Dare to Dream
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Thomas Edison
We are living in precarious economic times. My husband calls on manufacturing companies; nearly every week he comes home with news of another client shutting its doors. Other companies are letting go faithful workers to try to stay afloat. Some are initiating cost-cutting policies, hoping they won't have to lay off employees.
In 1998 my husband and I experienced employment upheaval. I had just returned from maternity leave when I received word my company had been bought and the new owner was letting go my entire division. In a few short weeks I was out of a job. A few months later my husband received a phone call: "We have let go 50 account managers, but we'd like you to relocate. You can move to Virginia or be terminated--today." The next day we were house hunting in Virginia!
When your job is taken away, it's scary and easy to feel like a failure. Another favorite Thomas Edison quote: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Sometimes what feels like failure is actually the precipice of success. Following his abrupt relocation, my husband rediscovered a dormant passion that brought great personal fulfillment. In the wake of unemployment, I rediscovered a passion and stepped into an entirely new career.
When life gets stirred up, sometimes we scramble for the familiar when a new dream is within reach. Don't let rejection or failure define you. Failure is just a step on the road to success. Dare to dream. Here's to a year of rekindled passions and successes.