Finding Your Dream

The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find what interests you and you can do well, and put your whole soul into it-every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have.

-John D. Rockefeller

Dear success seeker, if you are to live a life of purpose, meaning and significance, finding your dream must be given serious consideration. You might have heard that one of the most important decisions you can make is to find what you love and find someone to pay you for it.

It will interest you to know that you are on this green earth for a purpose. You are here to help make the earth a better place for the human family. Your ability to make a contribution that will make this earth a better place depends on finding your dream. To this end you need to embark on a journey of self-discovery, find perspective, and take meaningful steps toward reaching your full potential. It is a process and part of it is to take a critical look at the messages you have internalized which may or may not be true for you- and then finding what is true for you.

From our childhood into adulthood we internalized many lessons, values, beliefs and thought patterns from our social environment. Our family passed on certain values to us. We also learned many things from the institutions we attended, from our friends, the various clubs and associations we belong to and from other relationships we have formed.

The social environment has a huge impact on us. The beliefs that have been passed on to us can either promote or hinder our progress in life. Indeed some of the values we have imbibed may run counter to our own- values that are in alignment with our compass, our soul, our heart. Some beliefs can limit you. What you need is an empowering belief system. These are beliefs that support your efforts to succeed and make something of your life.

To effect a positive change in your life and work towards your goals to achieve the life you have envisioned for yourself, the onus lies on you to reprogramme your mind and change all negative beliefs into positive ones to move forward in life. In his book, “The Psychology of Wealth” Dr. Charles Richards writes: “Each of us carries conscious and unconscious beliefs about ourselves—and about what we can expect to achieve---from childhood into adulthood. I believe that to effect a positive change in your relationship with money, it is important that you have a clear picture of who you are, where you came from, and where you want to go. It is only when you know what prosperity means to you personally that you can start to move toward it. When you know this, you can begin to make conscious choices that lead to your financial goals- and any other objectives that your dreams, creativity and motivation dictate.”

As stated earlier the family exerts a lot of influence on its members, especially children. A family may clearly define what a child should achieve, then drive that child by building into their psyche such values as discipline, self-sacrifice, and delayed gratification, considered the building blocks necessary for success and wealth creation. However failure to reach such predetermined goals can erode the child’s sense of worthiness and success. This emphasis on achievement can make children feel that parental love is dependent solely on what the child accomplishes.

Children who are raised with such messages deeply embedded in their minds may grow up as anxiety-ridden adults who feel they are not good enough. They may be outwardly successful in their career but yet feel unfulfilled. That is because they are in a career that does not resonate with their heart. They may feel some emptiness in their life.

It is advised that parents desist from imposing their expectations and values on their children. Instead they should be offered sound guidance and counselling to make their own choices and do what is of interest to them, do what they love, do what they are passionate about, what excites them and share that road with the people they love. They should be in a career that suits their talents, abilities and capabilities. They should have in their psyche values of their own and not values based on someone else’s reference point.

Our society and culture has made us believe that having a huge sum of money means success and wealth. We must understand that money is not everything. There are so many intangibles of life- such as humility, love, courage, patriotism, self-reliance, honesty and freedom that make life precious and fulfilling. Money cannot buy any of these virtues.

There is a strong link between self-image and accomplishment. You need to feel confident, believe you deserve it, believe you can do it and begin moving towards your goals and the life you have envisioned for yourself. You will need to take risks and break down the barriers that are militating against your progress. Challenges will cross your path but you have to face them with confidence, courage and fortitude.

To work towards success, wealth and prosperity, you have to be conscious of your true desires and personally define what success, wealth and prosperity mean to you. When you fully understand this, you can then plan the steps you would take to accomplish your goals, reach your full potential and live out your dream.

On what make people succeed, Darren Hardy, publisher and editorial director of SUCCESS magazine wrote: “The first step toward achieving your dreams and ambitions is to identify them. When you know exactly where you are going and focus on that endpoint, you will more directly and expeditiously reach your desired destination.”

The question then is this: How do you identify your dreams and ambitions that can support your efforts to achieve a prosperous and successful life? The following questions might help you determine your inner compass: “What is my image of a prosperous life? How do I want to design my prototype of wealth and prosperity? How do I want to be remembered when I finally make my exit from this world? What would you want your family and the world at large to say about you before your coffin is lowered into your grave for internment? For you, is it doing work that is meaningful and which you are passionate about? Is it having the ability to travel around the world? To start a company that employs your neighbours?

Do not be self-serving, think of the larger society. Do work or render service which is in alignment with your higher self. Use your talent, abilities and capabilities to serve humanity. Be imaginative and creative and make things happen. Make changes that will allow you to move forward in life no matter the odds. “Success requires a conscious decision to do and be something more. That sort of determination, belief, and vision accepts no excuses, has no backup plan, and sees the goal and goes for it.”

We can succeed by modelling our life after successful people of our choice. We are interested in knowing what accounted for their success. What success habits have you identified in the successful person of your choice? What success principles did they use? How did they overcome their challenges? Apply their success principles in your own life and achieve the results they have. Read their biographies and autobiographies and build into your life the qualities that have made them successful.

You were not born to be poor. Do away with your limiting beliefs. Let go of the old and the familiar. Find the courage to simply figure what it is you want and pursue it with all your might, intellect and skills and become the person you would really admire and want to be. Follow your heart, your true desires and pursue that vigorously until it becomes a reality. No excuses, do not blame others for your plight. Get out of the hole you are in. Move out of your comfort zone and work towards the realization of the life you have imagined for yourself. And always remember this: what you think you are, what you believe you get.

To conclude my thoughts on this piece, here is a quote from Dr. Charles Richards which says it all: “We can create a life in which we can prosper by staying conscious of who we are and what we really want. This requires following an internal compass based on our genuine selves and our broader goals. To find that internal compass, we must reflect on and acknowledge the personal values that we hold dear.” You were born a star, go on and be it.

Yours in inspiration,

ARK AWOLUGUTU

Email: [email protected]

Cell: 0559 466 048; 0208 455 29655 296