No. 973 - MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!
No. 973
Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!
We have all heard the old saying, “You must have a dream before you can have a dream come true.” While this is certainly a true statement, it is important to understand where dreams come from and why most are never realized. To be sure, dreams are created in the mind, but the major problem in achieving them is that they are never committed to paper, and a definite plan developed to make them a reality.
It is vitally important to understand that once a dream is written down, and a plan and timetable to achieve it, it then becomes a goal. The experts tell us that only 5 percent of the American people have goals. Just think, in this realm, when you write your dreams or goals down on paper, you have automatically become a part of the top 5 percent of all the people in our great country.
One of the greatest obstacles to achieving our goals is something we call distractions. You cannot set out on a trip, stop for coffee every five miles, and take a great number of side-trips if you wish to be successful and arrive at your destination in a timely manner. In short, if we allow other people and countless unproductive thoughts to dominate our thinking, we are just not going to achieve success in life, or in most anything else. I believe you will agree that the big question then becomes, “How can I stay on track to achieve my dreams and reach my goals?” I am glad you asked, because we all need something we call “positive reinforcement” that will help us stay focused and keep us moving in the right direction.
From time to time I run across something in my files that I have had tucked away for years that, when used in the right context, can really make a difference. Such was the case this past week when I discovered an article by an unknown author titled, “Achieve Your Dreams.” This article consists of a whole series of positive thoughts (you could write a book on each one) that will reinforce our good intentions and turn them into solid gold. As I share them, pick out a few that are meaningful to you and place them on your mirror or refrigerator where you can see them often.
Please take a moment and think about each one: “Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits. Believe in yourself. Consider things from every angle. Don’t give up and don’t give in. Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come. Family and friends are hidden treasures -- seek them and enjoy their riches. Give more than you planned to. Hang on to your dreams. Ignore those who try to discourage you. Just do it. Keep trying no matter how hard it seems – it will get easier. Love yourself first and most. Make it happen. Never lie, cheat or steal: always strike a fair deal. Open your eyes and see things as they really are. Practice makes perfect. Quitters never win and winners never quit. Read, study and learn about everything important in your life. Stop procrastinating. Take control of your destiny. Understand yourself in order to understand others. Visualize it. Want it more than anything. Accelerate your efforts. You are unique in all God’s creations -- Nothing can replace you. Zero in on your target and go for it.”
Now, that is the end of the article, but I would like to go back to something I said earlier that dreams are created in our minds. When we can control our thinking we can control our lives. It is true, we must have a dream before we can have a dream come true, but that dream must become tangible, written down on paper, with a time limit, to achieve results.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)
