"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream" C.S. Lewis
I Have a Dream (with lyrics as sung by Amanda Siegfreid from the movie, Mama Mia)
When I first returned to college after 20 + years away from the classroom I made an inspirational CD that I could listen to in the car on the way to and from campus. The second song on the CD was "I Have a Dream" from Mama Mia. I chose this song to include on the CD because of the lyrics and their message. I found it to be very motivational! I was fulfilling a dream I had had for a very long time, a goal to return to college and work toward getting my degree. It was finally time for me to "cross the stream" and start to make my dream a reality.
It's good to have dreams and it's important to keep dreaming - especially as we age. When we are young we seem to be full of so many dreams and hopes for the future. Then life happens and sometimes we get so busy with our lives that we forget or neglect to dream. As we realize some of our dreams through the process of life we have to be sure to take the time to think of more - to daydream a little. Daydreaming takes some time and some space; and when life is busy being lived, that can be hard to do. It requires pausing and taking time to think; to look inside of ourselves and remember who we are and what we want to become. It's like in the conversation between the Cheshire Cat and Alice in Wonderland. When Alice asks the Cat which way she should go and he replies, "It depends on where you want to get to." (see: http://youtu.be/lUnqbBgYZmI)
One tool that I use to dream is my journal. When I take the time to slow down and think about what I want for my life and my future, I like to write it down so I can reference it in the future. Another option for dreaming is what's called a dream board. This can be a fun and creative exercise.
Gather a few old magazines that you feel comfortable cutting up, some scissors, and some glue. Get a piece of poster paper or a a large notebook or artists pad. Now, go through the magazines and start cutting. Cut out pictures, words, phrases, images of things that you are drawn to, things that you love. After you have cut out and gathered, then arrange them on the poster board or the artist pad. (I like to group similar things together, but there really isn't a right or wrong way to arrange them.) Then, start gluing. After you are finished take a look at the board. What do you see? What's your style? What do these images and words say about you? What do they tell you about your likes and dislikes? What do they say about your future and what you would like to invite into your life someday? What are your dreams?
Are there things that you can be doing now to start to make some of these dreams come true? Things like starting a savings fund for college, or gathering travel brochures or pictures of places that you'd like to see. Could you start looking for or shopping for certain items that are displayed (when you know what you are looking for, you can save time and money when the opportunity is put in your path to purchase)? What is the first or next step to seeing that dream through to fulfillment? Do you need the support or help of someone else to make it come true? If so, who and how do you ask for it? Where will you begin?
The next steps are to make a plan as to how you will begin to make the dream come true, and then taking the first steps to make it happen. Set small, manageable goals and work to accomplish them. As you accomplish one step, or the first goal, set another. Allow yourself a moment or two to "pat yourself on the back" for accomplishing that one step/goal. You might even reward yourself with something special, whatever makes you feel good. Taking time to recognize our accomplishments is a step that is too often overlooked. When we neglect acknowledging our accomplishments we can get discouraged and give up. Write your next step or goal down in a journal or on the back of your dream board, and check them off as you accomplish them. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" (Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher, 604 BC - 531 BC).
Chinese philosopher, 604 BC - 531 BC).
Remember: "A goal without a plan is just a wish. " - Antoine de Saint-Exupery (a French writer - 1900-1944), and so is a dream. So go ahead - dream on.
Everybody Has a Dream (Billy Joel )
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