So I talked to my older sister recently. She was talking about wanting to change careers, possibly start her own business. Currently she is a registered nurse and makes very good money. However, it was never her dream to become a nurse. In fact it was our parent’s dream. My parents instilled in her the notion of pragmatism when it came to careers. “Be a nurse or be a doctor or something in the medical field because it is a sure route to making good money.” I think they said something along those lines. I for one ditched their belief and went on my own path… a creative path that has yet to see monetary rewards. Yet, I think I’m happier than her. She told me during our conversation that she didn’t really know her passion. I asked her did she still have some burning childhood desire/dream within her. She replied, “no.” Okay… “What gets you going right now and makes you excited,” I asked. No response. Wow was it really possible for someone to not have a dream?! I guess I’ve been in this entertainment town called Los Angeles far too long (b/c here everyone and I mean EVERYONE’s got a dream). After much probing, my sister did mention her fiance wanted to open up a Greek restaurant (the guy is Greek so it’s quite fitting). But then I thought isn’t that his dream? Anyway, she finally revealed that her dream is to be ridiculously rich and have a good life. Okay fair enough. And I told her: Your Dreams Are Worthy! So are everyone else’s dreams really. So going back to this idea of attaining the good life and her fiance wanting to open up a restaurant. I asked her do you know anything about running a restaurant??? Or a business? She’s a nurse so I know she can take good care of her clients 
. But seriously, if she wants to achieve her dreams she’s got to have a game plan. So that’s when I told her it’s time to take action. And I’m not saying to achieve that goal within a week. I’m talking baby steps. I told her to pick up or buy a book on running a business and/or running a restaurant. I felt she needed to start expanding her mind first because all she knows is nursing and also listening to mom and dad. See, to be a successful entrepreneur (or successful anything) you gotta have the guts, drive and resolve to go against the status quo to realize your dreams. You can dream but sooner or later you gotta take that action towards it. And again it doesn’t have to be all done by next week. One step at a time. Anyway, my sister thanked me profusely on giving her the idea to read a book on starting a business. Funny though, I would think that would be the first logical step someone would take in her position — research. And if after researching through books, magazines, or the internet you are still convinced that’s the path you should take then the I would recommend interviewing people who have made it successfully in that particular field. I have talked to many successful people in my field and it’s only inspired me and pushed me to become better at my craft and finish projects. So yeah talking to people in the field really helps motivate oneself. To find these people, you can attend seminars, panels, networking events, go though your career center at school, asking your own network for referrals, etc. The possibilities are endless. Really, if you’re serious and you put it out there and take action when the inspiration occurs, the universe will bring the right people and opportunities at you. No sweat. It’s up to you to grab them. Just remember: Your Dreams Are Worthy!!!
Archive for the 'Dreams' Category
I love sleep. I really do. More importantly, I love the dreams that we have when we sleep. I believe that dreams are more than just fancy imagery produced by the subconscious. In fact, they are images and stories loaded with significant meaning. I want to share with you a recent dream of mine. So I was climbing these rocks–a tall rocky hill. There were a bunch of people also climbing the hill. We started at the bottom and darted up the hill as if we were in a race. But we were all having fun, behaving like little children, jumping from rock to rock, and frolicking. I can hear the others laugh and chatter about around me. I kept climbing even though the climb started to become more difficult. I grabbed onto a rock to pull myself up even higher. As I kept ascending, the others’ voices diminished into the wind. However, I kept climbing and finally reached a plateau near the top. That’s when I turned around to look at the others. But to my surprise, there were no others. I was by myself on this high-most place. And boy, was the view spectacular! But then I turned my head to the left and right across my way at the same level as I, sat Barack Obama. Yes, our current President Obama. He was in a nice suit perched on a ledge, his knee propped with his arm leaning against it. Obama was looking at the vast space in front of him as if he were in a trance. It really looked like he was coming up with his next plan. What a true visionary I thought! Then moments later, my older sister appeared at the bottom of the rocky hill. She asked if I needed help. I told her I was definitely okay.
Now how can that not be full of meaning, symbolism, and any other literary device you can think of? I’m glad to have dreamt this because it reassures what I’m doing with my life and that no matter what I keep going to the top, despite the obstacles. And of course I was pleasantly surprised to see who else made it up there. 
