For some, it would have been ‘easier said than done!’ They might even resign to the deck of cards that fate had dealt them. “It is my fate! I must resign to it.” They said. Sad to say, they are right, if they believe so.
I believe no one promised him that his journey would be an easy one; no one painted him a journey with straight smooth paths and flowers at the side, where the sun will always shine brightly with occasional rain to nourish the lands. And definitely no one guaranteed him result.
It was his fate to scale all brick walls that stood in his way to top his class and I believe that he will continue to go against all odds in his life.
Brendan Lee emerged as the top student despite his dyslexia. He said,
“I didn’t have much of a childhood. I had to go to the dyslexia association, Singapore General Hospital for my speech therapy, home tuition, school tuition, so there was no time for leisure. Many times, I was demoralised. My friends would ostracise me because I failed all my subjects.“
Fortunately for Mr. Lee, he chose to play the cards that was dealt to him differently and against all odds. How would we have played his cards? Are we to resign to our fates? Or are we to re-engineer our own fates? Either way you are right to choose whichever path you want to take.
The path to re-engineer our own fates is not one without challenges, just as it was a challenging one for Mr. Lee. And I certainly do not promise you that it will be an easy and smooth sailing one. As the saying goes, “There is no shortcut to any place worth going.” Now the question is, “Is it worth it for Mr. Lee?” I would leave you to answer that question on your own. Either way, you are right; it is a matter of choice.
Even for billionaire Richard Branson, he didn’t do well academically; he has mild dyslexia and according to an article by John Shepler,
“Richard didn’t breeze through school. It wasn’t just a challenge for him, it was a nightmare. His dyslexia embarrassed him as he had to memorize and recite word for word in public.“
Richard Branson is the 261st richest person in the world according to Forbes’ 2009 list of billionaires, with an estimated net worth of approximately £2.6 billion (US$3.9billion). Was it worth it to re-engineer his fate and not resigning to it? Mr. Branson wrote in his autobiography of the decision to start an airline:
My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them…from the perspective of wanting to live life to the full, I felt that I had to attempt it.
Was it worth it for Richard Branson? Same thing, I would like to leave that answer to you. And either way you are right. Re-engineering one’s fate and changing is challenging. Most people, including myself, resist changes. Changes may not always be for the better; however, one thing for sure, if we do not change, we may become obsolete and may become the next on the extinct list.
Photo by vivekchugh
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I’m re-shaping my fate one step at a time. It’s not easy but it can be done with the right attitude and acceptance..
.-= DancesOfDreams´s last blog ..Red Tulips After the Rain =-.
The blog on re-engineering fate is interesting and encouraging. It is also true that no change may happen when we do not see it as opportunity. Doors open sometimes out of the blue. Don’t ignore them…
.-= Gabriele´s last blog ..May 12, Travel resources information with innovation and fun =-.
@ DancesOfDreams, one step at a time is the way to go and you are right; with the right attitude and acceptance, it can be done.
@ Gabriele, yes, you are right that doors can sometimes open out of blue when we least expect them to.
Interesting question. But I agree, the question of choice is the key one. Well said.
.-= Molly´s last blog ..When Mean Girls Grow Up =-.
Yes, change is essential. It’s how we evolve and grow. But it’s certainly easy to get stuck in a rut or accept our fate, as you say.
Finding the right people to help is also important, but that’s part of the process, but an important one. For the people who don’t have any type of support system rising above is even more difficult.
Good stuff.
This is very inspirational and I Love the quote “There is no shortcut to any place worth going.”
.-= Fatima Da´s last blog ..Tips to deal with confrontation =-.
I love the idea of re-engineering my fate! That is exactly what I’m doing and it really is possible.
In my case it took extreme difficulty to get me to the place where that looked possible. (I didn’t see any other option). It would be wonderful if we just knew that the possibility always exists so we don’t need The Universe to bash us over the head to get the lesson!
.-= Jenny Ann Fraser´s last blog ..The Gentle Exorcism of Dexter, My Inner Critic. =-.
@ Molly, indeed, it is always a question of choice; whichever way we choose.
@ One of the Guys, I totally agree with you; we cannot reach out to people who don’t want to be reached. It is very much up to the individual. Without support system, rising above is certainly more difficult but end of the day it will really depend on the individual determination to change.
@ Fatima, yes … I use that quotation to remind myself.
@ Jenny, it is certainly possible. And the possibility is always there. However, our doubts are always presence also. Most people may believe in the possibility but their doubts cloud their minds from seeing the possibility.
love this, all so true.
your blogs always inspiring 🙂
@ Christina, good to see you back and thank you for your kind comment. :o)
Dearest BK, this is such an interesting and very inspirational topic! I believe that fate and destiny all lies in how we accept and shape the way we see changes. Change is indeed very important to each of us in ways we grow and learn. Have a lovely merry happy weekend and love to you!
.-= jacqueline´s last blog ..i’m digging =-.
Funny my Son had dyslexia and he was one of the smartest people I knew and I was very proud of his achievements he pushed himself much harder because of this.
.-= Jude´s last blog ..3 Month Update On My Orgreenic Kitchen Cookware Set =-.
This is so true. Too many people believe they are just fated to have bad things happen to them and never work to change their circumstances.
.-= Pam´s last blog ..If You Give A Kid A Camera… (and winners galore!) =-.
Excellent article. We can re-engineer our fate, create our reality. Your examples help us to remember that our journey is not written in stone that is of course unless we believe it is.
.-= Mark´s last blog ..Know Thy Self To Trancend Thy Self =-.
Hi BK .. a lot of dyslexic people are very clever .. and have a lot of advantages – if we can accept them, and they can get past their challenges.
It’s being happy and choosing to overcome, one step at a time, always facing the fear and getting past that hurdle ..
I have huge admiration for people who achieve who started without life’s advantages .. Thanks for reminding us that we can re-engineer ourselves and give ourselves a better go at life – at what ever age we are …
energy and happiness breed energy and happiness .. have a great weekend .. Hilary
.-= Hilary´s last blog ..Stirling Castle – with all its history, defences, wall paintings and tapestries .. and the Museum of Modern Art, NYC =-.
@ Jacqueline, you have made a great point; through change we grow and learn. Actually what you have said reminds me of the last line in the poem Invictus, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”
@ Jude, thank you for sharing. I am glad and happy for your son for his achievements. People like your son are great soul, who did not let their challenges stopped them but had moved courageously forward.
@ Pam, indeed, I certainly hope that they can realise the fact that they could do something about their situation though it may not be easy.
@ Mark, I couldn’t have said it better than you; our journey is certainly not cast in stone but of course we have to believe that.
@ Hilary, you are right. What I have read about dyslexic people is that they are not necessary intellectually challenge. Some of them have average and even above average IQ. What most of them facing are learning challenges. I second what you have said; I admire people without life’s advantages but are able to achieve great things too. They are truly inspirational. Have a great weekend too.
No shortcut for success. We always tried to look for shortcuts. Thank’s for the reminder BK 🙂
.-= VanillaSeven´s last blog ..Autumn Leaves =-.
@ VanillaSeven, indeed, we are always looking for shortcut. This is a reminder for myself too.
“Most people, including myself, resist changes.” Yep. That’s me too. However, I recently realized that I needed to make some drastic changes to improve the quality of my life. And even though some days I still struggle to stick with it, I know its what’s best for me in the long run.
Kudos to Brendan Lee for emerging as the top student despite his dyslexia. That is a REAL challenge and I am in awe of his determination.
.-= meleah rebeccah´s last blog ..‘Doing Things Differently™’ My Week In Review – Part Fifteen =-.
@ Meleah, glad that you are taking steps to make changes in your life which will benefit you in the long run. It is normal for the struggle as we move out of our comfort zone.
🙂 Thank you so much for all your continued support!
.-= meleah rebeccah´s last blog ..‘Doing Things Differently™’ My Week In Review – Part Fifteen =-.
@ Meleah, thank you for your continuous support too. :o)