Yesterday, I wrote about opening your packet of dream seeds that you have gathered during your life (whether you are young or old).

Now, what are you going to do with your dream seeds?

NURTURING YOUR DREAM SEEDS

Like any seed, a dream seed needs to be planted and cared for before it will grow.

Even a dandelion needs freedom and encouragement to grow if it is going to realize its full potential.

Right? Come on, if you put weed killer (negativity) on your lawn in the spring, it will kill the dandelions that have already come up and inhibit the dandelions that have yet to germinate.

If you have a dream, but never plant it, it can’t grow and develop. Likewise, if you only take a few of the steps to nurture to nurture a dream, the dream will probably wither and die. And if you have others who broadcast weed killer on your dream, you may have great difficulty mustering the confidence to proceed with your dream. Many times the people who have had dreams wither and die become bitter and resentful of the world.

A FIELD OF PLANTED DREAM SEEDS

We don’t need to just nurture just one dream seed; we can have a multitude of growing dreams in our dream garden.

When I was teaching pre-school swimming at a YMCA, I had a little girl who excelled quickly. Displaying no fear of the water, she quickly passed from the beginner’s class through the final class available for preschoolers. Her mother told me she was attempting to expose her daughter to a wide variety of experiences in an effort to find things her daughter didn’t like. Over the past two or three years the mother had not found anything that her daughter didn’t either enjoy or excel at.

What a fabulous parent! Exposing her child to the wealth of opportunities within her reach.

Unfortunately, too often it is easier for parents to turn on the television or video games on the computer, television or phone than it is to get involved and discover a child’s interests. Even as adults, the call of the television or video game lures us away from discovering and pursuing a dream we have.

CULTIVATING OUR DREAMS

Unfortunately, too many people have no clue how to cultivate and tend to our dream seeds, and we have no idea how to help young people reach for the stars. And that is unfortunate.

Or we as adults and parents squash the dream seeds of our children because the dream seems unattainable or dangerous. We don’t want our children hurt or competing in the big bad world.

If we don’t teach children how to cultivate and grow their dreams or if we have no dreams, we tend to live an unhappy life. Or, we wander around life unsure where our path should take us.

Far too often we expect children to go to college because we have been conditioned to believe that the only way to get somewhere in life is by getting a degree and having that piece of paper in hand.

But that isn’t always the case.

The musician who went to Julliard but knew more than most of his professors.

Some of the young cooks on Master Chef Junior who are impressing the judges to the point of creating food that the judges feel could be put on the menu of their finest restaurants.

So what can we do to fertilize and tend the dreams of children and ourselves.

SOME IDEAS

Exposure: When we find something that interests a child or us, we need to gain exposure to the dream see. Bring it out into the light. Explore what it is that interests us about that “thing.” Observe, whether on film or in real life. Share the subject of your interest with others who might be avenues to cultivate the dream seed.

Reading and research: Check out books that detail the skills and training needed to become proficient with your dream seed. Check out biographies and autobiographies of people who are well-known in the field. Read blogs about your dream seed.

Training: Take classes to learn the skills. Take classes to hone your skills. Practice. Practice. Practice.

In closing, what are your dreams and what do you need to achieve that dream? Share with me in the comments.

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Thanks for reading.

AND

As you move through your day-to-day activities and responsibilities, please remember to

Live Life –

Keep Things Simple –

Look for the Positive –

AND

Smile.

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