Land of Dreamers

Dreams do come true and over the last year Vincentians have much of which to be proud, from Kevin Lyttle’s break out on the international music scene, Ole George’s walk that united the nation and brought international recognition, to Vincentian basketball sensation Sophia Young. {{more}}

Vincentians everywhere watched with tremendous pride as Sophia from Layou led the American College team, the Baylor Lady Bears to a tremendous victory in the NCAA College Women’s basketball tournament.

While we all enjoyed the victory and witnessed Sophia’s extraordinary performance, not many people saw the long hours she spent on the basketball court honing her skills and perfecting a talent that is sure to land her a basketball contract with the WNBA.

The interesting thing about dreams is most people only see the glamorous finish like Sophia’s and few can fathom the commitment, the sacrifices and the sheer determination it takes to push through and accomplish a goal.

Let Sophia’s story serve as a template for success for every worker and every young person. Dreams begin first as thoughts and ideas. To become a reality, they must be written down on paper and then actions need to be taken. A dream is rarely accomplished over night. It requires a concerted effort on one’s part to pay the price to achieve that dream. Every dream has a price, the only question is, are you willing to pay it?

As you go through your career it’s easy to wish and hope. Maybe your goal is to own your business, move up the managerial ladder, change careers or just simply get your first job. Whatever it is, be prepared to do what it takes to meet and beat the challenges. Dreams require sacrifices that come in the form of your time, relationships, finances and for some physical and emotional pain. The sacrifices you make will mature you, groom you and strengthen you to be able to live your dream once you’ve accomplished it.

If you have a genuine dream and quit prematurely, it’s a sign that not only do you not have what it takes to realize your goal but also what it takes to stay there. In this instance, prepare yourself by any means necessary and then go after your dream.

One of the biggest obstacles to one’s dreams is you – not money, not other people or even your circumstances. Negative self-talk will derail any dream. It’s the very subtle mind chatter, ever so soft, that casts doubts as you take the needed steps to reach your goals. It’s the thoughts that lead you to feel insecure, unsure, timid, hesitant, shy, fearful, procrastinate, change your mind, futilely change your course of action, just to mention a few dream killers! Negative self-talk can stop you in your tracks when one door of opportunity out of the many yet to come closes, or someone speaks unfavourable of your aspirations.

Recognize the power of your mind and the suggestions it can make. Saturate your environment with positive, like-minded people, literature, music and encouraging tapes/CDs. Accomplishing a dream is a journey. It’s not for the swift but for those who endure.

Congratulations Sophia Young!