Dreams: Part 3
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In the past few posts we've looked at dreams (or purpose). In Dreams: Part 1, we talked about how dreams are the marker for what race we are to run, a way of knowing what we are supposed to do. Also, dreams can be overwhelming when there is no time or space to do all we dream about, so I asked you to consider what you dream about the most; not if you can do it or not, but what dream keeps reoccurring.
In Dreams: Part 2, we checked out another way to tell what our life dream is by looking at who we gravitate towards. If we find ourselves being pulled towards certain people in our lives we respect, or maybe authors, leaders, and thinkers we look to for guidance, we may have a better understanding of what our dream in life is. Unpacking what our dream is can be extremely difficult; so in this post we'll look at how skills play in explaining what's inside of us.
For me, I look back to college to see this played out. (I went to college twice.) The first time I was slated to be a minister, but I ended up dropping out after two years because of grades; my Achilles heel: English. In high school, I never did well. I wasn't sure the difference between a noun and a verb, let alone how to use a comma. In college I was only able to get a handle on what the four parts of speech were for the tests in Remedial English; but when I arrived in English Comp I, I was in no way ready for a weekly essay. After about a month, I dropped out. The very next semester I tried again and dropped out after two months. I was trying to run with broken legs.
I don't think I'm alone in this, I believe we've all faced similar situations? As we get older, we are constantly reminded of our short comings in all areas, aren't we? If you've ever tried to do anything positive or good, like me, you've seen where your skill set was lacking.
Before my second college career, I was reading about Gandhi and his ability to communicate via writing. I remember as clear as day, sitting in my basement thinking I needed to learn how to communicate to have any chance of living out my dream. I needed to learn how to write to make any difference in the world.
When I arrived on campus for College 2.0, I found a tutor within a week or two. That first semester, I finished Comp I with a C. In Comp II, I pulled off a B. It was in Comp II they phased out my major and I switched to an English Major. By my third semester I was in Advanced Grammar where, thanks to Dr Solberg, my relationship with language and my confidence in writing was forever changed. I had a working understanding of how grammar was naturally spilling out my brain. I now knew how to write!
This can mean something for you too. Ask yourself, “What have I set out to make myself better at and why?” The development of a skill for your own benefit can be a strong indication of what your dream is; however, skills you were forced or even paid to acquire may not be as helpful. So I encourage you to make a list of three skills you've developed for your own betterment and look at why you did them. If you don't see any common threads, add a few more things to the list. If nothing is still coming up, find someone to talk it over with or post them here and we'll talk it over!
Imagine if just a handful of people tapped into the skills that lay dormant in them and developed them towards their dream. What would the world be like if a few people, just a few, developed the confidence to move in the autonomy this gives?
We need to think through these issues, we are our only option for change in this world!
