You don’t stop living because bad things happen. You keep going – Gina Neely
Keep Dreaming
The inspiring movie, A Million Years Away, chronicles the story of Jose Hernandez, the first migrant farm worker to go on a NASA space mission. As the film concludes, Hernandez, aboard the space shuttle Discovery, looks through the window and sees Earth in full view. With only that view in mind, you would miss the backdrop against which the inspiration is drawn. Hernandez grew up with a dream of going to space after watching Apollo 17 launch in 1972. That dream, which did not match his background, reminds us that dreams are not relegated to our current circumstances or environment. Lest you think Hernandez had a smooth path to NASA, he applied and was rejected. Not once or twice, but a staggering eleven times! That did not stop Hernandez. In the movie, Hernandez, who works as an engineer while applying to NASA, doesn’t rest on the laurels of his latest rejection but picks himself up and applies again. Each time, Hernandez keeps working hard, learning what he needs to add to his application and taking action. Hernandez kept digging through the dirt of rejection, disappointment, and the noise of what is not impossible because of where he comes from until he was accepted. Hernandez posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “I hope my story inspires many people to follow their dreams.” Like Hernandez, how do we keep digging for our dreams?
Optimize Your Thinking
I like cooking ribs. Before I stick the ribs in the oven, I season and marinate them overnight. By cooking time, the meat has developed an irresistible flavor. The marinating and seasoning have optimized the taste of the meat. Our minds are optimized when they marinate in environments that expose us to the possibilities of reaching our dreams. These environments are people who believe in us. For Hernandez, it was his school teacher. Ms. Young encouraged Hernandez, “You are a force of nature. Nothing will stop you.” She also took time to visit Hernandez’s home and was instrumental in advising his parents not to move from place to place as staying in one place was the best decision for their future. Do you have environments where your mind can marinate and get optimized? Hernandez reflects, “It’s Ms. Young who comes and changes the trajectory of a whole family by spending 30 minutes with my parents and asking them if they’ve considered staying in one place,” he says. “All that played an important role.” This role injected possibilities into Hernandez’s life.
Our minds are optimized when they marinate in environments that expose us to the possibilities of reaching our dream
Inject Possibilities
False narratives create destructive belief systems and stunt our ability to dream. They become a running theme, reminding us why we should not proceed: We should remain in the cage of fear because things didn’t go as planned the last time we ventured out, why try again? These are questions Hernandez faced each time his NASA application was rejected. Starving these narratives takes place when we acknowledge what is factual while declaring what is possible. Your background may have been toxic, but it is possible to succeed in life. When you inject possibilities into your story, your false narratives are starved, the way forward gets clearer, and the desire to keep going finds proper footing.
When you inject possibilities into your story, your false narratives are starved, the way forward gets clearer, and the desire to keep going finds proper footing
Final Thought: The story of Jose Hernandez highlights an important theme in life. No matter where we come from, we all have dreams that we can achieve. By optimizing your thinking and injecting possibilities you can keep digging and striving to reach your dreams. And like Hernandez, dreams can become reality.
Keep on keeping on.
Discover Your Treasure 