The title for this short post was borrowed from one of Jesse Jackson's famous quotes - he is a
Civil rights leader and two-time Democratic presidential candidate,way before Barrack Obama even thought of becoming President. He worked alongside Martin Luther King.I'd say that if a person who rose from the slums to such an elevated position says something this profound,I ought to listen.And listen hard. No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to fly high. No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams. Jesse Jackson Our dreams and desires are the fabric of our souls-our essence if you will.The fire that burns within and urges you ever forward.The hunger and drive to become more and achieve more. And as many people there are on the planet today, there are equally numerous dreams waiting to be fulfilled. Researches have shown that 9 out of 10 people actually never live out their dreams.Many of them have already forgotten what their dreams were to begin with.The most common regret of people lying on their deathbed was that they had not honored and realised their dreams.Only when their health had been stripped away from them did they realise that.Only then,when dying, did they see how the choices they had made- or hadn't made, had led them to feeling regret instead of peace. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. What to do then? How can people,especially the young ones who are still at the beginning be encouraged to pursue their heart's longings no matter what?What did the crazy ones,the misfits, the dreamers do differently to honor their soul's desires?At the core of every successful person,every wild dream accomplished, lies belief in yourself no matter what.Perseverance and hard work all the while fighting your fear of failure and rejection.Battling doubts and the urge to just give up and settle for a life that is considered acceptable.Refusing to negotiate. The toughest opponent in every lofty endeavour is always yourself.No matter who the opponent appears to be-whether it be your parents,your peers,society-the ultimate rival is you.It takes quite a lot of grit to defy the obstacles before you and just push forward,nose to the grindstone and with the unshakeable belief you will come out victorious.The lack of strong belief in yourself and the decision to settle is what will bring about the untimely and unfortunate death of yet another dream. Dreams are the seeds of our soul and should be watered.Faithfully and with diligence.Through their realisation we constantly learn and evolve into what we are supposed to become.This duty belongs not only to the one bearing those dreams but as I see it is also a task and a burden for a child's parents or caretakers and their teachers.Our young ones find themselves in an era of abundance and stupefying technology.However many advantages there are to technology, I can't help but feel that it has the same addictive traits of a potent drug.The vast majority of our teeenagers don't dream high anymore, which is actually sad and makes for a rather bleak future. Learn from your dreams what you lack. W. H. Auden Parents and teachers are to encourage a child's dream.Not truncate it by demeaning comments like,“Girls can’t be astronauts", for example.And I do by no means mean that we should stick to traditional education.Teachers should take stronger initiative and dare to go beyond the approved curriculum.Knowledge and standardised testing is not always the first priority.Curiosity and imagination should be encouraged at all costs.Allowing students to take initiative and experiment will fuel their natural tendency to dream- and more importantly act upon those dreams.Freedom of expresssion and a cultivation of awareness of self and the world in general. All those practices when applied make for a more motivated and aware person,one that would help themselves with the realisation of their dreams and benefit humanity by their example. To be truthful,I have yet to realise all my dreams.But in writing this post I am attempting to encourage myself most of all to find words to bring forth to light that which lies unexpressed within me.Attempt to write a lyric for the song only I can understand.The song that still slumbers in my heart and which can be sung only with my voice.I wish the same for everybody.There is no greater sadness than grieving your unfulfilled dreams.Essentially grieving the person you were meant to become. As an epilogue I'll borrow some wisdom from Deepak Chopra: You are what your deepest desire is. As is your desire so is your intention. As is your intention so is your will. As is your will so is your deed. As is your deed so is your destiny. At the end of the day you define your dreams and your destiny.Will they fly high or crash and burn?It's all in your hands.Your choice. As always with love, Lia
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August 2021
CategoriesAuthorI am a passionate English teacher.Aspiring writer and speaker.I take educational matters to heart and hope to bring about some positive change in the field of education. |