Success Stories

First a word about Success - since we all know it can be loaded.  This isn't just for the times when you win an Oscar.  Instead it is about reconnecting in all its forms - little and big.  Sometimes it is just the first step on a much bigger journey.  

Let us know how you have connected to a child hood dream.  You can read about mine on the My Dreams page - to get an idea what I mean.  Please include pictures, links to videos, or anything else that helps us really see what you have experienced.

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My earliest childhood vocational dreams included house cleaning and becoming a beautician. However, by the time I was in fourth grade and had my first "Career Day" I had made the decision to become a doctor (wearing scrubs borrowed from my local, community hospital as well as stylish head-gear for a protruding overbite). I still can't help but chuckle when I see that picture! Fortunately, by the time I fulfilled this dream as an adult, my dress was more stylish and my overbite was corrected! I am certainly glad that I did not let this dream pass by as I am now reaping the rewards of helping others as a physician.

[Dehra]

LaDonya - You are one of the finest Psychiatrists I have ever met! Aren't we lucky you hung in! When we talked about this dream together, you told me that you almost quit. I still have the picture of you in my head - walking straight out of the first General Chemistry class at Duke and into the drop/add line. (For those of you who didn't go to college before everything was "on-line" - it was a physical line you had to stand in to tell the registrar you wanted to drop a class).

The more I listen to people's dreams, the more I hear this same kind of story - where you think of giving up - only to come back to the dream later. Like you did as a Senior when you took General Chemistry. Turns out - getting there wasn't about ability - obviously you had it - but it was definitely about building a skill set that helped you get there and sometimes it takes a few years to grow into this. That and a bunch of determination. Glad you did.

[Amy Flynn]

My childhood dream was always to be an artist--no other options ever really crossed my mind, except maybe that two-month period when, like every little girl, I wanted to be a veterinarian. And I've lived that dream, from coloring books through art school to my first "real" job working for Hallmark to years as a freelance illustrator. But in recent years, the illustration business changed drastically, to where I was having to spend more time and money publicizing and promoting my work than to actually creating it. I never signed up to be a salesman! And then, last year, when the economy tanked, even that work dried up.
For fun, I had started making robot sculptures out of the junk I found in our basement and at the flea market, and realized that I was now far happier making them than I was pursuing an illustration career. It was tough leaving the path I'd followed for so long, but now I'm making them full-time, selling them through galleries, art fairs, and online, and LOVING it. I guess what I want to say is, don't be afraid to leave the familiar path you're on, especially if it's no longer taking you anywhere.

[Doctor Dehra]

Her Own Way

I have a friend who owns her own business and knew she would do exactly this at six years of age. She’s pretty modest and when I talked to her about her success, she said “I guess I just don’t see things the way you do.” I get this a lot when I talk to people about their dreams. When I look at her - I see a creative person who has a found a way to balance a job she loves and the needs of her family. She sets her own schedule so she doesn’t miss assemblies and school parties - and she makes people feel good when they leave her salon. Amazingly, she has held on to the dream of owning her own salon from the time she was six years old and got her first haircut at a prestigious beauty school. She even stood up to people who loved her but were worried for her future. She kept believing. So, Joni, no matter how you see it – you inspire me!