Today is St. Patrick’s Day, and in America the festivities have been in full swing since the weekend. When people think of St. Patrick’s Day, most think of a sea of people decked out in green, packed pubs, and festive parades.  While the festivities are fun, there is much more to St. Patrick than these fun traditions.

St. Patrick was kidnapped and sold into slavery as a teenager. For six years he worked tirelessly, never losing hope that one day he would be free and get a chance to pursue his dreams. One night, St. Patrick fled and found a ship. He asked the captain for passage, but was denied. After telling his story to the crew, the crew convinced the captain to grant him passage. When St. Patrick got back to his homeland of England, he spent the next seven years studying to become a priest. After becoming a priest, St. Patrick traveled back to Ireland, where he was a slave, and realized his dream of bringing Christianity to Ireland.

St. Patrick’s story can serve as a model for reaching your dreams. We may live in a different time and have different goals but there are a few lessons that everyone can learn from St. Patrick.

  1.  Persevere. When you have a dream, you will undoubtedly have challenges you must overcome to achieve your dreams. When you face adversity (and you will), you must persevere and not give up just because you were told no by one person. St. Patrick was denied passage by the captain, yet he ended up on that boat due to his persistence.
  2.  Be prepared. St. Patrick was prepared for the day that he would find the right time to make his escape. You must be prepared to seize opportunities when they are presented to you. No one ever reached their goals without preparation.
  3.  Reach out to people. Relationships with people can be your greatest asset to have. You never know when someone will be inspired by your dream and eager to assist you.

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