Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Langston Hughes
When we were children, that was the time our imaginations soared and we would dream of who and what we wanted to become when we grew up. I am sure some would sound far-fetched to adults but they were our dreams and we could actually see ourselves living the life we always dreamed.
Over time, as we grew and our mindsets were molded and shifted, we began to think that the American Dream was go to school, get good grades, get a job with good pay and live happily ever after! For some, that American Dream has become the American Nightmare as many people find themselves jobless and yes, in some cases, homeless. They lose hope and are filled with despair, wondering how they can pay their bills.
What happened to those young people with the big dreams and visions? Life happened. Life can be so cruel and beat you down, stripping you of the ability to believe in yourself. It is learned behavior. When we were children and before we shifted to the mindset of living our lives helping someone else build their own dream, we believed! Life starts beating you up and you soon forget everything you wanted to become. Those big ideas become a thing of the past and are buried so deep, you forget!
I know, because this happened to me. I forgot my love for writing and the poetry and song lyrics I used to crank out. I forgot until one day when a friend asked me for some feedback on his poetry. I had known him for years and never knew he was a poet. He kept sending me poem after poem to critique. One day it was like a light bulb went off in my head and said , "Hey, you used to write too. Remember?" I was like, wow, I did! How could I have forgotten something that meant so much to me? Life happened. As I focused on raising a family and working hard to try to be a provider, what used to be my dream had gone to sleep until God used my favor for a friend to reconnect me with my passion.
The reason this morning's HeartSpeak is so important to me is because I was thinking about our children. Ever notice how we are so in awe of child geniuses and their incredible talent at such an early age and it "seems" so rare! Maybe it would not be as rare if we chose to nurture and support their dreams at an early age and encourage them to strive for goals that appear to be larger than life! WHAT IF we taught our children that ALL things are possible if they just believe in themselves and put in the work required to be a success! WHAT IF...
Let's do better in encouraging our young people to be all that they can be and help them HOLD ON to their dreams instead of discouraging them. Let's let them know that anything they can see themselves achieving can come to pass! The way to start that is by practicing what we preach and living by example!
How do we do that? Start taking the steps to live the life of your dreams. What was that big dream you had at a child that as you got older you felt it was far fetched and impossible to attain? Remember: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right!"- Henry Ford.
Hold on to your dream and your vision. If people do not ridicule you or make fun of your vision, it's probably not big enough! Not everyone you share with will encourage or celebrate you. It's time to break that cycle and go for it anyway! Take the limits off your mind, take the limits off of God and understand if you can see it you CAN become it!
Chart your course, find out what you need to do to become what you want to be and get on the path, lay a game plan, make it happen, make it happen, make it happen! Stop extinguishing the fire of the passion inside of you. Dig deep and figure out what you are most passionate about! Find your passion and you will be on the road to discovering your purpose in life! YOU CAN if you want it bad enough! The question you need to ask yourself is how badly do you want? You can do nothing and nothing will change. The choice is yours!
Wishing you all a blessed and wonderful day and weekend!
Until next time....
~MzVirtue~ ---> OUT!!! Peace!
www.mzvirtue.com
