On the first yacht I worked on, we spent a month at the yacht Club in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. We were the biggest yacht there, and the owner’s wife was very proud of this fact, boasting about it at the club to the other yacht owners. However, when we sailed to Seychelles and moored at a marina on the island of Mahe’, we were one of the smallest yachts. When she saw this, she said in a very small voice, “but we look so small, you can hardly even see us”. She was devastated.
There will always be those who are better – and worse - off than you. Don’t be too arrogant or too depressed about either.
My mother and I were in the UK at the time of the Edinburgh Tattoo in Scotland. As we both dearly wanted to see it, I decided to take my mother as a birthday treat. However, when I began enquiring about purchasing tickets, I was told repeatedly by friends and family that if we hadn’t booked our seats at least a year ago, we wouldn’t stand a chance of getting in. I was shattered by this news, but decided to keep trying. I eventually found out who to phone, made the call and got tickets with no problem at all. We went to the Tattoo and loved it.
Don’t let what other people say stop you from pursuing your dream. Do what it takes to make it happen. Listen to your own wisdom and trust yourself – others don’t necessarily know more than you.
While travelling through America, I spent a few days in Los Angeles, the 2nd largest city in the United States and the world centre for the entertainment industry. Of course, no trip to L.A is complete without a trip to Hollywood, and while I was there I took a tour of Universal Studios. Included in this tour was a stop-off at the pool containing the beast (or rather, the head of the beast) that sparked terror into the hearts of millions in the 1970s, and had people too terrified to go into the sea – Jaws!
While it made use of what were considered ground-breaking special effects techniques at the time, 30-odd years later, getting up close and personal with the fibreglass model of Jaws was anything but scary! As one of those who was terrified by the film, I was horrified at its amateur appearance!
The life lesson here is even something very basic can create a huge impression if it’s used in the right way. So don’t be scared - take your talents and use them to create magic.
