Where You Want to Go

The greatest conversation I’ve ever had is only three sentences long. It goes:

“You’ll get there.”

“Get where?”

“Where you want to go.”

It was in a moment of disheartenment that my friend managed not only to lift my spirits but to give me a memory to hold onto for motivation for years to come. I had been struggling deciding what I wanted to do after high school. I knew I loved writing. And I had just finished the rough draft of my first book. But I had no hope. Every article I read and everyone I spoke to, told me that pursuing a career in writing - trying to become an author - would be a fool’s decision. I was being pressured to go to college simply for the sake of future job security, not because I had a sincere interest in any of the subjects being presented to me. I wanted to write. I wanted to be an author. But success seemed impossible to achieve.

With tears in my eyes and a sense of dread in my heart I had gone to my friend and told them that I was giving up on my dream. His response though was not at all what I was expecting. No argument or rationalization, no chiding or disappointment. Just a simple expression of faith that I would eventually be who I wanted, be where I wanted to be in life, and be a success in my own mind. His simple words, said so resolutely, gave me a confidence that has rarely wavered since. All I needed to keep me focused on making my dream a reality was one person to believe in me, to support me, to urge me on. And that’s exactly what he’d done.

I encourage you to be that person for your friends, your loved one’s, even for a stranger. There’s already so much in this world that’s degrading and discouraging, don’t add to it. Be a force for good, for strength, for optimism. When someone tells you their dream, listen with an open mind and a generous heart. You may just end up being the reason their life takes a step toward happiness. And if things don't work out, remind them - and yourself - that bumps in the road happen, but the journey continues.