So many feel defeated by past experiences and as if there is
nowhere to go but spiral downward or simply exist. Reality is, so many can
continue on their journey, no matter what their age is or obstacles, if they
have the drive. Be a person that gives them the added support and push.
I remember years ago, as a non-traditional student in
college feeling, at first, out of sorts. I was so aware of being older than the
traditional aged student, 18-22 year olds. I was an aging 28 year old mother of
two. Within the first two weeks, I saw several
quite older folks walking on campus, I simply assumed they were professors as
quite a few I had were old. Note, age of old is all relative to my own age now,
at any point in my life!
About the third week in college, while waiting outside a
classroom for a class to start, I found myself in the hallway and one of those
older persons approached me. Wow, I thought, a professor is going to talk to me
outside of class. Maybe I can get some brownie points when I take his class
when he finds out how personable I am! I
found out he was giving me tips on my current class. He had taken the same
class I was waiting to begin the previous semester! He was a student! When he
walked away, several colleagues next to me told me he was a cool dude!
Learning and seeing firsthand a man who had retired tackling a college
education stuck with me for years.
Working at a figure salon later on, I saw women who had
battled weight loss their entire life. Being labeled fat and called out the
various names these women deal with daily has to be disheartening. So much of
society judges us by how we look. Some people never get past that. I have held hands and hugged women as they
cried over their weight which, to them, seemed impossible to overcome. With
some, it is impossible for various reasons. Meeting women who set realistic
goals and set about changing their own paradigm in life about eating and coping
to combat weight issues was so admirable. If you run into someone dealing with
this issue, recognize the demons go far beyond simply the numbers on the scale.
The stigma from society and the coping mechanisms have been in place, usually
for a very long time. That is much harder to break than counting calories.
Positivity and patience with their short-comings goes a long way. They will
break, be there for them when they do, not just when things go well.
I once had mandatory reading as a Director of a book called
The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelley. It focuses on not only reinforcing the
dreams of employees but mapping out plans on how to make them happen. If an
employer can do that, we should all be able to lend a hand simply in ways that
we can, be it by listening, advising or giving resources to those trying to
make things happen to better themselves or achieve the impossible.
I believe for some of us, dreams have happened. For some of
us, some dreams may never come true. But for millions, their dreams have not
happened and can still be realized. To doubt the ability of someone’s wishes
materializing is it to doubt the magic of the human spirit to preserve among
amazing odds. So the next time you hear, I really want something from someone,
tell them to fight hard and they can and will make it happen!
