Lunch Box with Fr. TJ
There’s a song that goes like this, “I never dreamed because I always thought that dreaming was for kids, just a childish thing…” What did you dream of when you were young? Do you believe that dreaming is just for kids, a childish thing? When we were young, we dreamt of becoming doctors, policemen, scientists, prince or princesses, and superheroes or fairies. Our imagination was our only limit. When we got older, we were faced with “realities of life” and were told that dreaming was just for kids. Would you believe me when I say that dreaming plays a big part in our success? If we fail to dream, then we also fail to reach our full potential.
I remember a friend who told me that when she was young, she wanted to become a doctor. That was all she aspired for as she was growing up. They weren’t rich, and her mom told her that they could hardly afford to enroll her in a regular college. At the back of her mind, she knew her mother was right, but it was a lifelong dream for her. She kept the dream in her heart, hoping that one day she will realize it. She took up nursing in college, in line with her dream and studied well. She graduated and got to work in a hospital. It was not easy that she tried to save up money to put herself thru medical school, but financial needs would arise within her family, and she would have to sacrifice her savings. Nonetheless, she never forgot about her dream. She tucked it neatly in the back of her mind and always looked for ways she could to fulfill it. She would read medical books and observe keenly the doctors while assisting them. One day, she had a patient who was very impressed with her dedication, her love for her work, and intelligence. After knowing her story, the patient empathized with her and decided to help her. Years after, my friend finally became a full-pledged doctor.
Believe me, you too can reach your dreams!
WHAT CAN DREAMING OR ASPIRING FOR GOALS DO FOR YOU?
The dream that I’m talking about isn’t what happens to you when you sleep. It is something you aspire for, a goal you intend to reach through hard work. Christopher Reeves once said, “So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” So just keep on pushing for your dreams and know that one day, you will make it come to pass. Even God’s Word would say, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7). Hence, know that God will reward all your efforts.
You should never give up, persevere instead and you will discover how your dreams can gradually become a reality.
Let me share with you three simple steps to have your dreams realized.
Step #1 ESTABLISH A VISION.
Why dream at all? Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law.”
Thus, even the bible lauds someone with vision, with dreams. Having a clear vision of what we want to be in the future sets the direction and the steps to follow through. Otherwise, we may just be working too hard every day without a purpose and a clear track of success to pursue. We see our future in our dreams, what we can achieve and how they can possibly happen. Zig Ziglar said, “if you can dream it, you can achieve it.” Establishing a vision or having dreams motivates you to work a little bit harder.
What are you dreaming of to achieve in life?
Step #2 TAKE STEPS TO ACHIEVE IT.
Dreaming can only get you so far. You need to set your goals and take steps to achieve them. Plan your moves carefully, take contingencies, have alternatives and focus on them. We must accept the fact that not all our strategies will work, so you should various course of action. Have an alternative to your first plan, an option you can take if the first plan doesn’t take off. Like the story I mentioned, my friend wanted to achieve her goals at the onset by going to medical school after graduating from Nursing. Unfortunately, she faced roadblocks to her dream such as financial problems, family burdens, and all those things could have stopped her. Nevertheless, she persevered and opened herself up to possibilities that allowed her to be a doctor. Even St. Paul would say, know the importance of goal setting. He said in Philippians 3:13-14 “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Keeping your eye on the prize can help you achieve your goals and not letting past failures get you down and hinder you.
What are you willing to do to achieve your dreams?
Step #3 DON’T GIVE UP.
As I mentioned, failure is normal, it happens. There are times you will not get what you want, but those are just setbacks. You just need to stand up and do it again until you get it right. Proverbs 24:16 mentioned, “for though they fall seven times, they will rise again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.” We realize the importance of our dreams, so even if we are faced with failure, we get up and try again. Robert Kiyosaki was right in saying “Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.”
When was the last time you failed? What did you do? Did you give up or try again?
Finally, if you don’t have a dream to fulfill or a goal to reach, then what will you work on and work for as you go on with your life?
Set the challenge for yourself!
Live your life at it’s best!
Aspire and reach your dreams! Always remember your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
