dreams

I watched the last season of Glee on Netflix recently and the last episode talked about how their dreams came true. I got to thinking about all the dreams that I have had these 31 years – some have come and gone, some have continued to be, some are new. I sat here dreaming and I realized even if I am a realist I am still a dreamer. Which isn’t a bad thing. Dreamers are doers. Thinkers. They see the possibilities everywhere they turn. They take the leap of faith because they can feel the excitement of the possibility of their dreams coming true.

Here are your encouragements for today:

Don’t be afraid to dream. Don’t be afraid to continue to dream. Dreamers are just wanderers who travel from vessel to vessel in the hopes of their dreams becoming reality. Not all who wander are lost. This wanderer isn’t. Wanderers like me are the adventurers, the great dreamers who dare to stay close to the beaten path but still be off it to find their own sense of individuality. I’m not rich or even well off. However, I’m content with life because I strive to make my dreams become reality, never afraid to try it.

Don’t let people who think too small convince you that your dreams are too big. When I was sharing with people what I wanted to do with Rising Dawn Management, especially with Hummingbird House, I was afraid that they would scoff at our ideas. I thought people would belittle the fact that we wanted to give back. I thought people would discredit our hearts. I became a hugger-mugger, pretending to go about my day to day life with my dreams. Why? Because I truly believed, somewhere out there, someone would mock my dreams and laugh at how big I was reaching and that, in the beginning, would have broken my heart.

You’re never to young – or to old – to dream. Look at Lebron James whose dream came true when he was drafted into the NBA at 18. Do you think people thought he was too young? Was any US President who has to wait at least until they are 35 for their dream to come true too old for their dream? Do you think Doreetha Daniels, who at 99, graduated from college back in June thought she was too old to do so? Or what about the parents of Ryan Wang, who at age 5 was a piano prodigy, thought he was too young to be a prodigy? There will always be doubters in the world. Let them doubt. Let them hate. Your biggest dream, your smallest dream, can be accomplished at any age.

Finally, surround yourself with those who dare to dream as well. Edmund Lee said it best, “Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.” Life isn’t fun without people who are just as crazy as you. Life isn’t fun without people who think and believe like you. Life isn’t fun without people who think you are one amazing human. I said it before and I’ll say it again: Find. Your. Tribe. Whether they are your family or friends. Let them cheer you on.

There is that saying, “If you want your children to be intelligent read them fairytales.” Why? Those fairytales teach them how to dream. So if it is true for them it must be true for you. Just dream. There is nothing scary about dreaming. There is no right or wrong on the size of your dream. If your kid brother and your grandma can fulfill their dreams, so can you. And find your tribe to dream big with you. No matter the circumstances, play on and dream. #dreamteam