When great men die ...

Dear...

Nelson Mandela, a great man, died on December 5, 2013, 95 years after he was born on July 18, 1918. Nelson Mandela made history with his fight for freedom, equality, human rights and peace. He had to face the worst adversities before he became who he was.  Like Nelson Mandela, it seems that all great people have to go through numerous adversities to become the icon we know them by.  The life stories of these people are bigger than any fictional story and for me it is how they have overcome incredible hardships and tribulations that is most inspirational.

Nelson Mandela at first an advocate for armed resistance to apartheid, became after 27 years of imprisonment the first elected black president of South Africa and the fighter of human rights and peace. When you study great people like Mandela, you will find that it is their specific way of thinking that made them attain the impossible. They have an unshakable conviction that everything can be achieved if you stay focused and keep believing in your goals no matter what roadblocks you come across. Nelson Mandela said: "It always seems impossible until it's done".

A great man has died, but we can keep his mind alive by following his example that resilience, focus and unshakable belief in a good cause will overcome all adversities. It is people like Nelson Mandela who truly believe that we need to live with passion and that we are all destined for great things.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” ~ Nelson Mandela

Thank you Nelson Mandela, RIP....


jeandorff@googlemail.com
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"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~JD

Feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable...

Dear...

Ask a relatively big group of people: 'Is any opportunity without risks worthwhile pursuing?' and you probably can divide this group in two sub groups by their reactions and answers.

One sub group is more risk averse and would like to know what kind of risks we are talking about, their fear of failing is typically greater than the excitement of a possible win, life has made them more cautious and they have a tendency to take make safe choices.
The people in the other group are more risk takers and show more interest in what the possible winnings could be and their excitement of succeeding is typically bigger than their angst to fail. This last group has learned that the rewards are big when the risks are big and they typically see failure as just another attempt to get closer to success.

Most great opportunities, if not all, force us to leave our comfort zones. It is very likely that none of the people in either of the mentioned groups feel 100% ready for an important life opportunity. But when it comes to take these opportunities then: risk averse people need to have the feeling that they are prepared in all details before they come into action; risk takers on the other hand feel more comfortable with being uncomfortable and therefore, they step easier out of their comfort zone. Risk takers know that growth and success are just outside their comfort zone.

It perhaps does not surprise you that successful people are more found in the risk takers group.  The reason why someone belongs more in one group than the other is often related with the personal experiences they went through.  Successful people see their experiences less as failures and more as learnings.

Thomas Edison had more than 2000 'failures' before he finally succeeded inventing the lightbulb. When asked if he was ever discouraged by these failures, he answered: "No, I just had a 2000 step process to make the first lightbulb". John F. Kennedy said: “Nothing worthwhile has ever been accomplished with a guarantee of success.”

jeandorff@googlemail.com
facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/


"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

Give up on your dreams and your dreams will give up on you

Dear...

What are your dreams? Do you still have any? What popped up in your mind when you read the first question? Are you someone who secretly thinks their dreams will never happen? Or are you someone who says dreaming is for when we are asleep? Or maybe you are one of the few who still dares to dream big?
Did you know that a vast majority either gave up on their dreams or have no dreams at all? A smaller group still have dreams, but deep in their heart don't really believe that they can be achieved. And only a few of us have a clear vision how to get to their dreams or are already living them. The people that belong to the last group are the game changers of the world. These are the people that don't give up on their dreams and achieve the impossible.

For example the Wright Brothers, they pursued with unstopable persistency their dreams until they were finally able to fly. Only a handful of people were witness of what was believed to be impossible.  History however showed something remarkable. Orville Wright said after his first flights: "No machine will ever fly from New York to Paris because no engine can run for four days without stopping". Today we fly in about 5 hours from New York to Paris. You see even the Wright brothers didn't dream big enough.


Do you still dare to dream big, to pursuit your dreams and to make the impossible possible?
Nelson Mandela said: "It always seems impossible until its done."


Respond to this post or drop me an email if you want to know more how to pursue your dreams.

"Be inspired and you shall inspire" ~JD