The launch of Sputnik 1 back in 1957 ignited the great global “space race,” and completely changed the life of a West Virginia coalminer’s son . Mesmerized as he and his tiny town watched the streak of light crossing the night sky, the teen threw himself into model rocket design and testing. His father demanded he stop the foolishness, forget about the stars, and accept that soon he’d be a miner, too.
Defiantly, the boy continued to pursue his passion for space exploration, and went on to become a NASA engineer. Homer H. Hickam, Jr., shared his story in his autobiographical book, Rocket Boys , which was made into the critically acclaimed 1999 movie, October Sky .
It takes a healthy dose of both patience and persistence, two of the Five P’s to Optimum Health as taught by the Optimum Health Institute (OHI), to turn ambitious ideas into reality. People who make their dreams happen have these four things in common:
- They don’t take rejection personally. Celebrity author Stephen King started submitting stories to publishers’ years before he was taken seriously as a writer. He received 30 rejections for his first novel, Carrie . His books have sold over 350 million copies.
Young visionary artist Walt Disney created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which became an instant animated hit.When he approached his film distributor about a raise after Oswald’s huge success, he was shocked to learn the distributor owned the character, and was actually planning on slicing Walt’s salary.Undeterred, Walt let go of Oswald, and immediately created Mickey Mouse.
- They make their own opportunities. A young Steven Spielberg’s “C” grade average got him rejected from the University of Southern California’s film school, so he became an English major at California State, Long Beach. He took over an empty office at Universal Studios, and boldly added his name to the company directory. His gumption paid off – he got an unpaid internship in the Universal editing department, and so impressed studio executives he was offered a 7-year directing contract. That was the deal that officially launched his career as one of the most respected and influential directors in film history.
- They find an advocate. Your own patience and persistence are critical to bringing dreams to life, but finding a mentor is also important. Bestselling author Maya Angelou became mute when she was 8 after being brutally attacked. Her self-imposed silence continued for five years, until a compassionate teacher took her into the school’s tiny library, and told her to read all of the books. The teacher said to truly appreciate poetry Maya had to read it aloud. That’s how America’s Poet found her voice physically, emotionally and spiritually.
- They’re driven to prove their detractors wrong. The message a young Oprah Winfrey received repeatedly decades ago when she was starting out was that she wasn’t right for television – she didn’t have the right voice, her hair wasn’t straight and smooth, and she had to lose weight. Now she sits at the top of an empire, and is one of the richest people in the world.
Similarly, a young Katie Couric was an assignment editor at CNN when she made an unimpressive first appearance in front of the camera. CNN network cofounder Reese Schonfeld ordered she was never to appear on air again. She went on to co-host The Today Show for 15 years, and was the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast.
What ignites your passion, and makes you feel like you’re truly contributing? Get back in touch with that heart-felt desire, and recapture your joy and spiritual balance.
Come create a healthy balance for your body, mind and spirit at the OHI missions in San Diego and Austin, Texas. Our caring team can help you achieve your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual goals for optimal health. Visit our website at www.optimumhealth.org , and call us at (800) 993-4325 to make your reservation.
