{"id":1007,"date":"2012-06-22T16:00:18","date_gmt":"2012-06-22T23:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/?p=1007"},"modified":"2020-10-03T11:51:16","modified_gmt":"2020-10-03T18:51:16","slug":"following-your-dreams-or-what-i-learned-from-watching-nick-wallenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/uncategorized\/following-your-dreams-or-what-i-learned-from-watching-nick-wallenda\/","title":{"rendered":"Following Your Dreams or What I Learned From Watching Nik Wallenda"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>One Man&#8217;s Dreams<\/h3>\n<p>I learned a lot about following your dreams when I watched <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NICK_WALLENDA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nik Wallenda<\/a> cross Niagara Falls. It was a nail biting experience, even though I watched the program after discovering he\u2019d made it. Here he was, crossing a thin two-inch wire in elk-skin soled shoes hand-made by his mother, while his father\u2019s voice in his ear coached him every step of the way. His wife and children waited on the other side.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pK_oW62-zrc\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Dealing With Distractions<\/h3>\n<p>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&#8217;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?<\/p>\n<p>Or what if the wire had snapped? When you\u2019re 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&#8217;ve affected his ability to concentrate.<\/p>\n<h3>Following Your Dreams<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_1036\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nik_Wallenda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1036\" data-attachment-id=\"1036\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/uncategorized\/following-your-dreams-or-what-i-learned-from-watching-nick-wallenda\/attachment\/nick-wallenda-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Nick-Wallenda2.jpg?fit=615%2C408&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"615,408\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Nick Wallenda\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Lucas Oleniuk \/ Toronto Star&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Nick-Wallenda2.jpg?fit=615%2C408&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-1036 size-medium\" title=\"Nick Wallenda\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Nick-Wallenda2-300x199.jpg?resize=300%2C199\" alt=\"following your dreams\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Nick-Wallenda2.jpg?resize=300%2C199&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Nick-Wallenda2.jpg?w=615&amp;ssl=1 615w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1036\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Lucas Oleniuk \/ Toronto Star<\/p><\/div>\n<p>What Nik Wallenda demonstrated through his valiant and successful crossing was a\u00a0lesson that can be applied to writing or any other pursuit in life. The following is what I noted.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1<\/strong>.\u00a0<strong>First of all, hold on to your dreams<\/strong>. Nik Wallenda wanted to be the first man to walk across Niagara Falls ever since he\u00a0had\u00a0seen\u00a0the falls at age six. He had\u00a0kept that dream alive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.\u00a0Don\u2019t squander your gifts; use your talent. <\/strong>Walking the wire is in Nik Wallenda&#8217;s \u00a0blood. The Wallenda family are international stars when it comes to their sport. He learned what it would take to achieve his goals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. \u00a0<\/strong><strong>Surround yourself with people you love and who love you. <\/strong>He\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Learn the craft. <\/strong>He started young, and continued to test himself, time after time, raising the stakes with each endeavor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a05. \u00a0Practice, practice, practice. <\/strong>He wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6.\u00a0Persevere. <\/strong>He didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Never give up. <\/strong>He had to contend with a lot of naysayers.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1040\" style=\"width: 290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Flying_Wallendas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1040\" data-attachment-id=\"1040\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/uncategorized\/following-your-dreams-or-what-i-learned-from-watching-nick-wallenda\/attachment\/karl-wallenda-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Karl-Wallenda2.jpg?fit=280%2C180&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"280,180\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Karl Wallenda\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Karl Wallenda in London, England&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Karl-Wallenda2.jpg?fit=280%2C180&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-1040 size-full\" title=\"Karl Wallenda\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Karl-Wallenda2.jpg?resize=280%2C180\" alt=\"following your dreams\" width=\"280\" height=\"180\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1040\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Karl Wallenda in London, England<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Even his own father was reluctant to give him unconditional support for fear of losing his son to an accident. His own great grandfather, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Karl_Wallenda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Karl Wallenda<\/a>, had fallen and died while performing a dangerous stunt in Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8.\u00a0Realize no Man is an island.\u00a0<\/strong>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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. <\/strong><strong>Compromise if need be.<\/strong> He was stubborn enough to keep fighting for what he wanted, but not so foolish that he ignored the obstacles. Though he\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>10. One step at a time. <\/strong>That\u2019s what it took for him to get across the falls. Just one step at a time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11.<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Have Faith. <\/strong>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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>12. Be generous<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n<h3>My Writing Dreams<\/h3>\n<p>The above are great lessons. Ones I struggle to employ in my writing dreams. It\u2019s been a long road.\u00a0I&#8217;ve\u00a0had lots of detours\u2014namely other careers and family responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t until later in life that I began to <strong>focus <\/strong>on my <strong>dream <\/strong>of having my work published. I had to <strong>learn the craft <\/strong>through books, classes, workshops<strong>; <\/strong>I had to <strong>practice<\/strong> those skills over and over through writing and rewriting. After many rejections, I had to <strong>persevere and not give up<\/strong>. I am lucky to have family that supports me in my goals.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve\u00a0also learned I need to rely on others for help, like my <strong>wonderful writers\u00a0critique group. <\/strong>I can only do it <strong>one step at a time. <\/strong>There is no magic, but I do have <strong>Faith. <\/strong>I do believe in a Higher Power. And I hope I am <strong>generous<\/strong>, in sharing my thoughts and views with others who struggle as I do.<\/p>\n<h3>What About You?<\/h3>\n<p>What are\u00a0your dreams? Are there obstacles you face in realizing them, ones that feel insurmountable? How do you cope managing the bumps in your road?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One Man&#8217;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&hellip; <\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[88,1,4],"tags":[78,356,357,355,354,353,5],"class_list":["post-1007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life","category-uncategorized","category-writing","tag-diana-stevan","tag-following-your-dreams","tag-karl-wallenda","tag-niagara-falls","tag-nick-wallenda","tag-nik-wallenda","tag-writing-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Nick-Wallenda1.jpg?fit=615%2C408&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1LuVB-gf","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1043,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/life\/the-measure-of-a-man\/","url_meta":{"origin":1007,"position":0},"title":"The Measure of a Man","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"5 \u041b\u0438\u043f\u043d\u044f, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In my last post, I wrote of the incredible feat that Nik Wallenda had accomplished when he became the first man to cross Niagara Falls. He was successful in fulfilling a childhood dream. His persistence and dedication are inspirational. My dad wasn\u2019t successful in that way but nonetheless, I do\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 &quot;Life&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dad-204x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1863,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2014\/uncategorized\/what-dreams-tell-us\/","url_meta":{"origin":1007,"position":1},"title":"What Dreams Tell Us","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"13 \u0413\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u044f, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019m a believer in what dreams tell us. I grew up in a house where dreams were discussed over morning coffee. My mother and baba would get out a tattered dream book to find out what their dreams meant.\u00a0 For them, everything in a dream was symbolic of something else.\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 &quot;Film&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Film","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/film-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dreams","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/dreams.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/dreams.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/dreams.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/dreams.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4806,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2020\/writing\/crazy-covid-dreams\/","url_meta":{"origin":1007,"position":2},"title":"Crazy Covid Dreams","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"3 \u0416\u043e\u0432\u0442\u043d\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019ve been having crazy covid dreams. But before I get into them, I just want to say, I can't believe I haven't blogged since June. My head has been occupied with my latest manuscript (more about that soon). And Robert and I celebrated another\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 &quot;Writing&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"covid dreams","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/dreams-e1601734268349.jpg?fit=500%2C281&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":842,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/uncategorized\/the-power-of-dreams\/","url_meta":{"origin":1007,"position":3},"title":"The Power of Dreams","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"18 \u041b\u044e\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"As I continue to wrestle with sleep, the power of dreams is on my mind. The fact that I don't have enough of them lately attests to a sleep disturbance. Or maybe not. There are many who can't remember dreams. Their stories vanish not long after they arise. I'm like\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 &quot;Life&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DSCN3179.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DSCN3179.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DSCN3179.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DSCN3179.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DSCN3179.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2382,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2015\/writing\/heroes-in-our-midst\/","url_meta":{"origin":1007,"position":4},"title":"Heroes In Our Midst","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"12 \u0413\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u044f, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"As a writer, I\u2019ve been inspired to write about events in life that matter, whether they be small or large. In today's world, with dangers magnified by the media and some politicians around the globe, we need heroes more than ever. Thankfully, there are heroes in our midst. I was\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 &quot;Life&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/IMG_3040-e1449859308934.jpg?fit=480%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":814,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/uncategorized\/dreams-that-work-overtime\/","url_meta":{"origin":1007,"position":5},"title":"Dreams That Work Overtime","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"23 \u0421\u0456\u0447\u043d\u044f, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Do you ever feel as if your life has taken a dramatic turn, as if you are part of some cosmic shift? That\u2019s the feeling I woke up with late this morning. My body felt as if I\u2019d been hit by a wall of water. My eyes were heavy and\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 &quot;Writing&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ba.jpg?fit=900%2C1016&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ba.jpg?fit=900%2C1016&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ba.jpg?fit=900%2C1016&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ba.jpg?fit=900%2C1016&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}