Dreams vs. Money: Do you have to trade in your dollars to get your destiny? April 16, 2007
Posted by Stacey Jordan in Destiny, Dreams.3 comments
In a counseling session, a young man mentioned that he was afraid to pursue his dreams because it meant that he would have to give up making any real money if he tried to do what he has the passion to do. He believed that he didn’t have time to follow his destiny because “dreams don’t pay the bills”. How much truth is there to this idea? Do we really have to trade our dollars for our destiny?This is a legitimate reason why many people are afraid to go after their dreams, but is it a good enough reason?
To Be Continued…
In the meantime, tell us what you think. What thoughts do you have based on your own experience?
What Happened to the American Dream? April 12, 2007
Posted by Stacey Jordan in Dreams.add a comment
People of all ethnicities have come to America in pursuit of the American dream–the chance to live a life of freedom and liberty in the land of opportunity. They brought with them a spirit of strength and perseverance, as well as one of enterprise and innovation. This country was built by dreamers. They were people who looked within themselves and brought out their own unique expression of what it means to be an American. While the roots of our great country remain a shining example of the power and the possibility of a dream, I wonder how much of that spirit we still have today. During this time of high-speed information and multimedia, it seems that we are never without someone trying to force feed us their definition of the American dream. Because of this, where there was once a heart of vision and a soul of discovery, it seems that many are content to be molded by mass media. Day after day we are told how to look, what to wear, when to eat, how to make money, and where to spend it. We’re bombarded with so many different images, that it’s hard to tell whether our decisions are made based on free will or mental programming. A country that was once a safe haven for the oppressed now faces an oppressive threat of its own–censorship of the mind. Millions of Americans are tormented because of a self-image that fails to measure up to the specifications of Hollywood Boulevard (film) and Madison Avenue (advertising). Instead of dreaming our own dreams and finding our own path, as a culture we have sacrificed our American spirit at an altar of vanity. Have we completely lost sight of the true essence of the American dream?The true spirit of America lives in people who know what it means to use their individuality to touch the lives of others. More of us will experience the American dream when we learn that it’s born from our own dreams.
The kids are doing it, what’s stopping YOU? April 11, 2007
Posted by Stacey Jordan in Dreams.3 comments
This morning I read an article about the top twenty-five entrepreneurs under age twenty-five. As I read through each of their stories I noticed a common thread. All of these young people took a risk on an idea that they were passionate about. Ranging from ages 19 to 25, they all found their dreams and jumped into them with all they had. They weren’t willing to let anything stand in their way. One young man, age 23, left a nice secure job and set out with nothing but a small inheritance ($10,000) left to him by his grandfather. After a relatively short period of time, his company is now worth millions. When asked how he managed such a task with so little money, he said that his motivation carried him much further than his money could.
Immediately after reading this story I heard something within me scream, “So what’s stopping you?!”. Someone might say that those people are special and the rest of us are just average. I strongly disagree. Why is it that every time we hear about people who achieve big things we think they have some kind of magic lamp–some unfair advantage that makes them capable of doing more than we are? Aren’t we all created equally, fearfully and wonderfully made?
The truth is that we all have powerful dreams within us, and we all have obstacles to reaching those dreams. The difference is that some of us dare to test the waters while others stay “safe” in the boat.
Opportunity has no respect for age or person. It will show itself to whoever seeks it. So my question is: What’s stopping you?
