No 05 Changing Lives through Dancing
By David Earl Woodbury
Friday, February 2, 2018
The Calamity of Not Dreaming!
“The tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals, the tragedy lies in not having any goals to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream.”
– Dr. Benjamin Mays (1894 – 1984)
Even to today, I love to dream. I dream of success with all the trimmings and rewards of achieved goals. All around me are post notes and small notebooks and pieces of paper and notations all over my computers and in every calendar I have. These are dreams, ideas, goals, hopes, aspirations, and hope lists filled with every type of idea I can think, see, feel, read, smell and discover.
“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can transform one million realities.”
– Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014) American poet
Sometimes in the middle of all my many, many fantasies, one takes hold and becomes a reality. It is glorious and powerful to see an idea, a dream, a thought turn into a benefit for children, a new dance show, a new dance routine, a book, a lecture, or a life-changing experience. Yes, I am lucky that I am awake to hearing ideas and capturing them in my own feeble way, and I’m able to see them turn into powerful realities in my life and the lives of others.
“Most groups have a potential for greatness that never quite takes off. But every so often the right person comes along who can put together a handful of superb people, set an impossible goal, engage them in a holy war, and let them rip.”
– Jennifer Clark Author of Mondo Agnelli: Fiat, Chrysler, and the Power of a Dynasty
This quote is the heart of this written message. I pray, O God, please make me the type of leader to guide out team to greatness and not to disaster. Please give me the wisdom and discernment to be a great leader that others will want to follow and one that will inspire others. I now have a team of superb people and I hope every day to not mess them up. Wisdom, I need wisdom! We have set our impossible goal and now is the time to make the magic happen!
“If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”
– B.J. Marshall (1951) Australian physician, Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology
“At first dreams seem impossible, then improbable, then inevitable.”
– Christopher Reeve (1952 – 2004) American Actor
“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.”
– Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-American Physicist
Three great quotes above. First, I am accomplishing a goal every day and am always seeing new visions as I travel down the great highway of life. Second, I know that many of my dreams seem impossible, but after a while I get that feeling deep in my soul that I have to take action, that no matter how hard, I will make my dreams come true. Third, I do live in a fantasy world and that I have not let that gift vanish from my life. Every time I am at the Magic Kingdom at Disneyland, I imagine Walt standing in that empty orange grove in Anaheim with his great dreams. I am amazed what his dreams and fantasies came true and that he never gave up. Walt said that Disneyland would never be finished and it continues to grow, expand and reinvent every year!
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
– Walt Disney (1901 – 1966) American Animator and Film Maker
“Your imagination is the preview to life’s coming attractions.”
– Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955) German physicist
“Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.”
– Robert Schuller (1926) American Minister, Evangelist
Dream to do the impossible in your life. Remember, many times when you awaken from sleep that your dreams are a map to the future. If you just take a moment upon awakening, you will remember answers to life that you dreamed about. You will remember that you dreamed up a life-changing answer to a problem in your life, or for someone else’s life. Then, let go of fear of messing up. I mess up all the time, but I do succeed a lot as well. We’re all going to make mistakes so we might as well get at it and enjoy the great moments of success! Remember to dream today!
“The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach (1947) Author, Speaker, Mom and Philanthropist
Thanks for reading!
David Earl Woodbury
Keep on Dancing!
Comments
One response to “05 2-2-18 The Calamity of Not Dreaming!”
great post!