It's Not Too Late to Act On Your Dream
Personal Development
March 9, 2015
Mary C. Schaefer
Topics
Barbara Beskind, Courage, goals, Inspiration, personal leadership, Purpose, Self DevelopmentHave you heard of Barbara Beskind? Me neither, until today that is. And I’m so glad I now know who she is because her story supports something I tell my clients every day.
I coach a lot of people on what to do with their lives, whether it’s a job search or a desire to change direction completely. No matter what age, I often hear some version of: Can I do that?
Enter The Fierce Idealist
I hear these questions a lot:
- Won’t it look bad that I have this gap in my resume?
- How do I explain this particular job?
- Will they even hire someone my age?
- Can I get that kind of job at my age?
- I don't even have any recognized experience in that area.
I believe that if there is something you are skilled at or talented at, and have a passion for, there must be some way for it to fit in this big, wide world of ours. There are too many people who have achieved incredible things despite challenges.
Part of their success is tenacity, but it is also optimism. They embrace that they have something worthy to offer and that it deserves to be taken seriously.
Times They Are A-Changin’
This is where the story of Ms. Barbara Beskind comes in. You can scoot over to Entrepreneur to read the whole story.
Barbara, at 91 years old, is finally living her dream – in Silicon Valley of all places. Barbara always dreamed of being an inventor. This was not on the high school counselor’s list for a young woman of her generation.
But Barbara made it happen, finally. She’s not working a 40-hour week, but her employer found a way to work with her, and capitalize on her fine mind and ideas.
It Only Takes One
You can say this is an isolated case. That she was lucky. Or they are more open-minded in California – whatever rationalization you want to offer is okay with me. This fierce idealist will keep coming back to this. It only takes one.
Who knows if the next person you talk to has just the right setup for a 91-year-old would-be inventor, or whatever your impossible situation is. Does every employer have the mindset to see value in the unconventional? No, but it only takes one.
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Hi, Mary
Thanks for the inspiring story and the underlying message … this ain’t your father’s world. Things are changing and the “rules” we all grew up with do on always apply, at least as rigidly as they once did.
The most important takeway for me in all this is the idea that “It Only Takes One”. Everyone does not need to change their mindset, but when one does, the momentum ticks upward just a tad … and so change sometimes goes:)
John
Thanks John, for this response. It helps me feel less silly about being a fierce idealist.