The Brooklyn Bridge that spans the river tying Manhattan Island to Brooklyn is truly a miracle bridge. In 1863, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea for this spectacular bridge. However, bridge-building experts throughout the world told him to forget it; it could not be done.

Roebling convinced his son, Washington, who was a young up and coming engineer, that the bridge could be built. The two of them developed the concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With unharnessed excitement and inspiration, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

With the project only a few months old, tragedy struck and John Roebling died in an accident on the site leaving his severely injured son Washington unable to walk or talk. Naturally everyone wrote the project off for the second time because only the Roeblings knew how the bridge could be built.

Even though Washington was unable to move or talk, his mind was as sharp as ever, and he still had a burning desire to complete the bridge. An idea hit him as he lay in his hospital bed, and he developed a code for communication. All he could move was one finger, so he touched the arm of his wife with that finger, tapping out the code to communicate to her what to tell the engineers who were building the bridge.

For thirteen years, Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger until the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge was finally completed.

Washington Roebling’s passion made a way for him. More importantly, his brain carried him beyond the finish line at a time that the world had written him off. My friend's lessons abound in this story and I pray that you find much more than I did. Nevertheless here’s what I pray you do take away.

Adversity is not pretty, but quite often there’s a fortune in misfortune. Washington’s fortune in his misfortune was the discovery of the new code of communication and the subsequent education of his wife Emily as a bridge engineer. Manhattan lost a bridge engineer but passion provided a replacement. You passion is a very big force, never let it die.

The mind is where it all starts and ends. Washington decided that the mind was a terrible thing to waste and only death would take his mental acuity and sharpness away from him.

My dear friends, you challenges have the answers in them and it all begins in your head - you brain - your mind!

What you feed it today will determine what it gives you tomorrow.

Go Forward, Make Rain and Build your bridge!

I am Nhyira Addo, THE RAINMAKER