Young people have so much optimism in their dreams. If we all had the optimism of a young person, we could build much bigger dreams.
I struggle to teach that there is a balance between dreams and reality without throwing water on their fire. Dreams are fine but you want to go beyond the thoughts and make them reality. We can't just fantasize about the future in our heads. We have to create it in reality. If it's only in our head, it's still only a dream.
Building your dream requires a lot of effort. There are the little things we learn that add up to real wisdom --the kind of wisdom we use to make wise decisions that keep our dreams alive. You can't just have an idea, snap your fingers, wave a wand or wiggle your nose then have it appear. Magic is for cheaters.
Every forest is built one tree at a time. It starts with a seed, water and sunshine. The successful recipe to build a forest has all three ingredients. In life you need success ingredients too. It takes hard work, determination and a long list of other things like these:
Build on your strengths.
Minimize your weaknesses.
Get educated.
Be patient.
Don't let others slow your progress. Associate with people with high standards.
Emulate those who have succeeded. Get a mentor.
Be a mentor.
Have bullheaded determination.
Don't let yesterday get in the way.
Don't be low functioning.
Lift your feet: don't shuffle.
Be healthy.
Rise above limiting thoughts.
Don't have speech that stifles progress.
Give yourself time but not too much.
It requires effort to create great things. If you have common sense, knowledge and some wisdom, your dreams can become reality. There are no shortcuts though. Time is a key ingredient. You need patience to give yourself enough time. However, don't become overly patient and let your dreams float away.
