Monday Morning Coffee

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently
in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has
imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

~ Henry David Thoreau

SOUND FAMILIAR?

How many times have you told a friend or associate about a bold new idea for succeeding, only to have them shoot down the idea? How often do you hear a parent tell their child, "You can't do that!" or, "You're too little (or too short or too ugly)." With just a word, a child's future can be stunted. The alternative is to believe in yourself. Take a look at a few of those "You'll never amount to anything" comments made to the wrong people:

"You have a perfect voice for broadcasting, but you should get a job as a secretary. We're not using women." - What announcers for NBC told Sally Jesse Raphael when she applied for a job after graduation from Columbia University.

"It's a cutthroat business and you've got no chance of success." - So said an accountant for Estee Lauder, founder of a multibillion-dollar cosmetics empire.

"You have a nice voice, but it's nothing special." - That's what a teacher told Diana Ross after she auditioned for a part in a high school musical.

"It's too hard to crack into the late-night ratings. Television isn't ready for a black talk show host. This is America and you can forget it." - That's some conventional wisdom offered to Arsenio Hall prior to his acceptance of Paramount's offer to host a late-night talk show.

A dream, an idea, a vision of greatness - all can be shattered by a word or two from a total stranger. If you are the one with a dream, keep it to yourself as you methodically achieve all that you desire. If it's another who tells you theirs - encourage them to nurture it to fruition. Remember Thoreau's thoughts on this: "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."