What dreams may come.

Much has been said about streamlining businesses. But, what's equally important is to optimize ourselves so we can get whatever our heart desires. Here are my two cents of how we can get to our own yellow brick road.

Please close your eyes.

Assuming that anything is possible, what do you envision yourself to be doing right at this moment?

Please open your eyes and write down your answer.

You can keep your eyes open for the next question.

If your answer is different from what you are doing, what’s stopping you from living your dream?

Please write down your answer.

Thanks, guys for participating in this exercise.

You may put your pens away, and just sit back in your chair and enjoy the speech.

As individuals, we are gifted with the only non-replenishable treasure of all: time. But, how is it that some individuals are able to live their dreams, while the rest of us have cast our dreams away to a land long forgotten?

Today, I will explore some possible factors such as faith, persistence, and optimism that may have attributed to the great divide between these two groups. In doing so, perhaps we may gain a better understanding of how to achieve our dreams.

Everyone can agree that having the conviction is a prerequisite to accomplishing your fantasy. But keeping the faith during challenging times is critical to the realization of your castle in the sky. Steve Jobs of Apple is a perfect example. This daredevil introduced a graphic interface for computers and created a demand at a time in which we, the consumers did not even know we wanted it. Then, Steve followed up his own act with bug-free Macs, user friendly ipods, and the revolutionary iphone. This visionary excelled at not just believing in his own fancy, but successfully converting a good portion of us into diehard apple fans. It is no wonder that once you owned an apple product, you will never go back. Although seeing the light is key, some people may argue that persistence is quintessential to accomplishing our fantasies.

The name Albert Einstein is synonymous with the term genius. In fact, if we divided the number of his scientific and non-scientific works by his age and assumed that he started innovating at the tender age of 20, this man produced eight works per professional year of his life. Besides being the father of creativity, Einstein was a preacher of revision. In fact, he openly admitted that often, his ideas weren’t so brilliant to begin with. With revisions, however, these thoughts transform into awe inspiring works of wonder. Now, if Mr. Creativity had to hone his concepts over and over again, then we too, must burn the midnight oil, use elbow grease, and frankly, whatever else that we can get our hands on to get to our yellow brick road. At times, however, the road may seem windy, and riddled with unfathomable challenges. It is at times like this that we need to (put on the prop) put on our rosy shades as we continue chugging along on our odyssey.

Some say that the glass half full appeal lies in the fact that honey attracts more bugs. Others say that if you really want something, the universe will conspire to make it happen. I can only speak for myself. This belief allowed me to see opportunities that I would have otherwise not have been privy to. After recovering from a work related injury, I was having trouble finding work in a deeply contracting economy. It was at this time, that I recalled how my friends were always suggesting that I sell my handmade jewelry. Thinking what the hay, I set up my online shop. A month later, I made an international sale, and the rest is history. It was my hopelessly optimistic nature that got the ball rolling, my passion for handmade wares that fueled the fire, and my doggone perfectionist nature that kept my hands busy. And I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything.

I will leave you with a quote from Anatole France that summarizes my speech. “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.” I challenge you to remove what is most often the biggest roadblock from your path: yourself, and start building the ladder to your castle in the sky.