Prosperity Happens

The Last Lecture: A Lesson in Dreams

"The Last Lecture":  This video and quote showed up in my inbox today... I've always said that the messages come right when you need to hear them most.  Probably many of you have seen this video of "The Last Lecture" by Dr. Randy Pausch but if you haven't he provides some beautiful insight into living your dreams.

"If you want something you never had, you've got to do something you've never done".

...which I think goes in hand nicely with one we've heard,

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

Hold On Tight To Your Dream

Messages from the Universe always come right when you need to hear them.  I've often found that  the message I need to hear will show up in a song lyric that randomly stands out when I'm listening to music.  Today driving down the road this morning I heard this message to share which is a song by ELO, "Hold On Tight To Your Dream".  I've included the video below so you can hear the song.  Are you holding on tight to your dream?

elo - hold on tight lyrics
(lyrics from qlyrics.com)

hold on tight to your dream
hold on tight to your dream
when you see your ship go sailing
when you feel your heart is breaking
hold tight to your dream.

it's a long time to be gone
time just rolls on and on
when you need a shoulder to cry on
when you get so sick of trying
just hold tight to your dream

chorus:
when you get so down that you can't get up
and you want so much but you're all out of luck
when you're so downhearted and misunderstood
just over & over & over you could

accroches-toi a ton reve
accroches-toi a ton reve
quand tu vois ton bateau partir
quand tu sents -- ton coeur se briser
accroches-toi a ton reve.

repeat chorus:

hold on tight to your dream
hold on tight to your dream
when you see the shadows falling
when you hear that cold wind calling
hold on tight to your dream.

oh, yeah
hold on tight to your dream
yeah, hold on tight...
to your dream.

The Dream Box - Enter Your Dream

I just came across this great new tool and created a Dream Box. 

Set forth those good vibrations out to the Universe by putting your dreams into the dream box. Every dream in the dream box will be given a daily prayer. Be sure and say a quick prayer for all the dreams in the dream box while you're there too. Imagine all the fantastic energy we can create... And imagine having hundreds of people sending you a prayer for your dream to come true! It's a little empty right now because it's brand new so please help to fill 'er up!

You'll need to Sign In first

Testing Your Dream: Is it Right for You

"You must love the process of what you do, otherwise the difficulties will seem insurmountable."
— Anita Sharpe

Expert Advice
Anita Sharpe, co-founding editor of Worthwhile magazine, offers a three-point test for finding out if your dream is right for you: (1) How does it make you feel? (2) Is this what you want your life to be about? (3) Are you ready to go for it? “If you’re too wrapped up in your fears, you’re not ready to pursue your dream,” Sharpe says. “The only security comes from working on something you love. If you’re not at that point, you’re not ready to take the plunge.”

Personal Story: Turned Passion for Toys into a Career
Jeff Scott was on a conference call, about to secure a $1.2 million service contract with a Canadian government agency, but his mind was somewhere else. A lifetime lover of flying discs, Jeff couldn’t stop thinking about how cool it would be to market the new lighted prototype he and his friend had just invented. Suddenly, he dropped the deal and trembled at how close he had come to getting into the wrong line of work. Today his product sells in 30 countries and has entirely displaced the previous versions of lighted flying discs.

"Once I decided to commit to the project, I was higher than a kite. I can’t explain the jubilation I felt in knowing I was about to do what I really wanted to do, what I’d been doing all my life—tweaking and improving products that fit my lifestyle but weren’t quite right yet."
— Jeff Scott

First 30 Days Suggestion: Don’t Be Fooled by Counterfeit Dreams

• What should I do? Listen to your body, not your mind. When your dream is something real, you’ll feel it in your body. When you’re on the right track, you feel that failure is not an option, and you have a sense of integration.
• How do I motivate myself? Find a center and stillness within yourself and ask, “What do I want my life to be about?”
• At least do this: Make a list of all the things you’re afraid of, and counterbalance it with the ultimate question: What if you get to be 90 years old and realize that your passion was something you never pursued or even tried? People fear risk, but the greatest risk is wasting your life.
• For the really open-minded: Have a vision of your dream in your mind. Step into that vision and start feeling it right now. When you achieve your dream, it will be even better than you envisioned.

Reprinted from www.First30Days.com Pursuing Your Dreams email tips
Author:  Ariane de Bonvoisin

Finding Your Dream: It's Not as Hard as You Think!

Ok... still working on getting organized over here.  I was hoping to make Sundays the 'What Mindy Said' day but it looks like it will take a day or two for her talks to be posted to her website so what I'm going to do is make Sunday's 'Pursuing Your Dreams' day. 

One of my clients, a wonderful woman, Ariane de Bonvoison, has the most incredible, beautiful and valuable web sites I've ever come across, www.First30Days.com.  First 30 Days is dedicated to helping people through change and transition.   Ariane not only publishes two fantastic books (see image), Pursuing Your Dreams and Living Healthier, but she also has a complimentry 30 email series on both subjects as well.  You can subscribe to either or both for free directly from her site.

Since Sundays are kind of off days for me I thought what would be great is to dedicate this day  to the topic of Pursuing Your Dreams.  Ariane's Purusing Your Dreams tips are nice, short and to the point so for the next 30 Sundays I will be posting her Pursuing Your Dreams tips here.  If you can't wait a week in between each tip run over to www.First30Days.com and subscribe yourself to the email tips and you'll get one every day.

Finding Your Dream: It’s Not as Hard as You Think!

“Everyone has a dream. No one has to go out and find one.”
— Rhonda Britten

Expert Advice
"Most people are waiting for a dream, and then they’ll work hard,” Rhonda Britten observes. “If you’re not investing in the life you have by developing your skills, accepting what you love, and owning your inner strength, you won’t be prepared to handle the dream that’s meant for you. Quit waiting to love your life and start loving it now, exactly as it is."

Personal Story: You CAN Do Work That Makes You Happy
Julie Jansen had four careers before starting her own business at age 40. Today she’s a master coach and business consultant who motivates people to take control of their lives, increase their effectiveness, and jump-start their careers. She drew on her personal experience to write her first book, I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This: A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding Gratifying Work.

"It's absolutely possible to do work that makes you happy. You don’t have to do just one thing, you can do three things: one for the paycheck, one for the paycheck and small fulfillment, and one that’s truly gratifying. I absolutely believe it’s possible for everyone."
— Julie Jansen

First 30 Days Suggestion: Invest in the Life You Have

• What should I do? Give everything you have to your life, your work, your relationship. Get fully engaged, and invest yourself fully.
• How do I motivate myself? Get your fears down on paper. What’s the worst that could happen? What’s the worst that could happen as a result of that? Write it down, and decide if you’re willing to take those risks. If you’re not, get rid of the dream.
• At least do this: Take an inventory of what you love and your skills. What do you love to do? What are your skills (not your job titles)? When you uncover what you love to do and recognize your inherent skills, you start paying more attention and synergy happens.
• For the really open-minded: Listen to your body. If you’re not being true to your essential self, your body will find ways to impede you. If you can’t get out of bed in the morning, feel crabby, forget things, or find yourself in a bad mood, sick a lot, and not having much energy, your body is trying to keep you from heading away from your essential self. The solution is to articulate what you really feel.

Reprinted from www.First30Days.com, author and CEO Ariane de Bonvoisin