Following Your Dreams or What I Learned From Watching Nik Wallenda

One Man’s Dreams

I learned a lot about following your dreams when I watched Nik Wallenda cross Niagara Falls. It was a nail biting experience, even though I watched the program after discovering he’d made it. Here he was, crossing a thin two-inch wire in elk-skin soled shoes hand-made by his mother, while his father’s voice in his ear coached him every step of the way. His wife and children waited on the other side.

Dealing With Distractions

What was it that propelled this thirty-three-year-old father of two young children to put his life at risk? Yes, he had a safety harness, but everyone knows nothing is foolproof. It could’ve snagged on the wire, and then what would he have done? If he had fallen, would it have held him until he was rescued?

Or what if the wire had snapped? When you’re walking a tightrope above churning waters twenty stories up, anything can go wrong. And there was plenty to be concerned about: gusts of wind, mist to cloud his vision, the roar of the falls, blinding flood lights, camera bulbs going off, and the distraction of an audience shouting encouragement. Any one of these could’ve affected his ability to concentrate.

Following Your Dreams

Photo by Lucas Oleniuk / Toronto Star

What Nik Wallenda demonstrated through his valiant and successful crossing was a lesson that can be applied to writing or any other pursuit in life. The following is what I noted.

1. First of all, hold on to your dreams. Nik Wallenda wanted to be the first man to walk across Niagara Falls ever since he had seen the falls at age six. He had kept that dream alive.

2. Don’t squander your gifts; use your talent. Walking the wire is in Nik Wallenda’s  blood. The Wallenda family are international stars when it comes to their sport. He learned what it would take to achieve his goals.

3.  Surround yourself with people you love and who love you. He’s obviously a man who values his family and as a result, they are there for him. While he walked the wire across the falls, he carried in his heart his own great grandfather, to whom he paid homage during his act.

4. Learn the craft. He started young, and continued to test himself, time after time, raising the stakes with each endeavor.

 5.  Practice, practice, practice. He wasn’t lazy; he practiced walking the tightrope under all kinds of conditions over and over again. Practice gave him the confidence to do it without thinking.

6. Persevere. He didn’t let anything or anyone distract him from his goals. His perseverance paid off. After lobbying both the Canadian and American governments for two years, he got permission to cross the falls.

7. Never give up. He had to contend with a lot of naysayers.

Karl Wallenda in London, England

Even his own father was reluctant to give him unconditional support for fear of losing his son to an accident. His own great grandfather, Karl Wallenda, had fallen and died while performing a dangerous stunt in Puerto Rico.

8. Realize no Man is an island. Nik Wallenda learned that to accomplish anything, you need help from others. He built a team of expert players who helped him engineer a crossing that was as safe as possible.

9. Compromise if need be. He was stubborn enough to keep fighting for what he wanted, but not so foolish that he ignored the obstacles. Though he’d never used a safety harness before, he agreed to be tethered to one, as it was the only way ABC would agree to televise his stunt. Given what was at stake, it was more than reasonable for him to cooperate.

10. One step at a time. That’s what it took for him to get across the falls. Just one step at a time.

11. Have Faith. There were moments during his crossing when the gusts of wind and the mist were so challenging that he had to fight his fear of failing. He prayed to God and Jesus for that help. We all have different views on this, but the majority know that there is mystery in this life, and to respect that mystery. He showed respect and was not afraid to draw on it when he needed some help.

12. Be generous. He did it for himself, for his great grandfather, but also for anyone who thinks their dreams are not doable. In other words, he showed dreams can come true, if you believe and put in the work.

My Writing Dreams

The above are great lessons. Ones I struggle to employ in my writing dreams. It’s been a long road. I’ve had lots of detours—namely other careers and family responsibilities.

It wasn’t until later in life that I began to focus on my dream of having my work published. I had to learn the craft through books, classes, workshops; I had to practice those skills over and over through writing and rewriting. After many rejections, I had to persevere and not give up. I am lucky to have family that supports me in my goals.

I’ve also learned I need to rely on others for help, like my wonderful writers critique group. I can only do it one step at a time. There is no magic, but I do have Faith. I do believe in a Higher Power. And I hope I am generous, in sharing my thoughts and views with others who struggle as I do.

What About You?

What are your dreams? Are there obstacles you face in realizing them, ones that feel insurmountable? How do you cope managing the bumps in your road?

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Steps To Publishing Success or What I Learned from Author, Catherine Knutsson What Dreams Tell Us The Measure of a Man The Power of Dreams