On June 14, 2012 a man named Nik Wallenda completed an extraordinary event. While an estimated 100,000 people watched live and millions watched on their televisions Nik crossed the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls on a tight rope. This was a feat of daring, courage and skill which had never been done before. This was the completion of the dream of a six year old boy.
What you saw was the completion of that dream by a man, a man with an extraordinary skill, but never the less just a man. A human being just like you and I. What you did not see was how that dream was accomplished. The dream of a six year old boy was completed by a Thirty-six year old man. What happened in those 30 years?
First Nik had to become the best he could be on the wire. In his own words he said “I’ve had a vision for my name since I was very young, that I was going to take it to the top of my industry. I’ve been fulfilling that goal ever since.” Then he had to plan the event. Imagine the planning it took. His goal was to cross the Horseshoe Falls on a tightrope. What where the steps he need to take.
Before he even started he had to convince two governments in two different countries to allow him to do the stunt. He then had to map out everything that need to be done, from the cranes and the wire and many other’s that I can’t even imagine at this time. He then needed to create tasks that would make sure everything was in place by 10pm on June 15th.
Did he do this alone? Absolutely not. He had a team of people from all walks of life help him put it all together.
I believe Nik was very fortunate that he lived in a family environment that too many of us was not ordinary. He had the dream and the ability to pursue it. We, us mere mortals, dream until we get to school and then we told to stop dreaming and pay attention. We are taught to be good in school so that we can grow up to be good employees. Somehow during this process we stop dreaming those impossible dreams.
Nik is just a man, a man with incredible skill, but still just a man. Thomas Edison was just a man, Henry Ford was just a man, Helen Keller was just a woman and we are people just like them. The difference is that these people had extraordinary dreams and they went after them.
Do you have extraordinary dreams? Do you have them written down? Do you have a roadmap to get you where you want to go? Unfortunately Thomas & Henry’s dreams have been around for so long that we take them for granted. Nik on the other hand has just shown us what human beings are capable of. I tell you that you are capable of fulfilling impossible dreams also. You just need to make the decision to do so and then create the roadmap from the start of that journey to the completion.
Here’s to the finish of your impossible dream and the start of your next one.
Nik Wallenda tightropes across Niagra Falls
Lloyd Brunton