Wednesday 12 March 2014

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS (Part 2)



"You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it come true." - Richard Bach

Hello my dear readers, how do you do? Today, I bring to you the part 2 of the FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS post. In case you have not read the Part 1, you can read it Here . Now, without taking your time, let's go straight to the remaining five steps to help you follow your dreams.

6. Make changes in your life
    Another important step which you might need to take in order to follow your dream is to make changes in your life. This might come in different forms; it all depends on how it affect you. For instance, your present location might be a barrier to your dreams coming true. The things you need to achieve your goal might be far from you; and in such a situation, a change of location would definitely not be a bad idea.

    Similarly, a change of career might be all that you need to see your dreams come true. Probably you are the type who loves to sing and you've always had the dream of been a renowned singer, but you found yourself working as a pharmacist, and you are not experiencing the fulfilment which should come with your job, then you really need to consider a change of career.

    Now, I know that making such changes is not always very easy, and if anyone tells you that changing location, career, or any other thing you might want to change would be an easy thing, then such a person is not being sincere with you. However, you must understand that it is a sacrifice you need to make in order to make your dreams a reality. It is a thing you must do to become successful and possibly leave your name on the sands of time. You must be ready to take on the challenges that come with such changes no matter how difficult they might be. You must always remember that where there is a will, there will always be a way.

7. Diligently pursue your dreams
    Perhaps, the one important advice that any good adviser, irrespective of his or her beliefs, would give to anyone seeking for advice on how to be successful in any venture whatsoever, is diligence. This is because it is a central factor without which no success can be achieved. Therefore, I too want you to know that without diligence, your dream would only remain a dream - it will never become a reality.

    Note this: if you are a student, diligence is what will make you excel in your academics. In a similar vein, if you are working as a professional in your field, diligence is what will take you to the top in your career. A trader who is not diligent would only incur losses and run into debts. Also, an actor or a singer cannot afford to be lazy with his or her rehearsals, just the same way a writer must not be lazy when it comes to his writing. So whatsoever dream you have must be diligently pursued in order for it to come true.

    If there is the need for you to travel to some places in order for you to get what you want, do not let the distance discourage you, go for it - it is all a part of pursuing your dreams diligently, and in the end when your dream becomes a reality, you would see that it was worth the stress.

8. Take steps one after the other
    Now, I'm sure you have seen someone climbing up a ladder before, or possibly, you've done that yourself on some occasions, haven't you? You know that climbing it involves taking steps one after the other, and you will agree with me that an attempt to rush your climb on a ladder could lead to a nasty fall, right?

    The same thing applies to anyone who is following up his or her dreams, especially, if you are the type who is very passionate about it. The desire to get things done very fast would engulf you at some points in time, and you would just want a situation in which you've achieved your goal in no time.

    However, you must know that on the ladder of success, one shouldn't be in a rush. You must learn to take your steps one after the other. An attempt to rush things would eventually amount to you achieving nothing.

    Let's look at a formal education setting: a child is expected to first have his primary education, he then proceeds to the secondary school, and thereafter proceeds to the college or university. The education of the child comes in stages, one after the other, before he eventually becomes a graduate. You too must take your steps one after the other, to achieve the best of results. An author for instance has a series of steps to take before his or her book could be a success. Those steps include: writing the book, editing and re-editing it, giving it to a professional who would proof read it, and thereafter the author would then give it to the publisher (which might not be easy to get) or he might decide to take the self-publishing or e-book option. Then comes the need to get a professionally designed cover for the book, and in the end when the book is ready, he still has to go through the task of promoting the book.

We see from the above illustration that it is a step by step thing and rushing it could really make the book a flop. The same thing applies to anything that you decide to do. Without taking your time to do the appropriate things one after the other, you cannot see your dreams becoming a reality.

9. Have a high self-esteem
    The ninth fact I want to talk about is self-esteem, and in order to see your dreams come true, you certainly need to have a high self-esteem. This is particularly important because it is what will give you the inner strength to take on the challenges which might come your way. A low self-esteem, if entertained, would lead to you not believing in yourself and your abilities, thereby making you to give up easily and not following up your dreams.

    One of the challenges you will face in the early stages of following up your dreams is the fact that not everyone would believe in you. Some might even tell you that you don't have what it takes to make a dream like yours a reality, and that it is better for you to consider some other alternatives. Such words are capable of demoralizing a young dreamer and bringing his or her self-esteem low. However, you must never allow such statements to deter you. You must remain focused on your goal!

    Just as I mentioned in the DREAM BIG post, such demoralizing words should motivate you into action so that you can prove those who said it wrong. Say to yourself: "I have what it takes to achieve success" and accept no one's definition of your abilities especially if it is a disheartening definition - that way, you get to develop a high self-esteem. Note however that it is not limited to this, depending on how low your self-esteem might be; some might need the help of other people, especially experts who might need to take them through some therapies in order to build up their self-esteem (I shall talk more about this in future posts). If you are the type who needs such people, do not fail to meet them.

    Therefore, build up your self-esteem. Have it in mind that you have all it takes to achieve your goal. Go all the way till you get what you want.

10. Make up your mind not to give up on your dreams
    Having discussed nine facts already, this tenth fact is a thing you can hold on to when you begin to face challenges and you are about to give up on your dreams, and it is simply embedded in the word "Determination".

    If I tell you that there won't be challenges that will confront you in your bid to see your dreams fulfilled, then, I'm not being sincere with you. There will certainly be serious challenges. You are likely going to get to a stage where you would get so frustrated your pursuit. Some that you reach out to for help might not be giving a positive response, but you just have to hold on. You just need to have a rugged determination that will keep you from giving up. Even if it seems that you are not making any progress at all, just hold on and never quit. Remember that quitters are never winners.

    Your determination to succeed should be very strong that even people around should know that you cannot take a "NO" for an answer. When you have such a grim determination, your focus would be on achieving your goal. You must always have it at the back of your mind that you can surmount the challenges on your way to success no matter how difficult they seem, and believe me, with your determination and persistence, you will surmount your challenges and you will be able to follow up your dreams untill they come true.

    So make up your mind never to give up on your dreams; sooner or later, they will become a reality.


So far so good, we have discussed ten proven facts to help you follow your dreams, but here is another fact - the understanding of which could make your journey to success much favourable, and help you remain successful all your life:

Do not neglect God in your pursuit
A secret recipe for success which a lot of successful people have taken full advantage of is the GOD-FACTOR. The importance of having a Divine force backing you up in your quest to achieving success cannot be over-emphasized.

By virtue of being human, there is a limit to our abilities. By the time we get to this limit, there is nothing we can do again, and that could be the beginning of frustration and depression. However, having an unlimited God by your side would stand you out in such situations and open doors of new opportunities for you. Also, the God-factor is very important if you want to remain relevant for a very long time because with this factor, you are sure to be led by an all-knowing, immortal God who knows the end from the beginning, and who knows the paths to an enduring success.

The Holy book says: "commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." Believe me, that is what you need in your quest to see your dreams becoming a reality.


The above fact brings us to the end of the discussion on following your dreams. So what are you waiting for? Start dreaming big and following it up with necessary actions without ever giving up!

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." - Lanston Hughes


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