Where Vision and Dreams Intersect: (Part 1 of 2)

Friday, January 8, 2010

“Our truest life is when we are in our dreams awake.” -Henry David Thoreau  

What is your dream? How will you achieve it? How much are you willing to pay for it? These are some of the questions you should ask as we examine dreams and how to attain them. First let’s clarify what a dream that is not worth pursuing is: distractions from work/life (daydreams), wild ideas (pie-in-the-sky dreams), worries and fears (nightmares), the way the world should be (idealistic dreams),  a certain someone that will make you happy (romantic), certain possessions that will make you happy (material), or a belief that a position, title, or award will make you happy (destination).  What is a dream worth pursuing? A dream is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions, empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it. It is a picture and blueprint of a person’s purpose and potential. This is a dream worth pursuing!

Why do our dreams remain dreams? There are countless reasons why people give up on their dreams, but for the most part there are five main reasons. First, people have become discouraged by others who dream. It’s human nature to compare yourself to someone else and when we see others succeed and achieve their dreams it dampens the enthusiasm for ours. Second, our dreams are hindered by our past hurts and disappointments. We may have tried to achieve our dreams at one point, but due to failure, we stop trying. Third, people have the tendency to settle for the mediocre. When we stop dreaming, we essentially stop living.  Fourth, we lack the confidence to pursue our dreams. Dreams are very fragile, so without confidence our dreams will vaporize right in front of us. The final reason is people often times lack imagination! What’s the foundation of a dream?–imagination.  When we were younger, dreams seemed to come much easier with little effort. As adults, we face the cold, hard reality of life and as a result we stop imagining. Thus, we stop dreaming. So why then should we dream in the first place?

God has planted unique dreams inside each of us!  “God..is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of–infinitely beyond out highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” (Ephesians 3:20 TLB) God places in us dreams that He wants to accomplish and He uses us to achieve them. He uses our talents, personalities, passions, spiritual gifts, experiences, everything we have to see his will carried out. So first look deep inside your heart and ask God what dreams He wants you to pursue. Also remember to put your faith in Him. You cannot achieve a dream by yourself and you don’t have to! God will guide you every step of the way. To dream is to live with eyes wide open! It is living life to the fullest! God has incredible plans for you but you must be willing to let Him use you. As the well-known bible verse says: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Now let’s begin to discover the steps to achieve your dream…

As we look into the pursuit of a dream and attaining it there are ten basic questions we need to ask ourselves. We will look at the first five this week and the other five next week.

1) Is your dream really yours? This seems like an odd question, but it is very important that you first make sure your dream is your own. Is your dream the result of what your parents want? Or what others think you are? ;Or even what you wish you were? You first must get know yourself and what you really want out of life; not the expectations of others. How do you take ownership of your dream? First, you must believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, your dream will not come true. You must also lead your life instead of just accepting it. You must take responsibility for who you are and what you’re becoming. Not only for your benefit, but for others as well.  Next, we need to love what we do and do what we love. The most successful people are the ones who do what they love and in the process are letting their talents, passions, and abilities guide them. Another way to take ownership of your dream is to stop comparing your dream to others. Don’t let others set the standard for you. Simply be yourself! Finally, believe in your vision for your dream despite what others may say. Other people may not understand your dream or dissuade you from pursuing it–don’t let this discourage you, keep moving forward towards your dream!

2) Do you see your dream clearly? It is very critical that you can see your dream clearly and in focus. How do you do this? First, make a general idea very specific. Define what you want to achieve by making goals and make these goals measureable. This doesn’t mean you must write down every single little detail, it just means the big idea, (the dream itself) that you have, needs to be clear. Next, you need to ask questions such as: How am I feeling?, What am I seeing?, and What am I thinking? A clear dream will affirm your purpose. When your dream is in focus, your purpose comes into the picture. Lastly, a dream that is clear will determine your priorities. Once you know how you’re going to achieve a dream, you will prioritize what needs to be done and you’ll make the right choices. Without seeing a dream, you can’t possibly seize it! Once you see your dream clearly, then you can begin living it!

3) Are you depending on factors in your control to achieve your dream? Dreams, of course, are not birthed from reality. They are supposed to be beyond our daily experiences and not out of normalcy. One of the greatest lies you’ve been told is that if you believe it , you can achieve it. This is simply not true!  We do need to aim high, but we don’t have the power to achieve whatever we want out of life. If you have a dream to play in the NBA and you’re 5″6, chances are no matter how much work you put into your dream it wouldn’t happen. If you want be on American Idol and get a record deal, but you can’t sing; then no matter how much you believe in your dream and work towards it, it isn’t going to happen. If you depend on luck to attain a dream, more than likely you’ll be out of luck! Your dream must be built on your strengths. If you’re pursuing a dream then the work to achieve it should be easy and enjoyable. If not, you have to ask yourself if it’s really worth pursuing. You must also be consistent in your approach to your dream. This requires you to perform at your highest level day in and day out. Finally, you must put everything you have into your dream: your time, energy, resources, etc. By doing this you can get the highest return. Work on strengthening what you’re already good at. It’s only then you that you can draw a little closer to attaining your dream.

4) Are you passionate about your dream?  If you’re not passionate about your dream; it will eventually drain your energy and become a burden. Passion is the beginning point to achievement. It gives us energy, focus, and the power to keep moving forward. Passion is important for three main reasons. First, it helps us overcome adversity. You will face adversity when pursuing your dream–it’s a fact.  With passion, we never grow tired of working toward our dreams no matter how many times we have to pick ourselves off the ground. Also passion moves us out of our comfort zone. Anything of significance comes from pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zone. Without passion we become complacent. When we have passion, we take initiative and soar past the average. Finally, passion gives us the greatest odds for success. When you follow your passion, you put yourself in a good position. Passion is the fuel of any dream, keep the fire going!

5) What’s your strategy to achieve your dream?  You can’t just wait for a dream to happen, you must take action to achieve it!  There is work to be done in order for your dreams to become reality. In a recent survey done by ThinkTQ they found that only 7 percent of people take action toward the attainment of at least one goal. How can you plan to achieve your dream? First, state where you are, where you want to be, and all the in-between states. Write down the steps in the in-between, however small they may be. Next, examine your actions. Do something for your dream every day and work towards getting a little closer to your dream at the end of each day. However small a step it is, it will be worth it when you achieve what your aiming for. After examination, consider your options. As each new day unfolds look at your options and be willing to make adjustments if necessary. Don’t be afraid to make changes! Changes are a part of life, so don’t be afraid to make adjustments to the course you have set for your dream. Next, use all your resources. What is available to you? What are your assets? Use everything you have to make your dream a reality. The next thing you need to do is remove your nonessentials. You must be willing to make sacrifices! Big dreams require large sacrifices. This is a huge challenge and may be the single greatest obstacle in achieving a dream. Let go of the things that don’t matter so you can accomplish the things that do! Finally, embrace every challenge that comes your way. Expect challenges because they’re coming your way. The best way to confront your challenges is to prepare for them and ready yourself for failure. Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward. The reward in the end will be well worth it!

**Next week I’ll conclude this two part series on attaining your dreams by going over five more key questions that need to be asked: Have you included the people you need to achieve my dream?, What are you willing to pay for your dream?, Are you moving closer to your dream?, Does working toward your dream bring satisfaction?, and Does your dream benefit others?  I encourage you to begin going over these questions and to start working toward your dream as this new year gets underway, it’s never too late to start dreaming! God Bless**

Sources: John C. Maxwell Put Your Dream To The Test. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2009

Kerry & Chris Shook One Month to Live. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Waterbrook Press, 2008