Everything that humans have created began as an idea in someone's mind. It's quite phenomenal. Every piece of technology, every work of art, every structure, every institution, every great accomplishment began in someone's thoughts.
How do thoughts and ideas become reality, however? Perhaps the greatest force is a person's desire to bring that idea to fruition. Once we have set a goal, if we do not have desire, the first setback or word of discouragement will stop us in our tracks. If we do have a burning desire, nothing can stop us. Desire is far more important than ability. The statement "if there's a will, there's a way" is an absolute truth.
As I reflect back upon my high school years, I realize that I had similar abilities and challenges as a student and as a basketball player. As a student, I was a poor reader, but I loved learning and I was highly motivated to excel. As a basketball player, I enjoyed the game and loved the rush of endorphins from playing, but I was relatively small and not particularly fast. I was not, however, motivated to excel. Though the opportunity was present, I would not take the time to go to the gym and practice my shots or even study my playbook. I thus never became more than a mediocre basketball player, but I excelled in academics. The difference was simply in my desire.
In his classic, Man's Search For Meaning, Victor Frankl tells us, "Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'." The same can be said for the desires of our hearts. So often we see people overcome tremendous adversity and achieve greatness. How do they do this? They find that inner capacity for accomplishment.
We are never alone in achieving our desires, however. When we want something badly enough, we are drawn to others who will help us to achieve it and they are drawn to us. This could be a teacher who sees a student's sincere desire to learn and helps the young person to overcome difficulties. It could be a group of friends who come together in working together toward a goal. It could be an investor who becomes a mentor to a person with a business idea.
Of course, the desire also has to be met with hard work and persistence. There will be setbacks and frustrations along the way. In my work with students who struggle with academics, I often point out to them their amazing capacity to persist. Though they struggle with what the school system tells them that they need to be able to do, they show up day after day and keep trying. I can only imagine what these young people will accomplish when they are able to focus on the areas in which they are exceptionally gifted, and that is so exciting.
The challenge to me as a teacher is to be the mentor who can bring ideas, goals and desire together with this persistence in all of my students. That is the magic formula in an effective educational system, and that constitutes my greatest desire as a professional educator.
