A few simple truths

How many of your have ever heard the expression "you can do anything you put your mind to?"

My guess is most of you.

Now, better question — how many of you actually believe that?

I'm going to say not many do.

It seems that in this society we are conditioned to believe we can do anything while we're young, only to have the same people that told us that turn around when we are older and say, "give it up, have a realistic dream."

It's a difficult blow to take for sure, and more than a difficult thing to hear but readers take heart — it doesn't have to be that way.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to interview a 28 year old assistant teaching professional at a local country club in Greenwich named Danny Balin.

Balin, a member of the Professional Golf Association, recently qualified, along with 20 other club pro's from across the nation, for the PGA Championship being held in mid-August at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

That in itself is not remarkable as it happens every year that club pro's get the chance to rub elbows with the superstars of the PGA Tour in "the season's final major." But what is remarkable is Balin chose not to take the easy path after college and decided to move away from his Maryland home to come up to the metropolitan area, long considered to be one of the premier regions to learn and play the game, to peruse his golfing dreams.

He knew that he wanted to be in the sports industry after college and wanted to make money as an athlete and saw that golf was a great option. He also knew that it wouldn't be easy, since he had only just seriously began playing the game, but he knew what he wanted and was willing to do anything to achieve it. When people told him to give up, that he didn't have the game to make it to the top, he only worked harder and is now reaping the rewards.

Balin has shown that no dream is worth giving up. Yes it takes a willingness to work and you have to be willing to sacrifice certain aspects of your life but the end result is more than worth it.

So the next time someone tells you to give up on a seemingly impossible dream, remember Danny Balin, a man who refused to listen to his critics, a man who was willing to work, and a man who, come August, will be performing at the pinnacle of his profession.