Читать книгу The Woman's Book of Hope - Eileen Campbell - Страница 18

In spite of our decision to opt for hope and pursue our vision, we may at times find that our old habits of thought and feeling get in the way. When we encounter an unexpected stumbling block, our doubts and fears surface once again and lead us astray. How do we go about breaking through our resistant patterns?

We have to remind ourselves that the choice is ours. We are responsible for our thoughts and our actions, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. Why revert to a way of thinking that has not served us well? Far better to go forward in hope, remembering that life is full of possibilities. Where we are is the result of choices we have made so far. Setbacks are merely the challenges that, as we consider and deal with them, make us stronger and more determined to achieve our goals.

Amelia Earhart, the American pioneer aviator, knew from the moment she first went in a plane in 1920 that she absolutely had to fly. She had emerged from a troubled childhood longing to be a successful woman. Her hospitalization with pneumonia resulted in chronic sinusitis, which later became a significant handicap to her flying. But Amelia was not going to let anything like that hold her back from achieving her dream and becoming “Queen of the Air.” She had to work hard at a variety of jobs to save enough money for flying lessons, and she had various sinus operations to try to improve her condition. Undeterred, she went on to make her first solo flight across North America, and she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. There must have been occasions when she had her doubts, but she clung tenaciously to her dream. As she so aptly put it, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is tenacity.”

J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series of books, conceived the idea for the series while on a delayed train; she also held on to her vision in spite of difficulties. In the seven years that followed her first having the idea, her mother died, her first child was born, she was divorced from her first husband, and she was then living on state benefits as a single parent. We know that it wasn't easy for her because she has been open about feeling a failure. She was diagnosed with clinical depression and even contemplated suicide. She kept going, however, until she finished her first novel. Several rejections didn't make her give up, and within five years she had become the success story that we all know about. Now a multimillionaire, she has a charitable trust with a mission to combat poverty and social inequality.

For each one of us facing doubts—head-on is the only way through them. Letting go of old patterns requires courage, but when we refuse to let fears, doubts, or rejections bring us down, and maintain instead a hopeful and positive attitude, the path forward becomes clearer. Expecting good things to happen while continuing on the path means we are more likely to be able to respond to the good that is all around us.

I have the will and determination to reach my goal and the strategy to get there.

I am committed to my vision of the future.

I maintain a positive and hopeful attitude and expect good things to happen.