Killing Doubt
“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.”
–Unknown
We all have dreams. To a certain extent dreams are what get us out of bed every day. Having something to achieve and work for is a worthy way to pass our time on this globe. Without some kind of goal to reach for in our lives we are merely existing… burning oxygen and taking up space and resources. I do not downplay or belittle the value of existing; existence itself is miraculous and amazing but it rarely satisfies anyone for a prolonged period. We need purpose in life to bring daily fulfillment.
So logically, we are all out happily working on our various dreams. Hmm, that does not seem to be the case. Something is killing the dreams of mankind. Perhaps it is failure. People are putting all their efforts into their goals and ambitions but life is just frustrating them and people are failing. If this is the case then we should see scores of people still striving for their dreams, diligently exhausting all the possibilities before ultimately succumbing to certain failure. Personally, I do not believe that the evidence within our culture supports this premise.
Sadly, I venture that most dreams never even make it to the runway. Their pilots look at the skies, point to a cloud and proclaim that the weather is too dangerous and unfavourable for flight today, maybe tomorrow. They amass many flightless days seeking the perfect weather. Sure, those pilots visit their dreams in the hangar. They polish the fuselage and the wings with their plans. They may even fuel them up with hope and motivate themselves enough to roll them out onto the tarmac, but those clouds, those dark clouds, they always seem to get in the way.
These pilots know. They have seen other pilots crash and burn. They have seen other dream battered and broken by storms. They aren’t about to let that happen to theirs. Instead, they wistfully remember the flights of their youth when they conquered the skies in early dreams. They sit recalling victories and promises of childhood, adolescence and youth. If asked about their hesitation today, they will regale the inquirer with stories of their near misses and malfunctions. Oh, they have tried to take off many, many times, but it just doesn’t work for them now… too risky.
We have all had goals that succeeded. We have all experienced the sting of genuine failure. Though crashing hurt, knowing that we truly did what we intended to do made the effort worthwhile. Circumstance and failures may delay us with maintenance and repairs but they should never truly ground any worthwhile dreams. Don’t let your dream and ambitions fester in the hangar or moulder on the tarmac. Fire up the engines and head off down the runway into the headwinds of life. Our lives are too short to let a little rain and storm keep us from taking to the air. Face those fears and do not let disbelief shoot down your flightplans. Know in your heart that it is far better to brave the skies and face real storms of failure again and again than to concede and forever be earthbound by your deadly doubts.
©2018 Scott D. Wilson,P.Eng.
