LAST week I wrote about the something in between our dream and the fruition of the dream. What is that something you might ask?
Let us first backtrack to what the bestselling author, Peter Legge said. He entitled his book ‘It begins with a dream’.
In the classical Chinese Taoist text Tao Te Ching, the 6th century BC philosopher, Lao Tzu wrote: ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’.
What is the first step, the beginning of that something? I did ask that question once at a university lecture. Our professor then was an uncompromisingly forthright man, and he said bluntly, “Wake up and start working on your dream.”
However, it is said that fiction without knowledge is futile? So, before we jump out of bed and roll up our sleeves to have a get to work let us be reminded of the wise words of the sage Sun Tzu, “Know your enemy and know yourself, a hundred battles a hundred victories.”
I tell the word enemy to mean the challenge of our dream. So, make a list of the attributes and skills that are need for the fulfilment of that dream. Then take a stock of ourselves, do we possess all or some of the pre-requisites needed. In other words, know thyself.
Many years ago, at one of the conferences I attended in American I was introduced to a young man.
“Dunstan, this is John Foppe,” said my host.
Ok, what do you do when you meet someone for the first time? Of course, you stretch out your hand for a handshake. But John Foppe just stood there nodding his head. I felt rather silly with an outstretched hand clasping air.
“Hi Dunstan, it’s alright. I am used to that,” said John.
Only then I realized that I was looking at a young man without hands!
We had breakfast together and I tried my best not to stare at how with his feet he poured milk into his coffee, stirred the sugar in; put tomato sauce on to his hamburger; enjoying the meal while carrying on a delightful conversion. The English football crowd has a quaint term to describe me then. Gobsmacked is the word.
“Is this the first time you are in St. Loius?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to take you around the city?”
“Yes,” I answered though somewhat apprehensively.
“Great, let me take you on a city tour in my car.”
Yes, his car was specially modified for an armless man to steer with his feet! I was such a coward. I mumbled something about having to attend a meeting and politely and sheepishly declined his kind offer.
That was over 20 years ago and to this day I regret my cowardice.
John Foppe left me a parting gift. Use what you have, don’t moan about what you don’t have.
I am much inspired by a little man. His name is Mugsy Bogues. He is a former basketball player in the National Basketball Association. The NBA is the toughest and most famous professional basketball league on the planet. So, what is so great about Mugsy Bogues, after all, the NBA is full of famous players like Michael Jordan, Shaq O’Neal, Lebron James, etc. and all of them stand at least 6 feet 6 inches and more. Well, Mugsy Bogues is 5 feet 3 inches. Yes, indeed he is a little man and he played in the NBA for fourteen years.
What did Mugsy have more than his fellow professionals? He had speed, dexterity of hands and vision. His dribbling skill was such that the ball seemed to stick to him like a faithful little puppy. He could survey the court without glancing at the ball, spot a free unguarded teammate and in a flash make a telling pass.
He had a full successful career at the NBA, rubbing shoulders, or at least his shoulders against their knees, with opponents standing a foot and a half above him. His biography is appropriately entitled, ‘In the land of giants’.
Yes, use what you have but what about the skills that are needed for your dream, but ones that you lack? Are you prepared to invest time and money to acquire those necessary skills?
I have been a public speaker and a writer for some years. I have met many young enthusiastic people who said they wish to be one or the other. I would say to them: To be a speaker, speak.
In other words, invest time to acquire the necessary skills for spoken communication; read extensively to gather materials, learn how to organise them for effective communication, and develop the voice for impressive delivery. I would invite them to attend a Toastmasters club.
Toastmasters International is an organization devoted to individuals to help them develop skills in oral communication and leadership skills. They meet twice a month. However, many of the hopefuls, after the initial enquiry, failed to follow up. Usually, they say they do not have the time.
It is the same with some of those who approached me and said they wanted to write. I would say to them: To be a writer, you must read, read intelligently, study how the accomplished writers work with words and then write — just write.
I did set up a ‘writers (or maybe writer wannabes) club’ where we meet regularly and share our writings. Well, it fizzled out after some months.
Abraham Lincoln said, ‘You can have anything you want if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.’
My point about those wannabe speakers or writers is not meant to be an indictment. It is just that they lost their singleness of purpose. They are not prepared to pay the price. Maybe they realized that they have bitten more than they can chew. Perhaps it is time to set their sights on a smaller mountain.
It is okay. It is no shame. Have another dream or perhaps another time for this dream.
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