Bet On Yourself

Bet on yourself.

I have been fascinated by the story of a very successful, self-made Jamaican business woman. Her story is empowering because she surmounted the challenges of poverty and family abandonment to create a flourishing family business. As a teacher I understand the influence of having someone in your corner to encourage you. However, I am even more inspired by stories of persons with that indomitable spirit to succeed even when no one else believes you can make it.

This type of resilience is key when pursuing your dreams. There will undoubtedly be moments when the hard decisions boil down to your own courage. You are ultimately accountable to yourself for your actions.

Why? Because there are going to be days when no one else will understand. When your dreams will seem too impractical or your vision larger than what anyone else can fathom. Of course you will have the support of others at different points on the journey, but it is your own belief and hope in your dream that will take you through the most difficult moments and fuel the pivotal decision to take the plunge.

In returning to the story of the successful business woman I previously mentioned, I can only guess at the source of her motivation. How did she fuel the desire to succeed at all costs? The desire to prove the naysayers wrong? I would hazard a guess that she had to prove to the doubters that she would make it. I think too that there would also have been the desire to not have her children face the same obstacles she had faced. Regardless, she has certainly created a legacy for generations to come.

The lesson I have walked away with is this - identify the motive behind your passion to succeed. Use itt as your fuel on the days when you need to remind yourself to keep going. Use it as the motivation on those days when you need to bet on yourself!