Several years ago while I was a consultant heading up a mentorship program for PAL (Police Athletic League) I often talked to middle school students about their hopes and dreams. One of my favorite exercises was to ask, "What do you want to be when you grow up?. "
The answers were pretty standard...football player, singer, movie star with a few answers of teacher slid in for good measure. My counterparts once observed that these were unrealistic and that I should discourage the children from those arenas to more "practical, obtainable" occupations.
While this might sound logical it offended me in ways that are hard to explain and my sharp, but polite, retort probably seemed out of context but I know these dream killers from personal experience. When I was a 6th grader at Thomas H. Henderson Middle School I was an awkward, violin playing, walking down the hallway with my nose in a book reading, volleyball playing and track running straight A student.
As was standard we each had a visit with the guidance counselor. I was freakishly excited to hear her "guidance." I sat down and this women who I had never met before and never saw again proceeded to tell me, with the kindest of smiles, that while my grades and activities were great that I had better consider learning a trade and potentially consider trade school since college would probably not be an option for me.
I can still feel the chill from that day as I sat there shivering in her office. But today I thank her as I left that office MOTIVATED to not only go to college but to succeed, to never be mediocre and to be more successful than her. To this day I still bear that slight and so when I stood at my middle school alma mater Henderson sharing hope and vision with future generations I can't allow someone to even think about killing their dreams.
As I shared with every group that did that exercise the size of the dream is irrelevant. The most important piece is how bad do you want it and what are you willing to do to get it. I talked them through the steps and requirements of their desired professions and helped them create a timeline and checklist. They left those groups with a goal which often led to higher grades, attendance and attrition rates.
For your business you have a goal, a dream and a vision. Don't allow others who are too afraid to try, too afraid to succeed impact your decision to try, to succeed and to prove them all wrong.
Shirley Crawford
2nd Chance Consulting
Small Business Whisperer * Speaker * Lecturer
The tools and resources that your business needs to succeed
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