Go for your goal and never give up!

Linda Weaver Clarke
Dreams are a part of life and they come straight from the heart. Mack David wrote, "A dream is a wish your heart makes." If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything. Itīs all a state of mind. If you believe in yourself, then nothing else matters.

First, make a list of your goals. Write them down and prioritize them. If your list is longer than you expected, donīt get discouraged. Work on each subject one at a time. Itīs like hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, from Mexico to Canada, 2,485 miles long. Do it one step at a time. Youīll eventually get there.

For some, it may take a few years, and others a few months, but it will be worth all the effort and work you put into it. You must have faith in yourself. Faith and hope are the secrets of success. They go hand in hand. If you lose hope, then you lose your goals.

Itīs all up to you to make a difference in the world, whether itīs large or small. Perhaps your contribution wonīt be as dramatic as some, but still, your contribution to society is important. Itīs up to us how hard we work for our dream. I believe each of us has something to contribute and hopefully uplift others. We can do this by educating and improving ourselves.

I once had a dream. I wanted to graduate from college. At the age of 48, it was one of the most difficult challenges I had ever come upon. On the first day of school, I had butterflies in my stomach, I was feeling nausea from the stress, and I was wondering if I had made the right decision in my life. Was I crazy to take upon myself this feat at my age?


After getting through the first month, I realized it wasnīt so bad after all. I just took one day at a time, knowing that I had committed myself to this task of getting a degree. After four long years and many wonderful experiences, I received my Bachelor of Arts degree and the Outstanding Non-Traditional Student Award for the College of Performing Arts in 2002. All six of my children were at my graduation and watched me walk to get my diploma. I had tears in my eyes, and so did they. I had accomplished something that I thought I was too old to do.

After that, I decided to accomplish another dream. I submitted a novel to several publishers. I had written a historical fiction love story, "Melinda and the Wild West." When a publisher accepted my work, I was thrilled, filled with euphoria, floating on cloud nine. All of this happened because I believed in myself, because I worked hard, because I had a dream. I knew that if I didnīt believe in myself, then no one else would.

The advice I give to everyone is this: Go for your goal and never give up!

Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of the historical/fiction/romance series: "A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho." To learn more, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.
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Linda Weaver Clarke

Linda Weaver Clarke was raised on a farm surrounded by the rolling hills of southern Idaho and has made her home in southern Utah among the beautiful red mountains and desert heat. She is happily married and is the mother of six daughters and several grandchildren. Clarke received her Bachelor of Arts degree at Southern Utah University and travels throughout the United States, teaching a "Family Legacy Workshop," encouraging others to turn their family history and autobiography into a variety of interesting stories.

Clarke is the author of the historical fiction series, "A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho," which includes the following novels: Melinda and the Wild West - a semi-finalist for the "Reviewers Choice Award 2007," Edith and the Mysterious Stranger, Jenny´s Dream, David and the Bear Lake Monster, and Elena, Woman of Courage. A new mystery series, The Adventures of John and Julia Evans, includes the following novels: Anasazi Intrigue, Mayan Intrigue, Montezuma Intrigue, and Desert Intrigue.