As the Thanksgiving holiday come to a close here in the US, I am thinking back on how blessed I am to have the job I have, and the support of my parents. Many times, growing up, I was told that I would not succeed. As the first member of my family to go to college, perhaps people had a reason to doubt that I would succeed. I surprised many of my family and acquaintances when I graduated high school, and even more when I graduated college with a Bachelors in Biology with a Chemistry Minor. Even more thought I had lost my mind when I decided to pursue an additional bachelors in nursing, but when I graduated, I finally had people that were ready to accept that I had proved them wrong. Through it all I had a mom and dad that were willing to push me when I didn’t believe in myself, and because of their pushing and my learning to ignore my doubters and forge ahead, I have made it this far. I am not a family genius, by any means, but I was willing to push myself to achieve my dreams.
Continuing through life after graduation, I have found that the same goes for anything we do. If we are willing to try, push, and “do it anyway,” we can often succeed against all odds. Not too long ago I heard a poem written by Kent Keith, but made famous by Mother Teresa, called “Do It Anyway.” As I go through my day, and meet people that would attempt to discourage, accuse, or try to bring me down, I think of this poem. It may do you well to do the same and just “Do It Anyway.”
(The photo is one that I pulled from online and uploaded.)