“Glass Ceilings?”, you may wonder. Yes, these are invisible but real barriers we face, both in our personal and professional lives, which make it difficult for us to pursue or reach our desired next level.
Many of us give up very easily and too quickly, in pursuing our dreams, because of these invisible barriers. Women are especially plagued by this. You may wonder, “what can I do if the odds are against me?” I am glad you asked.
We will start with Napoleon Hill’s famous quote, “whatever the mind of man (or woman) can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” So, it sounds like we need to conceive—in other words, desire.
Desire:
When we are faced with a situation that we find difficult to overcome, the tendency might be to give up. Instead of giving up, however, we should first examine what it is we are desiring, and if our desire is strong. If we know what it is we want, and feel strong enough desire for, it is more likely that we will go after it. The problem is that sometimes we do not know what it is we want, and because we are unclear, it becomes easy for us to give up the pursuit of it. If we happen to have a challenge show up in the process, we are quick to conclude that it is not for us.
Mr. Hill tells a story of Mr. Edwin C. Barnes, an ordinary folk like most of us, whose desire was to work, not for Mr. Edison but as Mr. Edison's business partner. Some would think, “the audacity of him!” Yes, it was audacious, which was powered by a burning desire that grew over the years. He could have given up, by buying into the notion that Mr. Edison was way out of his reach and will think that he was ‘nuts’. He persisted, and his persistence paid off. He did indeed become Mr. Edison’s business partner, eventually.
Belief:
Having a desire is one thing, but desire must be backed by belief. Many times, we stay below the glass ceiling because we do not believe that we deserve better. Sometimes, we pat ourselves on the back, and say, “well, we are grateful that we have achieved, what we achieved, so far.” I know how that “refrain” goes, because it is one that I sung for many years. That kept me down during those many years. When I saw people pursuing their dreams, I would tell myself, that they had what I did not have, or that I don’t deserve. However, I could not get rid of the nagging feeling that I, indeed, deserved more. It was only when I began to nurture that belief, that it grew into one that pushed me to do something about it. Which brings me to the next thing.
Action:
While desire and belief are starting points, if we stop there, we would not be too far from where we started. Again, I reference a story that Mr. Napoleon Hill told, titled, “A Fifty-Cent Lesson in Persistence.” Mr. Darby was visiting his uncle to gain experience in his uncle’s gold mining business. He witnessed a little girl, described as “a small colored child, the daughter of a tenant”, walk in through the old-fashioned mill doors, and stood near the door. Despite the rough barking of Mr. Darby’s uncle, and his instruction that she should go home, and he will do what she asked, the little girl stood her ground. After a long while, when he realized that she was still there, he went after her with a stave, but she looked him straight in the eyes, and screamed. “My mummy’s gotta have that fifty cents!” She got it and left. How many of us, have this level of persistence? What are we doing about it? For me, I realized that fear kept be down for years, and had me believing that I could not go after my dream. I was finally forced into action when I was backed into a corner. That was the best gift that made me look my fear in the eyes and scream, “I gotta pursue my dream!” How about you? What will it take.
We need to quit committing ourselves to the glass ceilings of life. Yes, we will certainly encounter that, but it is up to us to buy into them, or to say to ourselves,"I deserve better". Once we desire what that “better” place or point is, we need to believe that we can indeed reach it, and then seek for ways to work towards it persistently and consistently. Yes, there might be moments when we will be tempted to give up, or may have even given up, some time. We need to pick ourselves back up and rekindle our desire, believe, and pursue it.
This might require you getting help. If your dream or desire is strong enough, then you certainly need to get the help required to pursue it. Where do you need to get to? Book a call so we can explore together, and help you reach that place of fulfillment.