Believing in Your Dreams - and New Year Resolutions

Dreams do come true, believing in your dreams is the first step towards achieving them. On this new year's day I find myself reflecting on the past several years and how they have been instrumental in the achievement of my life goals and dreams. The New Year is often a time of reflection, of resolve and resolutions, but most of those resolutions are never realized because we do not believe in our own dreams, and more so in our ability to make them a reality. These resolutions are mostly "wishful thinking carried too far", rather than an earnest resolve to creating lasting change. Change is realized only when the value of the new behavior is greater than the pain of the status quo. Man is a creature of habit, and a change of habit can only be affected through intrinsic motivation and resolve to overcome the barriers imposed by our habits.

Believing in your own ability to make a positive change, and taking action in the direction of its achievement lays the foundation for realizing your dreams, however far fetched they may initially seem. Often we shelve our dreams because we cannot visualize the whole picture of what life would look like if they were to be realized. It is important to think through the possibilities, but not to obssess so much on the minor details that the whole message gets lost in the weeds.

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can... begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it" - Goethe

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase" - Matin Luther King, Jr.

Taking the first step in achieving our dreams and goals sets up a positive momentum that carries us through the invariable ups and downs, the periods of doubt and skepticism from within and especially from others around us. Following through with courage and faith is what sets the achievers apart from the starry eyed (but inactive) dreamers.

"Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there"- Will Rogers