Rise, Soar, Fly: Ascend Towards Your Dreams

Have you ever had an idea that was laughed at? Or a goal that others said was impossible or crazy? Or maybe they just questioned why your goals were goals at all? If so, then you're in the same company as Wilbur and Orville Wright. These brothers persevered through adversity for the unseen benefit of mankind. They transformed the world. How can we use them as a guide point to transform ourselves?

While building and fine-tuning their flying machines, they did not foresee how their creation would be used for war and destruction. They also did not foresee how their invention would allow our modern society to travel anywhere on the globe within a day's time. They wanted to fly.

At first, some people met them with interest, but many thought it was a silly endeavor. Some even claimed that they were doing “the devil's work" because they believed that humans weren't made to fly, therefore they shouldn't. The longer it took them to succeed, the more ridicule they experienced. There was a lot of trial and error, yet they pressed on, unfazed by public opinion. Often we think that it's only our modern society that is impatient and expects overnight success, but instead it seems to be a characteristic of human nature. If someone has an idea, and it doesn't immediately come to fruition, or if it fails repeatedly, we give up on that person's idea. Granted, not all ideas work, but it's important that we give them their due consideration. As for the Wright brothers,

“It had taken four years. They had endured violent storms, accidents, one disappointment after another, public indifference or ridicule, and clouds of demon mosquitoes. To get to and from their remote sand dune testing ground they had made five round-trips from Dayton (counting Orville's return home to see about stronger propeller shafts), a total of seven thousand miles by train, all to fly little more than half a mile. No matter. They had done it… Success it most certainly was. And more. What had transpired that day in 1903, in the stiff winds and cold of the Outer Banks in less than two hours' time, was one of the turning points in history, the beginning of change for the world far greater than any of those present could possibly have imagined" (McCullough).

The greatest lesson that we can take from this is that we all have ideas—some of them individual and some within teams. It's important to understand that just because something doesn't work the first time around, doesn't mean it's a worthless endeavor. Had the Wright brothers listened to those that mocked their idea, it would have changed the course of human history.

Instead, they worked day-in and day-out on their machines. They were often seen watching birds soar and glide through the steady wind at the Outer Banks to gain ideas on how to improve their idea. They studied. They tried. They failed. They made improvements. They tried again. They lived and breathed it. They were hungry.

Many success coaches talk about how, in order to achieve our goals, we must be willing to work while others are sleeping. We must be hungry. Consider what ideas you might have that could benefit you in your personal life, or your team in your day-to-day work, and put some energy towards it. Many of us don't have four years to wholly dedicate to a single endeavor. That's okay. Utilize down time to your benefit instead of hoping to dedicate large chunks of time to a single endeavor. Be hungry. How else can we hope to transform the world if we aren't supporting one another's crazy ideas?