Keys to the Kingdom of Dreams
As the finish line nears to the completion of my book, Voices from the Mist, I'm reminded it was once a dream.
I read a story about a rich man who admired a poor man. Despite his wealth, the rich man was stressed out, unhappy, and unfulfilled, while the poor man always seemed to be happy. They lived in small town and the poor man’s auto repair business didn’t bring in much money. The rich man asked him to share his secret.
“My missus and I always have something to look forward to,” he said. “I take her to the city at the end of every month. We eat lunch at a restaurant then I take her shopping for a small gift. It can be shoes, a scarf, or a purse. The gift may be inexpensive, but it puts a million-dollar smile on my wife’s face.”
One key to happiness is to always have something to look forward to. For me, it’s exotic travel and helping animals. Once I decide what I’m going to do, like the Nike slogan, I “Just Do It.”
Have you lived your dreams? I hope so, but if there’s one that still haunts you, I’ll share my process here.
Make the Decision
Often people start with the “how” they’ll do it. It’s a fatal mistake that leads to multiple reasons why they can’t do it. No money, no time, blah-blah-blah. A better first question is, “Why not?” It feels good to make a strong decision then commit to seeing it through. Try it. You’ll like it.
Write It Down
It sounds super simple, and it is. The impact when you see your dream written down on paper, on your computer, in your cell phone, or better yet, all three, will get you closer to the realization of it.
Visualize It
Try to imagine the details of your dream. See it in your mind's eye. Feel the emotions you’ll have once you’ve achieved it. An Olympic pole vaulter picks up her pole and visualizes herself clearing the bar and the thrill she’ll feel after she does it. Powerful emotions will help bring your dream even closer to reality.
Research It
Google it. Read articles, look up flights, and learn as much as you can. Whatever your dream is, there’s always something new to learn about it. Review what you learn over and over to make it happen sooner.
Prepare for It
That's right, start getting ready. Pack your bags, make space in your garage, and make mental and physical space for your dream to appear. They say luck favors the prepared, so get ready to have what you want.
Do at Least One Thing Every Day
I find if I do at least one thing every day to get closer to my dream, it happens, sometimes quicker than I imagined. It can be a little thing or a big thing. Cut out a photo of your dream car from a magazine, visualize yourself on a beach in the south of France, or imagine owning your own business. It hardly matters what it is. Action brings results.
Ever since Dian Fossey was murdered four months after my husband, David, and I left Karisoke, I knew I would someday write a book about how our lives intertwined in her final days. It's taken 35 years to crystalize my dream, but it's happening every day, and I feel grateful.
In the end, it isn’t the things we did that we regret the most—it’s the things we didn’t do. I wish you and yours a dream-filled 2021.
Be Your Own Hero
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