Learn more about Allen James' mission of personal success, browse/preview/purchase any of his publications at:
www.jamesharryman2002.wix.com/allenjamesbooks or
www.lulu.com/spotlight/allenjames1961
Our November 28th reading from The Journey: A Calendar Book reads,
"Follow your dreams" (James, 2012).
For personal success to become reality, we MUST follow our dreams. Of course I not talking about attempting to make our nocturnal wanderings within our psyche become reality, but those aspirations we've developed over the years which we work toward possessing the propensity to become at some point.
To do this we must begin early in our lives at attaining the skills, drive, ability, and mind set to work those toward become "real" in lieu of desire.
All too often we have been conditioned to believe, thus DO believe, dreams are those aspirations which are just out of reach; those aspirations which will always remain just this, DREAMS. However; dreams CAN become real. How can be be best prepared to achieve our dreams?
First, we must BELIEVE it is even possible.
So often we think of dreams as things most people don’t get to do—luxuries reserved for people who are privileged, wealthy, or well connected.
It’s true some people have more advantages than others. What takes one person five years of planning and saving may require another to do little more than sell a stock and make a call.
It’s also true the second person may have worked incredibly long for said stock. The point is: We’re all starting from different places, for different reasons, with different levels of work required to get from A to B.
If our dream is something we're physically incapable of doing, it may be improbable (but not impossible—we’ve come a long way with technology!) And there’s no denying certain dreams are more difficult to achieve than others. But most of the things we dream about are things we could do if we were willing to work toward it, align our choices to support it, and stay flexible in terms of fulfilling it.
We don’t need to believe it will be easy, or it will happen quickly, or it will look exactly like initially visualized. We just need to believe in the possibility, which really means us need to believe in ourselves.
Second, we must take baby steps to work toward it.
Working toward it entails aligning with the appropriate individuals, disregarding discouragement from people who don’t support our growth, and taking tiny steps each day to move toward our vision.“The appropriate individuals” are those who help us, support us, encourage us, believe in us, and guide us on our way to this dream. It may include people who have attained a similar dream as we, people who also want to do it, and even people who just plain find it cool. We must share our enthusiasm and progress with them. They will help keep us excited and help us stick remain dedicated to our plan.
As for those people who don’t support our growth, there will be many of them, and they most likely won’t be malicious. They’ll be well-meaning people who aren’t able to do step one for themselves, and, therefore, think they’re doing us a favor by discouraging us. Politely decline the favor.
Their words may seem to keep us down, but it is how WE internalize them which holds us back.
And as for taking consistent steps, they really can be tiny. It may not seem like much to make a call, bookmark a site, or send an email, but the little things add up over time—and because they’re easily doable, each one may inspire us to do more.
Third, make choices which support it.
Much of our experience stems from our choices. Not all of it; there are some things we can’t control.This isn’t a suggestion if we make all the appropriate choices, everything will line up and magically work out. It is just the fact we have more power than we often realize—and our power lies in our choices. Whatever the dream, the first choice is to prioritize it. As we’re able, we have to consciously dedicate time to it, money to it, attention to it, love to it. Give what everything we can, as we can, and back the giving with belief, passion, and enthusiasm.
The other side of this coin is realizing which choices don’t support our dream—when we’re doing too much or pursuing other dreams which conflict.
Finally, we must remain flexible about how we’ll fulfill our dream.
It’s tempting to be rigid about a dream—when it needs to happen, how it needs to happen, and who it needs to include. But sometimes when we’re too busy clinging to a specific vision, we miss an opportunity to experience it in different shades. This isn’t meant to discourage us from reaching for the stars. It is just a reminder; there are many more than we may realize, some far closer than others.Being a singer may include a jazz club, not a fan-packed stadium. Writing a book may entail self-publishing, not a six-figure advance. And traveling may include teaching abroad or a string of budget bed-and-breakfasts—I know, because this time around, I’ve self-published!
They may not be the ultimate dream, but they are, in fact, reflections of it, and in the moment when we’re doing something inspired, passionate, and in line with our deepest intentions, we'll feel two things we may not have realized weren’t exclusive to one specific vision:
We’ll feel alive and we'll feel proud.
And now, two final thoughts on making dreams come true: know no dream is better than any other, and stay open to the possibility our dream may change.
Regarding the first part, our dream may not seem big or romantic. It doesn’t need to be. It is an extension of our unique values and priorities, it must matter to us. As for the second part, sometimes we attach to dreams simply because we’ve held them for so long. It’s the sunk-cost principle: After we’ve invested a large amount of time, energy, or money, it is more difficult to consider walking away.
But if our priorities have changed, you may no longer want it. Accepting this isn’t a sign of weakness or defeat. It’s growth, and the wisdom to enable it. Of course, there’s also the possibility our dream may have changed in a smaller way.
Follow your dreams, they are attainable; we possess the power to make them happen. Keep looking up. : ) AJ
(tinybuddha.com)
