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Life Design Ezine>
WHY HAVE A DREAM?
March 1, 2008
“...In spite of the difficulties of the moment, I still
have a dream.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
* Avoid regret. Someday we will all lie on our deathbed
looking back through the history of our lives—it’s true for
most of us. We will undoubtedly think about what we wished
we had done or accomplished. My own grandfather told me to
avoid regretting what could have been, what should have
been. So I am deciding today to pursue my dreams.
* The world needs people like you to dream of something
great and then to pursue it with all of your heart. Maybe
you belong to a business, school or organization that
started out with good intentions but has settled into the
same ole, same ole. Shake them up and remind them of how
they could really help people if only they would dream!
Start your own supportive community of dreamers via
www.meetup.com – it’s not too late.
* Personal and family fulfillment. One of the things that
happens when we stop pursuing our dreams is that a little
piece of us dies and we become disheartened, if only in
that area of our lives. Stepping up and pursuing your dream
rekindles that passion and zeal that everyone has the
capacity for and it’s truly contagious. Having a purpose
helps us feel alive and engaged in the world around us. And
when we’re happy, everybody wins!
* Making the world a better place. All of the great
accomplishments that have ever happened began with a person
who had a dream. Somebody rebuffed the nay-sayer and said
to herself, "This can be done, and I am the one who will do
it." And in many instances they changed the world for the
better. It isn't just the Martin Luther King's, the Mother
Teresa’s and the J.F.K's either. Think of all the people
most of us have never heard of that have started things
large and small that help people every day.
* Leaving a legacy. How will your children (nieces and
nephews) remember you? As one who sought all that life had
to offer, using your gifts and talents to their fullest
extent, leading the family with a zest for life, or as a
grouchy complainer who “could have been a contender”? Our
children need to see that we dream; that we search for
greater and more authentic creative expression. They in
turn will do the same!
WHERE DO WE START?
Here are some ideas:
* Reconnect with your dream. Set aside some time to let
yourself dream. What have you placed on the backburner in
order to live play it safe? Settle on one or two dreams
that you can and will pursue. Don't come up with too many.
That will only deter you further. Remember, you can’t
successfully train for a marathon by running 26 miles on
the first day.
* Decide that you will do it. This may seem elementary but
many people never decide and commit fully to their dream.
They simply keep "thinking" about it…and beat themselves up
for never getting started – digging themselves down further
into the hole of defeat.
* Tell supportive others that you are going to do it. This
puts you on the record as to what you are dreaming about.
It makes you accountable…but the key word here is
SUPPORTIVE It will help you do it if for no other reason
than to avoid embarrassment!
* Develop a step-by-step plan. This is absolutely
essential. You must sit down and write out a few things:
- A timeline. How long will it take to the end?
- Action steps. Point-by-point what you will do and when
you will do them. ..commit to an end date for each of these
actions…then check them off all along the way.
- Resources from which you will need to draw. What research
must you do? What resources will it take? Who will need to
be involved for help or advice?
- An evaluation tool. You need to evaluate from time to
time whether you are progressing and feeling connected to
this dream or not. Sometimes our initial “dreams” are
someone else’s for us…i.e., the parent who wished we’d gone
to Notre Dame and would have become a doctor.
- A celebration. When you are done you should already have
planned what you will do to celebrate. Make it big or at
least invite a friend to sing your praises!
I have found that there is no better time than now. So, set
aside some time today to get started on your dream. Follow
the action plan and set your sights high! As my favorite
writer once said, “It’s never too late to be what you might
have been.”—George Eliot
For support on bringing your dream into reality, contact
Creative Career Consultant, Jennifer Manlowe through her
webpage: http://LifeDesignUnlimited.citymax.com
* For Dr. King, Jr’s entire I Have A Dream speech see
http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/civilrights/sitelist1.h
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