I clearly remember the resignation in his voice and the discouragement on his face. It was his first time at the job seekers networking meeting.
Those of us who had been going for months and even years knew the drill and had seen many like him come through before. Sometimes they came back and sometimes they didn’t.
The facilitator of the meeting asked who in the group that day was there for the first time. Half a dozen hands went up. It reminded me of the first day of my third grade year. I was the new kid. I felt nervous and scared. I could see that same look on their faces and the hesitation in their arms as they slowly went up.
These were people who never expected to be in this position. I know I didn’t and yet here we were.
The leader approached the closest of the newbies in the group and asked his name. He quietly said, “Kevin.” She asked him what his background was and what he was type of work he hoped to land.
Then she asked the question she always asks. Some looked at the question as putting people on the spot. I thought it was a good question as this was a pretty safe group to share the tough stuff.
“What’s the dream? What would you love to do if you could?” He slouched down in his chair and his eyes darted to the floor. “Do you have a dream,” she asked. “What did you dream about becoming when you were a little boy?”
He began to speak but it was barely above a whisper. It’s been several years but I remember it like it was yesterday. “It’s just a stupid dream. It could never happen so there’s no use in telling you what it is.” You could tell his dream was down there somewhere. His voice made it sound as though it had been trampled on and thrown in the garbage.
The room was like a church just before the funeral starts. Not a sound.
How did he get to this point? Did this start when he was a little boy and people told him things that made him quit thinking he could live his dreams? Was he this way because he’d lost his job and was struggling to see anything positive in his life at that point in time?
Most likely it was a combination of things over the course of his life. I’ll never know for sure because I never spoke with him personally, though I wish I had.
Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, used to ride in his car with his dad when he was a little boy. When they would drive by a football field or a baseball field Russell would often express his desire to be a great player in either sport. Russell’s father would always say, “Why not you, Russell?”
His dad always encouraged him that he could do whatever he wanted. His dad never told him his dream was stupid and that it could never happen. He simply said, “Why not you?”
Russell Wilson led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl championship in 2014 over the Denver Broncos. His message to his team before the game was, “Why not us?”
What a contrast. Words have power.
What is the first thought that comes to your mind when someone asks you, “What is your dream?” What do the voices say?
Why not you?
Joshua 1:9
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
This post originally ran on July 11, 2014.
Hey there Dave! FANTASTIC post! Not only it is well written, but it has a awesome message. This is something everyone needs to hear!
Thank you for your encouraging words, Anthony! We or so often our own worst enemies!
Dave, as you’ve said many times before, it is often our own FEAR that keeps us away from pursuing the very things that may give us the most satisfaction, fulfillment and use of our gifts and talents. I have walked down this road of transition myself, as well as coached people along this journey. It is my experience that those who never pursue these “impossible dreams” are destined to have those regrets which you outlined in this true story. Being bold and courageous is the only way guarantee that you at the very least can say that you made an effort to move forward in your own dreams.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Dave. Fear affects all of us in different ways. The more courageous we can be in showing vulnerability the more we will help ourselves as well as help others!