By Hannah du Plessis
I love inspirational stories: Stories of people who show courage and tenacity against all odds. Examples of people whose life stories I admire is Ann Sullivan, who helped her blind, deaf and dumb student become a person with understanding; Helen Keller, the student of Ann Sullivan, who gained a university degree despite being deaf and dumb; Beethoven, who became deaf, yet continued to compose masterpieces; just to name but a few.
But my most inspirational story is that of the Wright Brothers, who wanted to fly. They kept trying and trying. People laughed at them. I mean, we are humans, we don’t have wings, we are not meant to fly. It doesn’t make sense to try ... especially if you lived before the 1900’s.
But they persisted. They had this dream and they kept trying and trying until they realised it.
What makes it so awe inspiring for me is that they kept going, even though the naysayers kept up with their negativity.
Did you know that it is easier to be negative than positive? Did you know that 95% of all people never realise their full potential because of this?
What is it that you are passionate about? Passionate enough not to listen to negativity? Passionate enough to set a goal and keep going trying to reach it until you break through an invisible barrier and realise your potential? Do you know?
If you don’t know let me ask you this: If I give you $10 billion tomorrow. What would you do with it?
Don’t answer straight away. You need time to think about it. The reason I suggested such an outrageous amount is because you need to think beyond a house and a car, a boat trip, an extended holiday, a yacht or whatever it is that you might want. That you have so much money after you have bought what you want, that you need to share it: Do some good with it.
That is your passion.
Now are you going to be like the 95% and never realise your full potential?
Or are you going to find your passion and change the world?
Books on finding your passion:
