The average person dreams 4-6 separate dreams each night (Sleep.org, n.d.). Unfortunately, or maybe, fortunately, I remember almost none of these. “I have a dream” may be one of the well-known quotes in the US, if not the world. Why? Passion and drive. Martin Luther King Jr. was devoted to his cause and was not going to accept less than making it a reality. He did not live in the land of fairy tales (despite that being fun from time to time). He knew that he could, focused his energy, and willed his dream into existence. Your dreams don’t have to be as significant to others as MLK Jr’s. It is YOUR dream. It may not be easy to define for you; however, you will know once you find it. It is that thing that gets your adrenaline pumping, fire in your belly (no, not ghost peppers), and the need to see a problem fixed. It does not have to be unique, but it needs to be you. So, you know what it is, but lots of people have dreams. Why do we not hear about them all? Not many people push through the obstacles that prevent them from making their dreams their reality. So how do you do it?
Do not accept NO for an answer
Yes, this is cliche, but what does this mean? It means late nights. After working that 9-5, doing your household chores, getting those little ones to sleep, spend 30 minutes on actionable steps towards making things happen. It means saying no to commitments that do not further your dream. Even if it is your best friend or acquaintance asking you to do something, do not let it eat into your daily commitment of time.
Surround yourself with like-minded people
Look at anyone successful in bringing their dreams to life. Then look at those who helped them make it happen. They tend to drive towards the same goals. Do not be intimidated by people who are smarter than you are or who have different opinions on how to achieve your goal. They are often avid supporters, and you can symbiotically push each other. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts and is valid with the right organization.
Share your dream
I am looking at you, introverts. It is hard to force yourself to share what is important to you, especially if you do not like talking to people, and it seems that there is not the right place to fit the topic. Whether you believe in the law of attraction or not, you will find more people who want to help you with your dream by sharing it with as many people as possible. You may have a hundred people who ignore you or blow you off but finding just one fantastic person who is similarly passionate or who can introduce you to someone who feels that same way is worth it.
Dreams are fantastic, but realities are better
Dream big. Dream small. It does not matter where you fall on that spectrum. What does matter? You need to have a dream and be devoted to making it happen. Looking back on my life, I want to be someone who was not just a dreamer, but who lived my passions. What about you?
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The average person dreams 4-6 separate dreams each night (Sleep.org, n.d.). Unfortunately, or maybe, fortunately, I remember almost none of these. “I have a dream” may be one of the well-known quotes in the US, if not the world. Why? Passion and drive. Martin Luther King Jr. was devoted to his cause and was not going to accept less than making it a reality. He did not live in the land of fairy tales (despite that being fun from time to time). He knew that he could, focused his energy, and willed his dream into existence. Your dreams don’t have to be as significant to others as MLK Jr’s. It is YOUR dream. It may not be easy to define for you; however, you will know once you find it. It is that thing that gets your adrenaline pumping, fire in your belly (no, not ghost peppers), and the need to see a problem fixed. It does not have to be unique, but it needs to be you. So, you know what it is, but lots of people have dreams. Why do we not hear about them all? Not many people push through the obstacles that prevent them from making their dreams their reality. So how do you do it?
Do not accept NO for an answer
Yes, this is cliche, but what does this mean? It means late nights. After working that 9-5, doing your household chores, getting those little ones to sleep, spend 30 minutes on actionable steps towards making things happen. It means saying no to commitments that do not further your dream. Even if it is your best friend or acquaintance asking you to do something, do not let it eat into your daily commitment of time.
Surround yourself with like-minded people
Look at anyone successful in bringing their dreams to life. Then look at those who helped them make it happen. They tend to drive towards the same goals. Do not be intimidated by people who are smarter than you are or who have different opinions on how to achieve your goal. They are often avid supporters, and you can symbiotically push each other. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts and is valid with the right organization.
Share your dream
I am looking at you, introverts. It is hard to force yourself to share what is important to you, especially if you do not like talking to people, and it seems that there is not the right place to fit the topic. Whether you believe in the law of attraction or not, you will find more people who want to help you with your dream by sharing it with as many people as possible. You may have a hundred people who ignore you or blow you off but finding just one fantastic person who is similarly passionate or who can introduce you to someone who feels that same way is worth it.
Dreams are fantastic, but realities are better
Dream big. Dream small. It does not matter where you fall on that spectrum. What does matter? You need to have a dream and be devoted to making it happen. Looking back on my life, I want to be someone who was not just a dreamer, but who lived my passions. What about you?