all a part of the journey, we can approach our dreams without fear, shame or guilt. When we learn a new sport, a new dance, or rehearse a play, we rarely get it right the first time. We know it is a learning process so keep tying until we get it right. I see people playing "Angry Birds" on their smart phones for hours and when they don't achieve their desired outcomes - they keep trying. They are determined and energized to "win". How we feel about our “failures” is what really matters. Although society has conditioned us to fear, only the individual can free oneself from fear:
Fear of looking foolish for dreaming to big – The ability to dream big is a gift given only to the human species. Big dreams have been the genesis of every great accomplishment.
Fear of failing - If we never try, we will certainly fail, because we will never really reach towards our potential. “Failing” is a part of growing and developing. No medical breakthrough would be discovered; no technological advancement would be achieved; no human would grow without trial and error. The emotion we need to embrace with “failure” is the excitement we feel from learning and the self-confidence we develop from bouncing back quicker, faster and wiser.
Fear of disappointment – Disappointment is also a personal point of view.
Fear of not belonging – It is far more exhilarating to break out of the pack and pursue our dreams, than to stay in the pack and bury them.
Fear of not being loved or valued – This is the big one! My mom taught me ‘People treat things like you do”. If we truly love and value ourselves, we will be loved and valued.
Because of the way I was raised and my life experiences, I don’t often think in terms of obstacles; I tend to think in terms of opportunities and possibilities. But I must admit there have been moments – many moments, when I have felt weary, nearly defeated and alone. When those moments rise up in me, I take a deep breath and remind myself that the only real obstacle are is me – how I think and my attitude about life. I have to be constantly and vigilantly be aware of this truth. When I allow fear, anger, jealousy or bitterness into my heart and mind, I am sapped of my energy and then the daily problems and minutiae of life pull my attention away from my purpose, vision and values. In those moments I draw my strength form my parents and the other DreamMakers I have been so fortunate to meet and write about: Rodrigo, his courage and his unshakable, unstoppable commitment to change lives by closing the digital divide and empowering people in the poorest marginalized communities around the world. I get re-enrgized by the Center For Digital Inclusion team of committed people who are spreading this vision around the world against tremendous obstacles. I draw tremendous inspiration form CDI’s partners, Ronaldo, Maria, Leco and Wanderson who have transformed their own lives against unimaginable obstacles and are helping others to the same. (I introduced the CDI story in my March 31 post and I share their compelling stories beginning on the April 27 post)
Most of the time, fortunately, my eyes are on the future and I believe it is one of great hope and promise for all peoples of the world. Imagine what would happen if we could get up each day and channel our energy, our passion and our gifts into achieving our dreams. People are extraordinary and capable of extraordinary things when we recognize our powerful creative energy, our common aspirations and our basic goodness. When we trust this truth, we can accomplish anything - we are unstoppable!
“Mediocrity is self-inflicted, genius is self-imposed”,
Eric Butterworth, author of The Creative Life
May all your beautiful hopes and dreams come true!
Michele
Transformation Catalyst
www.dreammakers.org
Author of DreamMakers: Putting Vision & Values To Work,
Foreword by Max De Pree, Former Chairman and CEO of Herman Miller, Inc.
and DreamMakers: Agentes de Transformação
When I feel weary and think there is no solution to the world's problems....
ReplyDeleteI think about our conversations and your teachings.
:-)