Fight for your dreams

Dreams are a fragile thing.

We all have dreams no matter what age we are. Everyone holding this newspaper right now, reading my words, has a dream that they are clinging to.

To me, dreams are what keeps us going. It’s what keeps us going as the human race.
If it weren’t for dreams, where would we be?

We might still be living in caves or tents made of buffalo hide. You might be reading this column on a stone tablet right now. Who knows where we would be without dreams.

I want you to close your eyes right now. Breathe in the air around you. Find a peaceful place in your mind. If you could do one thing in your life, what would it be? What is your dream?

No matter what that dream is, it cannot fade from your memory or heart. It’s something that you cannot release. Grab that memory and never let go.

American author Richard Bach said that “you are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.”

That is so true. Most ignore their dreams because it may take too much work. Those thoughts must be erased from your minds. A dream is a dream. When you’re lost in your dream, the world seems so grand and that’s why you have to cling to that dream.

Believe it or not, dreams do come true.

When I was a child, I had two dreams. I would run around, scribbling on paper, and then I would deliver the finished product to my parents and grandparents as though it were a newspaper.

At a young age, I dreamed of working for a newspaper. In case you didn’t notice that you were reading a newspaper, that dream came true.

My other dream is currently being pursued by this faithful reporter. I dreamed of one day being an author and now I have written a book that hopefully will get me one step closer to my second dream.

I have tried to write a book so many times but I never had the diligence and the commitment.

Then one day, it hit me. I stared into my mirror and told myself the cold, hard truth.

“If you want to be an author, you’re going to have to write a book.”

It was the truth and thankfully my brain responded. In two months, I had a manuscript.

That’s what we have to do sometimes. We have to slap ourselves in the face and scream “wake up.” Dreams can only be attained if we pursue them.

Bill Gates didn’t take over the world in just one day. He spent years polishing a dream and now Microsoft has conquered the world.

American poet Henry David Thoreau said, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

In other words, dream big and then build a foundation. You have to have the dream to work toward. It’s how it works.

My grandpa told me one time that you know you’re getting old when regrets take the place of dreams.

Nothing could be more true.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be a bestselling author, but there is one thing for sure.

I am taking my shot.

And I’m going to take that shot over and over and over.

That’s what dreaming is about. If you have dreams and you don’t go for them, then you’re left with nothing but regret.

I don’t want my life to end up that way. I want to dream. I want to go for those dreams with everything that I have. I want to sweat and bleed for my dreams. To get away from me, my dreams are going to have to run, and that’s not what dreams do.

My dream is not a figment of my imagination and it shouldn’t be for you.

American poet Langston Hughes said it the best.

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”

I want to fly.

I want you to fly.

We all deserve our dreams.

We all deserve to fight for our dreams.

Fight.

If you have any inspirational story ideas or just a comment that you would like to share underneath the Shade Tree, please email them to me at jmillwood@tryondailybulletin.com or call Joey Millwood at 828-859-2737, ext. 110. Any inspirational stories are welcome and may be included in the weekly columns.