“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney
Walt Disney certainly was a dreamer, and his imagination and dreams
resulted in creating fairytale destinations that revolutionized the
entertainment industry and epitomized the magic of creative thinking.
Walt Disney, the dreamer, imagined things that the common person could
never have fathomed, and his example of creativity has been a major
inspiration to millions of people worldwide.
Despite the compelling example of Walt Disney, not all dreams lead us
down the right path, and in fact many dreams not only don’t come true,
they can lead the dreamer astray and even turn into nightmares, leaving
us more crippled rather than free. At times, we need to know when to
give up a dream and replace it with a new one.
What happens to dreams that lead us astray? What happens to the
dreamers that needed to give up their dreams? Some mourn the loss of
their dream as a gap in their lives puts a wedge in their lives, while
others dust themselves off as they come to the realization that even
though their dreams were not realized, they can move on with undaunted
faith in newer dreams.
What differentiates these dreamers? What determines who will be
broken by dreams and who will be mobilized by new dreams? The following
11 habits seem to be determining factors of how resilient is the
dreamer, even despite the fact that some of their dreams ended up
turning into nightmares.
1. Successful dreamers are flexible – they know when to hold them and know when to fold them!
As in the song by Kenny Rogers, healthy dreamers know when it is time
to let go of one dream and trade it for another. They realize that some
dreams just don’t come true, and even they do, those dreams might not
turn out the way they had hoped or expected. For some, dreams of a
happy marriage are replaced with a painful and bitter divorce. Likewise,
our dream job or even career might end in disenchantment or even
failure.
Sometimes you need to stop reaching because life did not support your
dream, no matter how much you wanted it! Healthy dreamers do not see
it as a defeat but rather see it as a foundation for conjuring up new
dreams that fit them better now based on their experience.
2. Successful dreamers have one foot on the ground while they leap into the air.
While they let their imagination soar, they do not lose their senses
and sensibilities. They have at least one foot planted on the ground.
They plan, they work, they execute their dreams, and do not expect
quick fixes and miracles that will magically transform their lives. They
don’t keep their heads in the proverbial clouds and think that if they
dream hard enough, all their dreams will somehow come true. Rather they
plod along in reaching for their dream, and realize that actualizing
their dreams take a lot of work and effort.
3. Successful dreamers know that happiness is in pursuing their dreams as much as in reaching it.
Healthy dreamers do not have pre-conditions to happiness. They
realize the process is just as important as the product. While going
towards their goals, they do not wait for life to turn out in reaching
their dream – they see their life “turning out” as they go. They know
that happiness comes from within and even if they achieve their wildest
dreams on the outside, they realize that attitude will make or break
their life adjustment. They don’t put their life on hold thinking that
reaching their dreams will make it all “perfect”. In other words, they
do not wait for reaching their dream to make them happy, yet focus on
being happy in the process.
4. Successful dreamers don’t put all their dreams in one basket.
Successful dreamers do not have all or nothing thinking. They also
have already made peace with the fact that life is not often fair, and
do not expect that the stars will align and all their dreams will come
true, despite their best efforts. They also realize that even if a dream
comes true, it might not be what they wanted or needed after all. So
they do not hinge too much on any one dream and constantly try to
achieve a life balance or dreams in the works.
5. Successful dreamers don’t see disappointments as aberrations in life, they see them as stepping stones towards successes.
These individuals can break their dreams into smaller pieces if the
whole dream does not turn out. They make mosaics or stepping stones out
of their broken pieces of their dreams rather than give up on their
dreams altogether. Instead of being miserable with so many broken pieces
of dreams, they enthusiastically work with what they have to replace an
old dream with a new one, that is more within their reach.
6. Successful dreamers love to learn and use their “Inner GPS”.
As their dreams evolve and take new shapes as they mature, dreamers
keep learning lessons of what did and did not work in pursuing their
dreams. They build on their experiences of what they learned as their
dreams take shape. They constantly are recalibrating themselves like a
GPS. They are sensitive to the fact that their dreams are taking them on
a detour, and they readjust accordingly. They constantly take stock of
their dreams and ideals to achieve a constant state of equilibrium.
7. Successful dreamers are propelled by courage rather than crippled by fear.
Some people cling to dreams out of fear, and others pursue dreams
with courage. Those who are too needy and clingy to their dreams are
often disappointed as the dream, even if they attained it, did not give
them the security and confidence they has hoped for. Old fears replace
new fears. On the other hand, healthy dreamers are courageous souls who
possess the seeds of resilience that they can weather missteps along the
way.
8. Successful dreamers move past the past.
Successful dreamers don’t live in the land of “what ifs” and “if onlys.” They
are not blinded by the future or blindsided by their past – they focus
on how they can actualize their dreams without putting their life on
hold. They plan for tomorrow, learn from the past, but live in TODAY!
9. Successful dreamers are forgiving and grateful.
There is no place for the healthy dreamer in the land of “woulda, coulda, shoulda.” They
do not judge their immature dreams, they do not begrudge themselves for
having been naive or even foolish. They are not hard on themselves for
not having the foresight of knowing what they now know in hindsight.
They are grateful for second chances as they work their way towards
fulfilling their dreams. They see each day as a new opportunity to forge
ahead, and are grateful for the opportunities the new day can bring
them.
10. Successful dreamers seek healthy support from others.
Those who seek support of others that support their dreams are much
more resilient than “loners” who isolate themselves. They are perceptive
enough to discern who supports their dreams and who does not, and they
set limits with those people who are toxic influences on their
development. They seek out people who do not feel threatened by their
growth, and refuse to cling to people out of fear and insecurity.
Rather, their relationships enhance their ability to dream, not stifle
it.
11. Successful dreamers never give up hope.
No matter if one dream went wrong or many of them, successful
dreamers never give up hope. They keep hope alive with the confidence
that no matter what, they will meet new challenges with confidence and
optimism. They refuse to give up hope that their dreams, and even their
life, will turn out well. For their bumps and bruises along the way,
they are soothed and healed by their hopeful mindset.
Source: http://www.thechangeblog.com/dreamers/
