Sunday, July 19, 2009

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DREAM AND WISHFUL THINKING

The real difference between a dream and wishful thinking is what you do day to day. John Ruskin, an English author, art critic, and social commentator, said, “What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do.” To reach your dream, you must…

1. Do something.
The process starts by doing something — doing something if you are naturally sedentary person or someone who is discouraged. Declaration of Independence signer John Hancock asserted, “All worthwhile people have good thoughts, good ideas and good intentions, but precious few of them ever translate those into action.”

2. Do something today that relates to your dream.
Runner, author, and cardiologist George Sheehan observed, “There are those of us who are always about to live. We are waiting until things change, until there is more time, until we are less tired, until we get a promotion, until we settle down — until, until, until. It always seems as if there is some major event that must occur in our lives before we begin living.” If you want to achieve your dreams, you cannot allow yourself to be one of those people.

3. Do something every day that relates to your dream.
Personal growth proponent Earl Nightingale remarked, “We read about people who sail around the world in a thirty-foot sailboat or overcome handicaps to win a gold medal at the Olympics, and we later find they’re stories about persistence.” I would take that one step further and suggest that they are stories of focused persistence. The secret to your success is found in your daily agenda.

-John Maxwell
From “Put Your Dream To The Test”