5 Common Reasons Why People Have Trouble Identifying Their Dream

 

“A dream is the seed of possibility planted in the soul of a human being, which calls him to pursue a unique path to the realization of his purpose.”

Here are the reasons:

1. Some people have been discouraged from dreaming by others. Many people have had their dreams knocked right out of them! The world is filled with dream crushers and idea killers.
   
   
2. Some people are hindered by past disappointments and hurts. Disappointment is the gap that exists between expectation and reality. All of us have encountered that gap. When something goes wrong, we say, “I’ll never do that again!” What a mistake, especially when it comes to our dreams! Failure is the price we must pay to achieve success.
   
   
3. Some people get in the habit of settling for average. Columnist Maureen Dowd says, “The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.” Dreams require a person to stretch, to go beyond average. You can’t reach for a dream and remain safely mediocre at the same time. The two are incompatible.
   
   
4. Some people lack the confidence needed to pursue their dreams. Humor columnist Erma Bombeck observed, “It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.” It takes confidence to talk about a dream and even more to pursue it. And sometimes confidence separates the people who dream and pursue those dreams from those who don’t.
   
   
5. Some people lack the imagination to dream. How do people discover their dreams? By dreaming! That may sound overly simplistic, but that’s where it starts. Imagination is the soil that brings a dream to life.
   

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Failure Is the Seed of Growth and Success

It’s no secret that our worst fear is often failure. But what if failure was actually a good thing?

“Failure is success in progress,” Albert Einstein once said.

The great scientist was on to something. Encountering our fears and failures prompts the most necessary changes in our lives and our businesses.

Here’s why every person, and every business, needs to fail at some point -- for failure is the very seed of growth and success.

1. Failure creates extraordinary change.

Failure can act as a seed for two things: a road to despair or a springboard to growth. What grows out of the initial failure is entirely up to the person who “failed.”
It’s easy to become downtrodden and lose motivation when things don’t go as planned. Instead, use the failure as a mechanism to reset your perspective, make a mental change or embark on a new, much-needed direction.
Failure is necessary to shake things up. Otherwise, we would coast along comfortably but we wouldn’t make any quantum leaps.

2. Failure builds tough skin.

Failure has an effect similar to a calloused heal. It’s the protective layer we acquire from going around the block a few times and hitting a few bumps. Left soft and unprotected, we easily become injured. Failure builds a thick skin that can help anyone enter the big leagues without fear.

3. Failure keeps the ego in check.

Remaining down to earth and honest is a challenge in today’s business world. When deal after deal is going through seamlessly and business is on a steep incline, it’s easy to get a big head.
With that, those experiencing constant success may even resort to dishonesty if it means not losing what they have. They become slaves to success and before realizing it, they’ll do anything to stay on top, things they would never have imagined. Partnerships and friendships are ruined. Family conflicts abound. It’s all downhill from there, maybe except for the bank account.
Failure humbles us when we so desperately need to be humbled. It helps us remember where we came from and keeps us in check.

4. Failure creates “aha” moments.

Failure creates the moment when something is finally seen, found or understood in a way like never before -- the “aha” moment. Why?
It’s just like solving a complicated math problem. It’s tough to understand at first, but walk away for a moment and, suddenly, something clicks. The answer just comes out of nowhere.
But it’s not really coming from “nowhere.” It comes from a buildup within our minds as the constricting thoughts of failure and fear expand. The expansion results in an explosive energy that breaks us out of constriction and into a highly energetic, creative state when things become clear and new insight is gained.

5. Failure propels growth as an entrepreneur.

Failure prepares us for what lies ahead. Entrepreneurs come across things they didn’t know they needed to know almost every day. Failures catalyze much of this knowledge because they are unexpected. How else do we learn what we don’t know we need to know? It’s never something that can be planned.

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Do Not Give Up On Life. You Have A Reason.

The inner trappings of our mind are endless.

The creation of ourselves, of our identity, and of our personal reality is an ever-changing process.

The journey we set out upon from our first moment of life is a search for some concrete evidence that we as individuals do, in fact, exist. That we have some tangible, evident purpose.

We feel the unending desire for meaning.

Every action we take is part of the search. Whether the quest be for love, money, power, friendship, sex, faith or hatred - we are all busy searching for something. Creating ourselves in the name of something. 

And, like any artist, swiping a paintbrush in vain, we may step back from our handiwork...and dislike what we see. In fact, we may dislike it so much that life may not feel worth living. But, we must remember, there are two sides to a mirror.

What we see is not always what there is.

Life, and the world, and the heavens, change every second of every day. It is only people that forget that we, too, can evolve. And grow. And flourish in change. It is only the traps in our minds that stifle us.

Every man can dream of flying, but only the brave take the leap.

So, be brave, and reinvent. Dream, and move toward that reality. Do not give up on who you are, why you are here, and what this life has to offer you. There is always another step forward. There is always another second of life to be lived. There is always an opportunity to lend your hand to another who needs it. 

Reach out. Do not stop. Do. Not. Stop.

Live the life that only you were born to. Allow the Universe to work through you, and with you, to create a better world. It’s your destiny. It’s your meaning.

Live it. And rejoice.

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10 Ways To Turn Your Big Dream Into Reality

So you’ve got a big dream, now what? Well, it’s time to put it into action. Big dreams can be incredibly inspiring, but until you take action they are little more than dreams. Today I’m going to show you 10 ways to turn your big dream into reality.

1. Believe It

To achieve a big dream you need to believe in it yourself. It sounds simple, but so many people pursue a dream they feel is too big for them or is really just unachievable. The very first step to achieving your big dream is believing that it is possible.

2. Take Daily Actions

Dreaming is nothing without action. Take daily actions to turn your big dream into reality. No matter how small, every action you take gets you one step closer to your big dream, and every day you take action you build momentum. A small action every day might not feel significant at the time, but over time little things add up. Just imagine what you could achieve in a year if you did one small thing every single day to move toward your big dream!

3. Put a Time Frame to It

Time flies, and if you haven’t got a set time frame on something, the hours, days, weeks and months can easily escape you. Put a time frame on your big dream to keep yourself moving and accountable. The best way to do this is to set a launch date and then work backwards, setting specific dates to reach milestones along the way.

4. Dream Big and Vividly

Everything starts with dreaming big! Imagine the most amazing incarnation of your dream and dream that. Make it real by imagining what it would feel like to achieve it. What would your life be like as a result? How would you feel every day?

5. Ignore the Naysayers

Whenever you pursue a big dream there will always be naysayers who will tell you it can’t be done. They might be your friends and family, but just because you hold them dear to your heart doesn’t mean they are right. Often when people say something can’t be done it’s only because in their personal experience it hasn’t been possible. Don’t listen to them; you are a unique individual with the drive, motivation and ability to achieve your big dream.

6. Share Your Dream with Others

Don’t keep your big dream locked away, share it with others. While not everyone will get on board with it, there will be those who do, and these people can be a huge help to you in achieving your dream. The people who believe in you will boost you up when you are down, keep you motivated and inspired, and put you in touch with the right people when you need it most.

7. Drop Your Expectations

It’s tough not to have expectations when you’re working toward a big dream. After all, your vision of the future, with its implicit expectations, is what is guiding you. The thing is though, there are so many twists and turns on the way to achieving a big dream that rigid expectations can really trap you. Drop your expectations and you’ll set yourself free to pursue your big dream without the weight of disappointment when certain things along the road don’t go exactly to plan.

8. Adopt an Inevitability Mind-set

An inevitability mind-set is all about knowing that it is just a matter of time before you achieve your big dream. It’s not about if, it’s about when. When you work with an inevitability mind-set, success is imminent and your drive, motivation and work reflects it. The inevitability mind-set is powerful because it has the potential to shift your whole perspective.

9. Make Room for Your Big Dream

For your big dream to flourish, you need to make room for it in your life. You need to clear out everything that no longer serves you and make the time and space to work on your big dream. This might mean clearing other commitments from your diary or creating a home office space.

10. Keep the Momentum Going

The most important step to achieving a big dream is keeping the momentum going. Every day that you take action toward achieving your big dream you build your momentum and get one step closer. Once you’ve got momentum on your side you become an unstoppable force and success becomes imminent.

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4 Steps To Overcoming Failure And Using It To Your Advantage

Failure is inevitable in life, but how we overcome challenges and use them to our advantage is what matters.

Highly successful people are the ones who have failed the most.

Here are four steps that can help you turn any negative experience into a positive outcome:

1. Accept That Failure Is Part Of The Process

When times get tough, one of the most frustrating things we can hear from someone is to "stay positive." The concept of positive thinking has been misused, misconstrued, and abused by us all.
Despite what we hear, it has nothing to do with smiling and being happy with everything that happens to you. Anyone who says that is either lying or crazy. Positive thinking, rather, is used so that we can learn, grow, and evolve from what we experience in life.
This does not mean try to fail. It simply means that if you are faced with a setback, understand it is not your final destination. It is a stepping-stone in your journey that is getting you to where you need to be.
When we do experience difficulties in life, it is okay to get down on ourselves. It is okay to get upset and disappointed. Our goal however is to not stay down.

2. Let Out Your Frustration

Once you have have taken some time to walk it off and clear your head, you can then begin accepting what happened. The initial emotional rush will eventually dissipate and you can then slowly return your focus back to the issue at hand.

3. Be Brutally Honest

The most critical part of the process, which 90% of people don’t do, involves taking a couple of minutes to reflect on what happened and being brutally honest with ourselves on why it happened. It’s easy to turn on the TV, pull out the smartphone, or find some form of distraction. Most people will do anything to avoid confronting their own self with mistakes they’ve made.
However, if we don’t do this, we don’t learn, and if we don’t learn then we risk failing insanely. Albert Einstein famously said it was insane to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. If we don’t learn from our mistakes and failures in life, then we are doomed to keep repeating them, whether we realize it or not.

4. Fail Forward

We fail forward by learning from our setbacks and making the necessary adjustments until we succeed. Every change we make, every person we meet, and every bit of information we absorb is coming together so we can create a different outcome.
We can’t stop obstacles from appearing in life, but we can choose how to handle them. They may block our vision temporarily, but if we persevere then we can discover opportunities that have always been waiting for us on the other side. As we get more efficient with this process, we enable ourselves to see the positive side in even the toughest of situations.

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To Fulfill Your Destiny, Use Your Gifts

“Each of us, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God.” (1 Peter 4:10 TEV)

Do you know what God created you for? Do you know what your destiny is?
The first thing you must do to understand your destiny is to recognize the gifts God has given you to use. They include the things you can’t control: your parents, your nationality, your race, your first language. They also include your S.H.A.P.E.: your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. These are the things that make you uniquely you. Now, you are not responsible for the gifts God didn’t give you. In other words, if you are not artistically gifted, you are not expected to paint pictures like Rembrandt. But you are responsible for the ones he did give you.

When you get to Heaven, God isn’t going to compare you with anyone else, but he will compare you with yourself. What did you do with what you were given? What could you have done if you had trusted God a little bit more? Romans 14:12 says, “Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (NIV).

God has given you gifts for a purpose. And you have a responsibility to be a good steward of those gifts — not for selfish uses, but for the good of others. Your gifts are not for your benefit. God gave you gifts for the benefit of other people. Ask yourself, “What has God given me for good to use for good?”

Talk About It

If you haven’t already, take the time to learn your S.H.A.P.E. — your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences.

How has God uniquely gifted you?

Are there any gifts with which God has not gifted you but that you have mistakenly spent time pursuing?

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How to Be Successful in Life

 

Regardless of how old you are, where you live, or what your career goals are, more than likely your ultimate goals in life are to be happy and successful. Read this to learn how to achieve success in both your external life and internal life. 

 

 Key Points 

Achieve external success by identifying your passions and living purposefully.

Get educated and manage your finances.

Achieve internal success by enjoying the present moment.

 Don't compare your life to others'.

Put yourself in the right environment. This includes both macro- and micro-environments.

Part 1 Achieve External Success

1. Identify your passions. Before you can achieve success, you will have to define what success means to you. While it may take years to realize what you want to do with your life, identifying your current passions, interests, and values will help you set goals and give your life a sense of meaning. Ask yourself the following questions: What do you want your legacy to be? How would you like to be remembered by others? How do you want to make your community a better place? What are some favorite subjects of interest in your life? 

2. Make a list of your goals, and what you might do to achieve them. Be sure to address both short-term and long-term goals; try to think beyond financial/career goals. Consider which subjects you enjoyed studying in school, and why. This can help give you an idea of what you may be best at or more interested in. 

3. Live purposefully. In order to achieve your dreams and be the person you want to be, you will have to start paying attention to your actions. Ask yourself, "Is what I'm doing going to lead me to where I want to be in life?" If you find yourself constantly bored, daydreaming about the future or past or counting down the minutes until the day ends, it is probably because you feel disconnected from what you're doing. Consider changing careers or majors to a field that you care about, but remember such a move could have unexpected consequences. Does the job you are considering pay enough to support yourself? Is it something you might get bored with eventually? Do you really want to commit to that job? Cherish your time. Try to spend your free time doing things that you enjoy doing, rather than wasting time. For example, rather than spending your weekends watching television, spend them partaking in your hobbies or spending time with loved ones and new friends. Remember that the concept of "wasted time" is relative. Not everything you do has to be productive in the conventional sense, but activities should be engaging and enjoyable.

4. Be educated. Education gives you the knowledge, skills, and credibility to achieve your maximum potential. In terms of financial success, statistics have shown that the more education you have (i.e. the higher degree you achieve), the more money you are likely to make. Not all education has to be formal. Apprenticeships and long-term training programs are also positively correlated with higher incomes. Obtaining a Certificate in your field can help to increase your salary.

 5. Manage your finances. Learning how to manage your money will help ensure your financial stability over time, regardless of your income. Keep track of your expenses. Review your bank statements often and notice where you spend your money. If you do your banking online, be sure to keep personal records as well. This will help you prevent over-spending and ensure that your bank statements are correct. Understand your income. When calculating your income, be sure to take into account the federal, state, and social security taxes that will be deducted from your gross pay. Don't overlook miscellaneous deductions, such as health insurance premiums, savings bonds and loan payments. The resulting number is your net pay, which is what you end up taking home with you. Prioritize spending. Your first priority should be spending money on basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing. Don't spend money on luxuries like expensive clothes, cars, or vacations until you have first satisfied your basic necessities. Be honest with yourself and differentiate between your basic needs and your luxuries. Save money. Every month, you should deposit some of your money into a savings account. Consider asking your employer to directly deposit a portion of your income into your savings account.

 6. Manage your time. Putting off important tasks until the last minute can cause you unnecessary stress, and increase the likelihood of errors and negligence. Manage your time so that you have enough time to complete tasks effectively. Use a paper or electronic planner to help keep you organized throughout the day, week, and month. Set reminders on your smart phone and make use of its electronic timer for better time management. Make a list of all the things you need to do in a given day, and check off each task as you complete it. This will help you stay organized and motivated.

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