***Dare To Dream Again***

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
***Dare To Dream Again***
3
Wed, 01-14-2004 - 6:32am
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Column By Chris Widener
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Dare to Dream Again

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious
triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take
rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer
much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows
neither victory nor defeat." Teddy Roosevelt

Do you remember when you were a child and no dream seemed
too big? Some of us thought we would walk on the moon; some
dreamed of riding with Roy Rogers; others imagined stepping
to the plate in a big-league game. Every one of us, when we
were young, had a common trait - we were dreamers.

The world hadn't gotten to us yet to show us that we
couldn't possibly achieve what our hearts longed for. And we
were yet still years from realizing that in some cases we
weren't built for achieving our dream (I realized about my
junior year of high school that I was too short and to slow
to play professional basketball. The dreamer is always the
last to know).

Eventually we started to let our dreams die. People began to
tell us that we couldn't do the things we wanted. It was
impossible. Responsible people don't pursue their dreams.
Settle down, get a job, be dependable. Take care of
business, live the mundane, be content.

Do you know what I say to that? Hooey!

It is time to dream again!

Why? Here are just a few reasons:

Avoiding regret. The facts are in, and someday we will all
lie on our deathbed looking back through the history of our
lives. We will undoubtedly think about what we wished we had
done or accomplished. I for one don't want to regret what
could have been, what should have been. So I am deciding
today to pursue my dreams.

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-sayers and said
to himself or 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 and the J.F.K's
either. Think of all the people we have never heard of who
have started things large and small that help people world-
wide every day.

The world needs people like you to dream of something great
and then to pursue it will 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 ol'
same ol'. Shake them up and remind them of how they could
really help people if only they would dream!

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 lets us
experience fulfillment. Having a purpose puts the zip in our
step and the zing in our emotions!

Leaving a legacy. How will your children 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 an overweight couch potato who could
have been? Our children need to see that we dream; that we
search for something better. They in turn will do the same!

So 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 the status quo?
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.

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.

Tell 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. 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.

Resources you will need to draw from.
What 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 or not.

A celebration.
Yep, when you are done you should already have planned what
you will do to celebrate. Make it big!

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 for the top of the
mountain! You will be glad you did!
__________

Live With Passion!


Phyllis

Live With Passion!

Phyllis

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2001
Wed, 01-14-2004 - 3:20pm
Great post, thanks!!

Miss P




 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-14-2004 - 3:59pm
I've been doing too much dreaming and not enough doing.

Rhonda


Time invested in improving ourselves cuts down on time disapproving of others.

       ~~Rhonda~~


<

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-14-2004 - 4:38pm
This is great, Phyllis! I miss taking my college courses and really do want to finish up my bachelor's degree. Maybe I could handle 1 course a semester (online) and still have 2 jobs. I may just look into that . . .
Katherine (Kat)