and although the circumstances have been hard, even
painful, she’s learned an important lesson. All along, her life
was teaching her something, even in the pain. And if she
hadn’t paid attention, she just might have missed it.
Happiness Is Overrated
There are two stories we hear when it comes to pursuing a
dream. First is the tale of the self-made man or woman. In
this story, we see a driven individual overcoming adversity
and defying the odds to achieve success. Many of us have
believed this is the only way to achieve anything—through
sheer tenacity. The process is simple: set a goal, work hard,
and achieve your objectives. You can be anything you
want, do anything you want; all you have to do is work
hard. You are in complete control of your destiny. But
things are not always so simple.
In the film The Secret of My Success, Michael J. Fox
plays a young upstart named Brantley who is trying to get
ahead in the corporate world. After continual rejection, he
finally explodes in another failed job interview, saying:
“Everywhere I’ve been today there’s always been
something wrong: too young, too old, too short, too tall.
Whatever the exception is, I can fix it. I can be older; I can
be taller; I can be anything.”^3
Like many people, Brantley believed that if he put his