When Life Gives You Lemons, Open A Lemonade Stand

                                                       Photo by praytino on Flickr
When I started this blog, I asked for people to share their own inspirational stories of how they have accomplished their dreams. On LinkedIn the other day, I received  an in-mail from Catherine Filar, who had visited my blog. She is a true "Wake Up Dreamer." I asked her permission to share what she wrote. Here's her story which can be an inspiration to us all:
 
Even after a tragic car accident that caused her to lose her job & nearly left her disabled, Catherine Filar still believes that challenges are opportunities in disguise. Just a few years ago her goal was to walk again, but today she is setting her sights on becoming a vice president of finance. And by looking at her past accomplishments, chances are she will achieve this goal as well.

After spending four months in the hospital following a car accident that took the lives of her mother & newborn daughter, Filar was let go from her job at the local bank. Instead of giving up, Filar remembered what her grandma had always told her, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”

She began taking telecourses from her local community college & later enrolled in another college to complete her bachelor’s degree in business management. Filar did not stop there. She continued her studies to earn enough credits to sit for the CPA exam & also earned her master’s degree in accounting & finance.

Filar believes that women today face many obstacles when going back to school. One of the challenges is the desire to accomplish everything right now. “We need to pace ourselves. Working at a slower pace may take longer to reach your goal, but you do not have to miss out on everything else.” Pacing herself is what allowed Filar to accomplish her goals, despite her many responsibilities. While attending school, Filar also held down a full-time job, on top of taking care of her two children. “I got very little sleep & did homework when I took the children to the park or when they were sleeping.”

When thinking of her greatest achievement, several memories run through Filar’s mind. From learning to walk when the doctors said she never would, to having her family see her cross the stage as she received her bachelor’s degree & thanking the woman who had fired her from the bank all those years ago, each achievement brings a smile to her face. However, Filar feels that her greatest achievement has been that she did not allow any challenge to stop her from being successful & happy. She urges other women to remember that, “There is no such thing as impossible.”

Since that was written Catherine Filar ihas moved up to President of a financial business called Actions Count, LLC. I say. "Dreams & actions count!"

Have you found ways to do what others would see as impossible? What helped you find the opportunities in disguise? Who has inspired you to make lemonade when life gives you lemons? Please share your stories.