What’s Your Dream
What’s your dream?
My most recent dream was trying to bolt a cake to a piece of wood. I don’t remember why I was doing this, only that I couldn’t find the correct hardware, and this really upset me. However, I’m not referring to this kind of dream. I mean that thing you want to do, or where you want to be. Some examples I’ve found, and mentioned previously are:
Start a business.
Write a book.
Start a YouTube Channel, a podcast, a TikTok Account.
Live near a beach or water.
Quit the job or retire.
I know a young man whose dream is to be a musician, particularly a rap artist and song writer. Currently he works nights into the early morning at a bakery. Last time I spoke with him, he was working toward releasing his first song and mixing the second. Whenever I talk with him, I usually ask him a specific question: “What are you doing today to work toward your dream?”
I posit the same question to you.
Perhaps, you are unsure of where to start, only because the mountain to climb seems big. If that’s the case, visualize an elephant. How would you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Let’s take a moment to break down a few bites.
First, identify your dream, your goal, your destination. This seems obvious, but if you don’t know where you’re going or what you want, it’s kind of hard to get there. What brings you to life?
Next, what is your first step? At some point, you have to take the first step, and many people consider that to be the toughest one. I don’t think so, and we’ll discuss that in the future. Your first step may be sitting down and writing a chapter. It may be jotting some lyrics or music notes. It may be taking a walk down the street and back as you start a fitness journey. Once you identify the dream and first step, write them down. There is something special that takes place when you write things down as if it becomes more real.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Seek out people who know more about your dream than you do. For example, this may be online courses, teachers, or business owners. Learn what they know. They can help you refine your goals, saving you time, money, and effort.
Also, you need cheerleaders. Find people in your life who believe in you, who believe in your dream/ goal/ destination. You’ll have good days, and you’ll have bad days. The people who believe in you and your dream will help move you when you are discouraged and frustrated. Notice I didn’t say if.
Last: Don’t hesitate to work. Work is always part of the journey. Work will always be part of the journey. Embrace it. Run into it.
There are things I didn’t mention in this. For example, what obstacles might be in your way. Those don’t matter. There will always be obstacles, challenges, problems. They don’t matter. They’ll be there, and some will always be there, regardless of how often you go through/ past it. It doesn’t matter how fast you go past the obstacle, only that you keep moving and making progress.
One thing I don’t like about where I live is when I go for a run, there isn’t a way for me to get back home without going up the hill. Some directions are a little less of an incline, but the hill is always there. It is a continual obstacle. Some days, I embrace it and press myself hard to get to the top of it. Other days, I wonder what I was thinking even going for a run or a bike ride. Most days, I recite the mantra that Rocky Balboa gave to Adonis Johnson. One step at a time. One punch at a time. One round at a time. Either way, I keep going.
Yes, there are exceptions to this process. Some people won’t have to work as hard as others. Some people will have a shorter path or a smoother path. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s the way life is. I read a story about a man who quit his job, cashed in his 401k, and sold his possessions to pursue his dream. For the past year, he has been preparing for an actual journey. According to the story I read today, he is currently aboard his vessel, approximately 600 miles off the coast of Oregon, navigating toward Hawaii. That’s his dream.
What’s yours, and what are you doing today to work toward your dream?
We’ll talk again. Don’t die.