Reach for the stars: Make those dreams come true

By Lionel Wijesiri

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them
- Walt Disney

Walt Disney certainly was a dreamer, and his imagination and dreams resulted in creating fairytale destinations that revolutionised the entertainment industry and epitomised the magic of creative thinking.

Walt Disney, the dreamer, imagined things that the common person could never have fathomed, and his example of creativity has been a major inspiration to millions of people worldwide.

You may not be another Walt Disney, but in your own way, you have within you an idea, a possibility and a thought that has never quite gone away. You tell yourself it’s a childish fantasy. Perhaps it is. And that’s precisely why you should rescue it from the shivering shadows.

This “thought that has never quite gone away” provides you with a perspective not fully understood by those around you. You see a special connection between certain things that others don’t quite see. This is probably one of your ‘life messages’, a note you carry in your mind to the rest of us.

All of us are terrified to deliver such messages. Dreamers such as Walt Disney did not. They proved that every two-dimensional life gains depth when its message is brought into the light. Have you, too, been living a two-dimensional life? If you will share your secret belief, your special perception, you can step into an exciting, three-dimensional world. Yes, some people might think you’re a little crazy. That’s the price you have to pay.

What they said

Are you beginning to understand what I mean when I say, “A perspective not fully understood by those around you... a connection between certain things that others don’t quite see?” Earl Nightingale, the American motivational speaker and author, known as the ‘Dean of Personal Development’, before he died, left a message. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”

Nolan Bushnell, an American engineer and entrepreneur who founded the famous Atari video game, adds to this message a comment of his own. “Everyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it that makes a difference.”

This is true. It’s called living.

Are you ready?

So let me ask you: Are you ready to get started? If so, you’ve got to answer another question: Do you want to know whether you are a successful dreamer? Judy Belmont, internationally known psychotherapist and national speaker on mental and emotional well-being gives a few habits which seem to be the determining factors of how resilient you are, as a dreamer. Check yourself!

*Are you flexible? Successful dreamers know when it is time to let go of one dream and trade it for another. They realise that some dreams just don’t come true, and even if they do, those dreams might not turn out the way they had hoped or expected. Successful dreamers do not see it as defeat, but rather as a foundation for conjuring up new dreams that fit them better now based on the experience.

*Can you keep your senses intact? While you can let your imagination soar, you should not lose your senses and sensibilities. You can plan, work, and execute your dreams, but do not expect quick fixes that will magically transform your life. You need to plod along in reaching for your dream, realising that your dreams take a lot of work and effort.

*Do you understand real happiness? Successful dreamers do not have pre-conditions to happiness. They realise the process is just as important as the final product. Happiness comes from within and even if you achieve your wildest dreams on the outside, you must realise that attitude will make or break your life adjustment.

*Do you put all your dreams in one basket? Successful dreamers do not have ‘all or nothing’ thinking. They have already made peace with the fact that life is not often fair, and do not expect that the stars will align properly and all their dreams will come true, despite their best efforts. They also realise that even if a dream comes true, it might not be what they really wanted or needed.

*Do you know that disappointments in life are stepping stones towards success? Successful dreamers make mosaics or stepping stones out of the broken pieces of their dreams rather than give up altogether. Instead of being miserable with so many broken pieces of dreams, they enthusiastically work with what they have, to replace an old dream with a new one that is more within their reach.

*Can you love to learn and use your ‘Inner GPS’? As their dreams evolve and take new shapes, successful dreamers keep learning lessons of what did and did not work in pursuing their dreams. They build on the experiences of what they learned as their dreams take shape. They constantly are recalibrating themselves like a GPS. They are sensitive to the fact that their dreams are taking them on a detour, and they readjust accordingly.

*Can you propel by courage rather than be crippled by fear? Some cling to dreams out of fear, and others pursue dreams with courage. Those who are too needy and clingy to their dreams are often disappointed as the dream, even if they attained it, did not give them the security and confidence they had hoped for. Old fears are replaced by new ones. On the other hand, Successful dreamers are courageous souls who possess the seeds of resilience that they can weather the missteps along the way.

*Can you move past the past? Successful dreamers don’t live in the land of ‘what ifs’ and ‘if only’. They are not blinded by the future or blindsided by their past - they focus on how they can achieve their dreams without putting their lives on hold. They plan for tomorrow, learn from the past, but live in today!

*Can you seek support from others? Those who seek help from others that support your dreams are much more resilient than ‘loners’ who isolate themselves. They seek people who do not feel threatened by their growth, and refuse to cling to people out of fear and insecurity. Rather, their relationships enhance their ability to dream, not stifle it.

Postscript

Dreaming is great. However, nothing really happens until you wake up. Are you ready to wake up and do something? Are you willing to put in the work which will eventually take you to be a winner? If so, what are you waiting for? If you crave change, if you yearn for excitement, and if you’ve got this big dream growing within you like a secret tropical garden, just make it happen!