Dreams and Goals

I read Proverbs 10, and it has many good things to say about the contrast between good and bad, but the most notable to me this morning was this observation:

The memory of the righteous will be a blessing...

This, of course, makes me think of my Mom, whose memory will always be a blessing to me...and to so many others! There is another verse that makes me think of her, and the contrast between the two of us...paraphrased, it goes something like this:

Where there are many words, sin is not far behind; but the man of few words is wise.

I admit to self-deprecating humor here, but it is accurate to say that the person of many words has almost always been me, and the person of few words was most often my Mom. This was one of the many wise lessons that my Mom endeavored to teach me during her lifetime...fewer words is often best, particularly when you're unhappy about something...and to her credit, I am still working to to apply those lessons!

On this beautiful Sunday morning, the topic that I most want to write about is not Proverbs, though my commitment to responding to each Proverb has been dutifully addressed above...rather, I want to write about a subject that I feel is extremely important for all of us, and that is the subject of "dreaming..."

By dreaming, I don't mean what happens while we sleep at night, but instead, what happens when we allow our hearts to fully express their deepest desires...to give vision to that which enamours us...our passions, our hopes...our dreams for what our lives will be on this earth!

It seems to me that some people are naturally gifted at the art of dreaming, and others of us struggle with it a bit...but I believe it's a gift that can be nurtured...a magic that can be practiced...if we choose to do it!

I'm reading a book called The Spark, by Chris Downie, and in it, Chris talks about the fact that our lives need focus...that in fact, studies of happiness around the world indicate that a large part of what makes us happy is the pursuit and achievement of goals...and what are goals, except to be "dreams with deadlines" attached to them?

The philosopher Nietzsche once said, "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." The lesson of Nietzsche is this: Whether you realize it or not, you need a why for your life...a purpose that helps to organize and define your time and priorities...without it, as Chris says, you spend your days like a cork bobbing around in the ocean.

As I apply some of these simple lessons to myself each week...and each day...I am learning that it makes a difference, a significant difference...and I am happier for it!

The time that it takes to search your heart for dreams and purpose is worth the effort...and the daily discipline of translating those dreams into measurable goals makes the process both achievable and rewarding.