|
|
|
|
|
|
Life
has many lessons for us, but perhaps our most valuable lessons come from
experience. Maybe you've even heard the new definition of experience.
Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. Using
this definition, how many of you feel you have a lot of experience?
Here's another statement about experience. Experience is a hard teacher,
because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. You'll be
relieved to know there is no test today but I do have some lessons for
life to share with you.
The first lesson I'd like to
share is the belief that "You can do it!" Anything is possible if
you believe. The only thing that stands between you and what you want from
life is simply your will to try it and the faith to believe that it is
possible. Keep telling yourself, "I can do it, I can do it".
In belief there is power. It opens your eyes, your opportunities become
plain, and your vision becomes reality. You will succeed when you
believe that you can succeed. The only limit to your realization
of tomorrow will be your doubts of today. Your mind sets your limits.
When someone approached me about running for national office four years
ago - I looked around me and said "who me"? But I thought about it
and even though I was scared I convinced myself that I could be a district
vice president. Now, before every challenge I attempt, I visualize
myself successfully completing what I want to do. Everything is possible,
if you believe.
The second lesson is "Dare
to Risk." Here are some thoughts on risk that I read in a chapter
newsletter:
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach for another is to risk involvement.
To expose your ideas and your dreams
before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved
in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To believe is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken, because the
greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The people who risk nothing,
do nothing, have nothing, are nothing. They may avoid suffering and
sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love or live.
Chained by their attitudes, they are slaves; they have forfeited their
freedom. Only a person who risks is free.
How many of you have passed on an opportunity
because there was risk or you were afraid? We are never too young or too
old to take risks. When my family was at the beach last summer my
brother and I decided to go parasailing. To my amazement, my mom
(who's 69) wanted to try it. Was she scared? You bet.
But she was also exhilarated by the experience. As ABWA members we
are fortunate to have a "safe environment" that supports risk taking.
Use your chapter or network as a forum to take risks and grow personally.
Encourage those women who are taking risks and be a safety net for them
if necessary. Watch the level of enthusiasm soar with each challenge
conquered.
H. Jackson Brown said, "When
you look back on your life, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
