One of the hardest questions ever presented to me was “What are your dreams?”. I remember the feeling like it was yesterday. It seemed like the words had rolled off this person’s tongue in slow motion and came hurling at me one letter at a time. I quickly realized that I really didn’t have a dream. The only thing I knew was hard work and survival. Who knew there was a future with endless possibilities? Who knew life truly is what YOU make it? Who knew there was permission granted to develop the art behind the dream?
His name is Philippe Petit. I mention him today because his story both inspires and challenges me. I love people who make us think larger while presenting the opportunity to go beyond the normalcy of life and do something different. His story will certainly intrigue you, but it may also stir up an inner desire that is lying underneath a heap of excuses. You know, like all the reasons “WHY” your dream cannot come true!
The same amount of time is available to all of us. None of us get special privileges in the realm of time. Some folks reach their dreams quickly while others take them to their graves. Some folks with shortened lifetimes accomplish more than others who live several decades. What is the difference between these people?
Philippe’s movie The Walk portrays his determination to simply do what he was born to do. He didn’t take any detours. He called his desire his “ART”. It looked ridiculous to everyone around him but he endured the loneliness of rejection and unwanted opinions and stayed the course. He simply didn’t settle for the mundane of what the world had labeled “NORMAL”. At the age of 24 he completed his dream and became a famous artist of his skill. He stood high above a world that applauds his efforts to this day.
When a person dares to pursue a dream it inevitably begins to get others involved. A dream rolling with momentum is hard not to watch! It becomes attractive to those who are called to be noticed! There may be a season of loneliness and feeling misunderstood BUT suddenly one will find themselves with new friends of support and love. Philippe called those who assisted him in his dream “accomplices” to his art.
I leave you with these words of encouragement.
Ask your self “What is the art within me?” Pull your dream from beneath the heap of negative words and place it on the canvas of your life. Be a flicker of light in a world of darkness. I believe you will stand in awe as your tiny light transforms into an inferno of inspiration and hope. Keep me updated because I would love to be an “accomplice” to your art that has not yet been seen!
ENJOY THE JOURNEY- VB