Starting Over Is The Only Way

STARTING OVER and wiping the slate clean from a failed attempt is much harder than just starting. I believe that’s why few people ever do even when they are playing with a losing hand. I say this because Dream Starters has started to invest in vendor booths at Job Fairs all around Pittsburgh. After speaking with people that have come to a crossroad in their life and hearing their stories, I automatically think of a lesson I learned from one of the hardest times in my life: Starting over is the only way to fix it, sometimes.

Have you ever seen the movie Wonder Boys starring Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire? Shame on you if you haven't because it is quite a unique movie with a pretty deep meaning attached to it. For those that do not know what I am talking about, Wonder Boys is a story about a writer, Professor Tripp (Michael Douglas) that drifts his way through his failing career, life, and relationships. He was once revered for his abilities many years ago, but has been unable to produce anything of value as of late. He spots the talent of a very strange, yet gifted student named James (Tobey Maguire) and tries to help him in any way that he can. The symbolic fixture throughout the entire movie is the book Professor Trip has been trying to write for years, which has become a large stack of unorganized papers. His book is in disarray, there’s no direction, and there seems to be a lack of focus. When he asks his friend to read it, she falls asleep from boredom and confusion. It’s very hard for Professor Tripp to accept that his past 10 years have been wasted on a book that has no value to society. However, it’s hard to let go of something of which he invested 10 years of his life. In an attempt to save a student’s future, he puts his own future and his book in jeopardy. The book is destroyed and Professor Tripp is devastated. It is in this very moment that Professor Tripp is completely free. Free from his job, free from his book, and free to start over.

What looks like a tragedy is the best thing that can happen to him. In the end, Professor Tripp begins to write a book that HAS VALUE. His new life has direction, clarity, and he ends up getting the girl of his dreams.

I love the message this story sends: Starting over is good. Making huge change in your life is great. Some disasters in your life can lead to amazing things.

I have seen first hand how failure can lead to absolute success. When I speak to failed business owners, people who lost their job, or people that are recently divorced, I see a sense of freedom in them. At first, they may have thought their journey was cursed, but they realize its a blessing and they now have a second chance to take their life in a new and better direction.

Have you recently lost your job? Ready to make a career change? Realize that you are destined for more?

Good for you. You are free to start over. Sometimes, starting over is the only way to fix it.

Dream Starters helps people avoid the simple mistakes that every business owner makes when they start their first venture. Contact us to learn more on how we can help!