Just another day in the office!

It is estimated that over a billion people will have heard by Monday morning of the incredible achievement of Nik Wallenda, who became the first person in history to walk a tightrope across Niagara Falls, from the USA over to Canada. Wallenda crossed over the daunting Horseshoe Falls, and was often surrounded by heavy mist and the drafts from waters pounding down into the Niagara river some 200 feet below. It took him only 25 minutes to get from Goat Island in the USA over to Table Rock in Canada, and it was something to see him actually trot over the last section with complete confidence. It was not a little hilarious that he was met by Canadian customs officers requesting his passport, and who presumably meant the question "what is the purpose of your visit, sir?" to be entirely rhetorical and humorous. His answer was equally on point when he stated that the purpose of the trip was "to inspire people all around the world", and once you think about it, that is of course what he did.

No, I am not suggesting that any of us mere mortals consider doing something so outrageously adventurous or dangerous; that's not the point. But what I am saying is that compared to the type of training, dedication, talent and focus that such an accomplishment represents, almost everything else seems relatively easy and achievable by comparison. So our own everyday little dreams should become less of a challenge, and we should just get our heads down and start to build the dream, from foundations and upwards to brick-by-brick. Nik Wallenda did not cross Niagara Falls by simply deciding that he wanted to do it, but rather, you can bet he put some extremely serious effort and focus into it. Like all such dreams, we achieve them by focusing on the day by day, not by being intimidated by how far we are from the other side. Build a little, every single day, and pile up a few hundred days of building, and we begin to get somewhere. 

Learning a new language, or getting that dream job, picking up a musical instrument, owning a place in the country, etc., are not crossing Niagara Falls. But they might very well be the kind of things we have running around our heads, but continue to have trouble making real, and they remain our little dreams. I say that Nik Wallenda (among others) has shown us that almost everything is possible if we want it badly enough, and are prepared to go after it. If he can cross Niagara Falls then surely we can hurdle some of our own more realistic challenges. So, instead of crossing over from my armchair to the sofa and flat screen on the other side, I am going to climb up to my mezzanine office and get back to work on Evergreen Umbrella. Thanks Nik! ;) - Kevin Mc