"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
- Norman Vincent Peale or Leslie Brown
(Quotes can be so tricky as to their origin)
- Norman Vincent Peale or Leslie Brown
(Quotes can be so tricky as to their origin)
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| Painting of a city in a hillside where the glow of the city cannot completely obstruct the stars, yet it's trapped in its own little bubble. |
Are you familiar with this quote? I think the first time I heard it was at a girl scout or girls on the run event. I think it featured on a t-shirt. Sadly, I do not have that t-shirt.
I love this quote. I really do and yet I'm seeing it in a new way now. What if your trajectory is off or you don't have enough lift? I know I'm taking this metaphor a bit literal, but consider the preparation that goes into the shooting. You can't just shoot into the dark and hope for it to land, you've got to put in the work. So back to that idea of being off and you hit the ground or you don't even get off the ground, it can be disheartening. You can be stalled before you even make the attempt.
I know it happens to me and I'm sure others have experienced this. You have such big dreams and hopes, then you step up to the launch pad and realize that it's a much greater distance than you imagine. This can mean that there are many more obstacles or much more time and effort that needs to be put forth than you originally thought. It could be many things. If you think about, you could probably come up with an example in your own life where the mountain rose up to block the moon.
As adults we experience this often, as children we don't.
(At least, that is my proposed theory)
When I wrote Island Whispers, I was just flinging whatever I could, jumping at any opportunity without any regard for process or whether it would be impossible to hit the moon. I just saw it as a challenge that I wanted to overcome and if I was persistent enough, I would overcome it. I wanted to become published and I knew there were obstacles but I saw them as springboards. Sure, there was a mountain in my way, but, if I got to the peak, I would have a better place to launch to the moon. It only brought me closer.
Childhood is funny that way. Sometimes we're so focused on the big picture that we forget about all the snags and disappointments along the way. It's not a bad thing. In fact, it might actually be the key for reaching those childhood dreams. If we lose hope, it becomes impossible to achieve things. Our inner critic demeans every attempt and we become too heartless to care.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is don't lose hope. Hold onto those dreams. See those mountains, but don't give up. Keep going, because you don't know what you can achieve if you don't.
